Weight lifting can look intimidating especially for women which is why most prefer exercising on the treadmill and other cardio workouts. There are also so many misconceptions about weightlifting. For instance, it will make you look muscular or that it has no aerobic benefits. However, weightlifting is one of the best forms of exercise that engages your entire body. A few hours of weight training every week can help you in many different ways. Here are some benefits of weightlifting.
- Boosts Metabolism
There’s no doubt that weight lifting is intense but the more intense the better the results. After lifting weights, your oxygen consumption which helps break down fat in your body. This, in turn, increases your metabolism rate and can last for up to 24-hours after a weightlifting session. it’s a good exercise if you want to keep your body and avoid gaining weight.
- Increases Bone Density
Weight lifting makes you stronger, quite literally. It increases your bone density by stimulating osteoblasts in your bones that build new bone cells. This reduces the likelihood of experiencing fractures and other bone-related problems when you get older. However, there aren’t many exercises that can give you this strengthening effect. Therefore, it’s important to lift weights as part of your workout routine.
- Improves Cognitive Function
Research shows that strength training has a positive effect on your cognitive function. Rigorous exercises release body molecules that promote the growth of new cells. Therefore, brain cells are able to recover and regrow faster when you break a sweat. These cells, then, carry out brain functions more effectively. Weight lifting can help older people with cognitive impairment such as dementia improve different functions of their brain. Habits That Are Harmful To Your Brain
- Reduces Stress
Weight lifting is a good stress reliever. When you’ve had a bad day, you can feel instantly better by pumping some iron. This is because it raises endorphin levels in your brain which puts you in a good mood. Additionally, there’s a certain sense of accomplishment you get from lifting weights compared to other kinds of workouts. This can boost your self-confidence giving you a more positive outlook in life. 5 Simple Tips For Managing Stress
- Improves Posture
Good posture not only makes you look more attractive but also it’s good for your overall health. However, most of us have poor posture due to spending most of our time seated which can weaken our spine and core muscles. Lifting weights can strengthen your core muscles thus helping improve your posture. Strong core muscles also prevent you from slouching and improves your balance. 7 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Spine
- Prevents Diabetes
A study conducted by Harvard University found that men who lift weights had less chance of developing diabetes. This is because lifting weights increases insulin sensitivity which helps the body’s cells put glucose to use. Therefore, your body is able to put glucose to use. Combining weight lifting and aerobics can reduce your risk of suffering from diabetes by up to 60%. 5 Organic Plants That Help With Diabetes
- Makes You Curvier
A small waist, wide hips, and a toned butt is the ultimate body goal for some women. Well, weight lifting is one of the best ways you can achieve this hourglass figure. Apart from toning your entire body, it focuses particularly on your mid-region and hips to give you toned curves. You can use weights in some of your glute workouts such as squats to accelerate the effects.
Check out Cardio Vs. Weight Lifting: Which Is More Effective?
