Strength Improves Your Quality of Life

The benefits most associated with strength training are muscle growth and strength, probably because they can be seen. However, there are numerous unseen benefits. Here are some of the most well-known health benefits.

Improved metabolism

Sticking with muscle growth for a second, increased muscle mass from strength training helps our metabolism operate with better efficiency. Muscle mass increases our metabolic rate (how much energy we use at rest). It also helps us to process and use glucose better to reduce risk of diabetes type II, decrease risk of hypertension (a risk factor for heart, brain, and kidney disease), lower belly fat/obesity, and reduce amounts of fat in our blood.

Longer life and improved life quality

Strength is a proven and vital predictor for all causes of mortality – meaning your strength can help increase your quality and length of life. That alone should be enough, but let’s move on. Strength training can increase bone mineral density that allows us to avoid getting osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can lead to increased risk of falls and fractures as we age that often lead to death.

Reduced risk of cancer

Regular strength training is further linked to reduction in the risk of death caused by a variety of cancers; chronic pain such as low back pain, arthritis, symptoms of fibromyalgia; mental health such as depression and anxiety; and vitally important for boosting our immune system. That’s a lot of benefit that can be significantly noticed in as little as 4 weeks at a minimum of 2 days per week. Pretty good return on your investment, don’t you think?

References

Campbell, J. P., & Turner, J. E. (2018). Debunking the Myth of Exercise-Induced Immune Suppression: Redefining the Impact of Exercise on Immunological Health Across the Lifespan. Frontiers in Immunology, 9.

Mcleod, J. C., Stokes, T., & Phillips, S. M. (2019). Resistance Exercise Training as a Primary Countermeasure to Age-Related Chronic Disease. Frontiers in Physiology,10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.00645

McPherron, A. C., Guo, T., Bond, N. D., & Gavrilova, O. (2013). Increasing muscle mass to improve metabolism. Adipocyte, 2(2), 92. https://doi.org/10.4161/adip.22500

O’Connor, P. J., Herring, M. P., & Caravalho, A. (2010). Mental Health Benefits of Strength Training in Adults. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 4(5), 377–396. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827610368771

Villareal, D. T., Aguirre, L., Gurney, A. B., Waters, D. L., Sinacore, D. R., Colombo, E., Armamento-Villareal, R., & Qualls, C. (2017). Aerobic or Resistance Exercise, or Both, in Dieting Obese Older Adults.The New England journal of medicine,376(20), 1943–1955. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1616338