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What Weight Training Can Do For You
We
all have different reasons for wanting to lift weights. Undoubtedly,
many of these reasons have to do with looking better. Sculpted arms and
toned abs have become somewhat of a fashion statement. But we can think
of more compelling
and,
ultimately, more satisfying reasons to lift weights. Here’s a reminder
of what weight training can do for you.
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 | Keep
your bones healthy. The
average woman loses about 1 percent of her bone mass each year after
age 35. Men are susceptible to brittle bones, too. Lifting weights
can drastically slow the rate of bone loss -- and may even reverse
the process. With strong bones, you won’t become hunched over as
you age, and you’ll lower your risk of life threatening fractures.
No matter what your age, it’s never too late to start
strengthening your bones. |
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| Help control your weight.
When you lose weight through dieting and aerobic exercise (such as
walking or bicycling), you lose muscle along with (at. This can be a
problem: When you lose muscle, your metabolism slows down, so
you’re more likely to regain the weight. By adding weight training
to the mix, you can maintain (or increase) your muscle and thereby
maintain (or even boost) your metabolism. Although weight training
is no magic bullet for weight loss, many obesity experts consider it
to be an essential part of any weight-control program. |
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| Increase your strength.
Lifting the front end of a lire truck may not be among your goals in
life, but a certain amount of muscle strength does come in handy.
Weight training makes it easier to haul your stacks of newspaper to
the recycling bin and drag your kids away from a video game. Studies
show that even 90-year-olds can gain significant strength from
lifting weights. |
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| Boost your
energy. Forget about
hokey dietary supplements: One of the best energy boosters around
comes not in a bottle but on a weight
rack. When you lift weights, you have more pep in your step.
You can bound to the bus stop or salt through your company’s
annual charity walk-a-thon. |
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| Improve your quality of life.
Any activity that accomplishes all of the above has to make you a
happier, more productive person. (Research suggests that weight
training can even relieve clinical depression.) Of course, hoisting
hunks of steel is no instant cure-all, but you’d be surprised how
much satisfaction a pair of 10-pound dumbbells can bring into your
life. |
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