General Health Directory

Health Benefits of Resistance Training
Most people think a fit lifestyle is just eating right and cardiovascular exercise regularly. While those are important elements to a life of health, anyone who wishes to become healthy shouldnt limit themselves to eating healthy and shouldnt neglect the importance of resistance training. Resistance training, which can include training with weights, yoga, or Pilates, shouldnt just be limited to dedicated gym rats. It has manifold benefits that should interest anyone who wants to maintain and improve their health.
1. Increased Strength
Your muscles dont just get bigger, they get stronger. This means that everyday physical activities, like carrying books, doing chores, and adjusting furniture will feel more effortless. As a personal trainer in Orange County CA I have personally witnessed peoples lives become easier because of increased strength. And the more effortless physical activities feel, the more likely you are to do them, which means you are able to burn more calories every day without even thinking about it. And the more calories you burn, the more you reduce your risk of obesity and a whole bunch of diseases.
2. Stronger Bones
Your bones act a lot like your muscles. When they are subjected to stress, they react by growing stronger and maintaining their strength. Bone degradation can begin as early as twenty-five, and continues in old age, where it may lead to osteoporosis and fractures. Simply by engaging in resistance training two or three times a week, you can reduce your odds of requiring a hip replacement surgery by the time you reach retirement age.
3. Reduced Body Fat
Large muscles require a lot of energy to maintain, and that energy might come in the form of burned body fat. Resistance training is the cornerstone of many weight loss programs in Orange County California. As you get stronger and your muscles increase in size, your metabolism increases and less of the sugar you eat gets converted to insulin increasing blood glucose. The result is that it is easier to stay slim and keep that harmful and unattractive body fat at low levels.
4. Regulates Blood Pressure
A full 25% of all American adults have high blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause stroke, aneurysm, heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage, and eye damage. Whats frightening about this condition that is in ninety percent of cases, the cause is unknown. The remaining ten percent can usually be shown to be caused by alcohol abuse and kidney disease. Studies have shown that regular resistance training can help regulate blood pressure and reduce the risk of the debilitating diseases associated with it.
5. Healthier Heart
Heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S, claiming almost a million American lives in 2006. The only way to eliminate this killer is by maintaining heart health. It has been shown that athletes who regularly engage in strength training have increased heart wall thickness and an overall healthier heart.
6. Improved Glucose Metabolism
Glucose tolerance increases your odds of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. When you eat anything, especially carbohydrates, your blood glucose level rises. As this rises, your body stores more fat. Studies have shown that exercisers who weight train in the morning have less of their food converted into blood glucose throughout the day.

Tags: resistance training | fit lifestyle | body fat | muscles | weights | glucose | health

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This entry was posted on Monday, January 28th, 2008 at 11:16 am and is filed under Benefits of fitness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.