I’m sure everyone knows that weight lifting is the best form of exercise to build muscle. However, not everyone knows that weight lifting has many other health benefits that aren’t so obvious.
rnWeight Lifting Promotes Good PosturernThe first benefit of weight lifting is improved posture. The way you sit and stand are determined by your neck, shoulder, back, hip and abdominal muscles. Stronger muscles promote better posture by helping you stand and sit straighter. You will also have improved balance and stability.
rnWeight Lifting Helps You Deal With StressrnTo me this next weight lifting benefit is the best, the benefit is that weight lifting helps you deal with stress. Once you develop and follow an exercise routine, your ability to deal with stress better will improve. Weight lifting allows you to sleep better as does any form of exercise. After exerting large amounts of energy via weight lifting you tend to fall asleep quicker and sleep deeper. One of the best ways to deal with stress is to get a good nights rest. Clinical studies have shown regular exercise to be one of the best tools for effective stress management.
Here is another way weight lifting helps you deal with stress. We all have those days where it seems that everything is going wrong and one bad thing after the other keeps popping up. For me, on those days i’m ready to punch a freaking wall! However, that wouldn’t be very productive and I would probably break my hand. Instead of punching a wall, I lift weights. It’s a great way to get rid of all the stress that has built up throughout the day.
rnWeight Lifting Helps The Musculoskeletal SystemrnTests have shown that weight lifting, has large effects on the musculoskeletal system. It helps maintain functional abilities, and prevents osteoporosis, sarcopenia, lower-back pain, and other disabilities.
rnWeight Lifting Increases StabilityrnAnother benefit of weight lifting is that it helps condition the muscles. It makes the muscles, connective tissues and tendons stronger. This increases the overall stability and strength of the body. Also, conditioning the muscles is good for the bones because bones grow stronger and denser with stresses put on the muscles around them.
rnWeight Lifting Increases MetabolismrnLike most forms of exercise, weight lifting increases your metabolism. This causes the body to burn more calories at rest. So even when you aren’t working out you are burning calories. Having a fast metabolism helps to prevent you from gaining unwanted weight. Your overall weight may not change just by increasing your metabolism, but you will lose fat and gain muscle as a result of weight lifting.
Not only will you look good if you lift weights on a regular basis but you will get all the other benefits weight lifting has to offer. Just stick with it and over time you will start to see some positive changes.