Health Benefits of Strength Training

Medically reviewed by Theresa Marko, PT

Strength training, sometimes called resistance training or weight training, is a type of exercise geared toward increasing your muscle strength, endurance, and sometimes even muscle mass. To achieve these goals, you typically use some type of resistance (or weight) such as your body weight, hand weights, resistance bands, or other tools.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you do two or more days of strength training a week and that you work all major muscle groups including your legs, glutes, back, core, chest, shoulders, and arms. They also recommend that you do 150 minutes of aerobic activity like brisk walking each week, too.

Overall, strength training is an important, but often overlooked, form of exercise. Yet, it can be extremely good for your health and well-being.

Here are 13 ways you may benefit from incorporating strength training into your weekly workout routine.

1. Increases Muscle Tone

By design, resistance training—or using your muscles to work against weight or force—improves your muscle tone. It may even increase your muscle mass, too, if you tailor your regimen accordingly. What's more, you do not have to lift heavy amounts of weight in order to see results.

One study found that doing about eight to 12 repetitions (which is sometimes referred to as the "hypertrophy zone") is ideal for building muscle. Hypertrophy means an increase in muscle size.

2. Improves Functional Strength

Strength training also can help build your functional strength, especially when your weight training activities mimic everyday movements like squatting, lifting, twisting, pushing, and pulling. This means carrying groceries, moving furniture around, or squatting to get something off of the floor, all become easier.

Exercises used to build functional strength include everything from squats and deadlifts, to medicine ball twists, step-ups, and farmer's walk.

Related: 10 Best Ab Exercises To Strengthen Your Core

3. Helps Control Blood Sugar

Whether you have type 2 diabetes or not, resistance training is an effective way to manage your blood sugar levels. Not only does building muscle improve your insulin sensitivity, but when you are training, glucose is removed from your blood and sent to your muscles for energy.

Strength training also can reduce the chance of developing type 2 diabetes. In a study of more than 35,000 people assigned female at birth, people engaging in strength training had a 30% lower chance of developing the disease than those who did not.

4. Improves Heart Health

Most people believe that the only way to improve heart health is to engage in cardiovascular or aerobic activities. But research shows that strength training may be just as effective at boosting heart health as aerobic exercises.

For instance, a recent analysis found that people assigned female at birth who did 60 minutes to 120 minutes of resistance training per week had a 22% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. These results were similar to doing 60 to 120 minutes of aerobic exercises.

5. Strengthens Bones

Strength training naturally puts stress on your bones. Doing so, sends signals to them to build up their strength. What's more, this type of training can build bone density and structure as well as reduce your risk for osteoporosis.

For those who already have osteoporosis, researchers have found that alternating weights at 70% of your one rep minimum with weights of 50% of your one rep minimum twice a week increased bone mineral density in postmenopausal people with osteoporosis. (Your one rep minimum is the maximum weight you can lift in one repetition.)

6. Enhances Mobility and Flexibility

Maintaining mobility and flexibility are important to your overall wellbeing and quality of life. Plus, they allow you to move around easier, with less pain, and even improve your sports performance. In fact, there are multiple studies that show that doing at least three sets of multiple exercises increases a person's flexibility.

More specifically, one study found using weights that were 40%, 60% and 80% of one rep maximum increased flexibility ranging from 3% to 12%, 6% to 22% and 8% to 28%, respectively.

Related: 7 Mobility and Flexibility Exercises To Help You Move With Ease

7. Boosts Metabolism

When it comes to strength training, it impacts your metabolism in a number of ways. First, building muscle can increase your resting metabolic rate. In fact, one study found that after nine months of resistance training, resting metabolic rate increased by 5% on average, though it did vary somewhat among people.

Second, your body continues to burn calories even after you have finished your resistance training program.

8. Reduces Blood Pressure

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects approximately 1 billion people worldwide and accounts for nearly 14% of deaths caused by cardiovascular disease. But researchers are finding that resistance training could be used as a tool for reducing blood pressure.

In fact, one study found that engaging in strength training two or three days a week for at least eight weeks reduces blood pressure in people with hypertension.

9. Boosts Mood

Implementing a regular strength training routine can boost your mood in a number of ways. For instance, setting goals and committing to working out on a regular basis can build you sense of satisfaction, while the activity itself gives you a influx of endorphins that impact your mood as well.

There's even evidence that a regular strength training routine may help reduce depressive symptoms regardless of a person's health status.

10. Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Everyone knows that going for a walk or doing something physical can reduce stress or anxiety. But recent research shows that resistance training may also have the same effect. In fact, some studies show that it can be an effective way to reduce anxiety in both adults with a mental health condition as well as those without.

11. Promotes Brain Health and Reduces Dementia Risk

If you participate in strength training, you may be promoting brain health as well as protecting it from cognitive decline. In fact, one study found that six months of strength training can help protect the brain from shrinkage in those especially vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease.

What's more, studies of older adults have demonstrated that strength training can improve cognitive function including memory, processing speed, and executive function.

Related: How To Boost Your Memory in Your 30s, 40s, 50s, and Beyond

12. Reduces Risks of Falls or Injuries

When you participate in a regular strength training routine, you are building muscle and strength which helps support your balance, posture, and movement. This in turn, helps reduce the risk of injuries and falls and improves your overall functional ability.

In fact, one review of more than 23,000 people over age 60 found that those who regularly engaged in strength training along with balance exercises had a 34% reduced chance of falling.

13. Improves Well-Being and Quality of Life

Regular strength training also can improve your overall well-being and quality of life. Not only does it keep you active and able to go about your day-to-day activities, but it also can improve mental health, pain management, and vitality.

Meanwhile, some experts theorize that it also can influence chronic disease risk and contribute to healthy aging.

Risks of Strength Training

When it comes to strength training, the benefits outweigh the risks. In fact, one study found that over the course of a year only 0.6% of people assigned female at birth experienced an injury from strength training and 4.5% of people assigned male at birth experienced an injury.

That said, the the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends considering your current fitness level, your goals, and any medical conditions or chronic injuries you have. Also, talk to a healthcare provider about what is right for you.

For instance, if you have rheumatoid arthritis, you may want to avoid strength training when your joints are inflamed. Likewise, if you have a tendinitis or a shoulder injury you need to make sure you are resting the area, so you can recover before pushing through a strength training regimen. It's also a good idea to visit with a physical therapist, who can help you modify moves for strength training to minimize pain or any further injury.

You also may want to consider working with a personal trainer if you are new to strength training. They can help you choose the weight that is right for you as well as instruct you on proper form so that you prevent any unnecessary injuries. it's also important to make sure your strength training routine includes rest, too.

How to Get Started

After age 20, most adults lose about one-half pound of muscle each year primarily because of reduced activity. To keep this muscle loss from happening, and to reap the numerous health benefits, it's wise to add strength training to your routine. Plus, doing so isn't costly nor does it require a lot of upfront investment.

To begin, you can do bodyweight exercises like lunges, wall pushups, planks, glute bridges, and squats to help improve your strength. As you get stronger, though, you may want to invest in resistance bands, an exercise ball, and hand weights. Even a TRX, medicine ball, or home gym can be helpful additions if you prefer to work out at home.

To build your strength training routine, consider incorporating one exercise from each muscle group into your routine:

Other Tips for Beginners

The ACSM makes the following recommendations for implementing a strength training routine:

• Plan to do both a warm-up and a cool-down to help prevent injuries.

• Choose exercises for all major muscle groups.

• Perform one to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions, two to three days a week.

• Select your weight by considering the amount of weight you can move eight to 12 times.

• Use proper form and normal breathing to prevent injuries.

• Get input from a personal trainer or physical therapist who can teach you proper form and develop an individualized exercise routine.
  

Related: How Often Should You Work Out?

A Quick Review

Strength training is an important part of ensuring your overall health and well-being are top-notch. Not only does it have a positive impact on a number of important parameters like your blood sugar and blood pressure, but it also boosts heart health, improves your functional strength, promotes brain health, and impacts your mood. Plus, the benefits far outweigh the risks.

That said, if you are new to strength training, talk to a healthcare provider before getting started. Also, get input from a personal trainer or physical therapist on proper form and technique.

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