Did you know strength training is just as important to health as any other form of exercise?
We all push the cardio because we associate exercise with getting the heart rate up. However, if you’re skipping the strength sessions, you’re doing yourself and your health a disservice.
The American Heart Association recommends strength training at least twice per week, but what exactly is strength training?
Strength or resistance training exercise is one of the four types of exercise along with endurance, balance, and flexibility. In addition to making you stronger, strength training stimulates bone growth, lowers blood sugar, assists with weight control, improves balance and posture, and reduces stress and pain in the joints.
Women, in particular, avoid strength training because many think lifting weights is just for men. Guess what ladies, your bone health depends on strength training! Don’t worry, I’m not talking about professional bodybuilding. Simple, weight- bearing exercises that use free weights, resistance machines, or your body’s own weight is key.
Here’s another fun fact: we lose approximately 10% of our lean muscle mass each decade over the age of 40! That means that strength training isn’t just for the 20-something super models of the world. The older we get, the more important it becomes to grab those weights.
Try one of these forms of strength training:
Lifting free weights
Using resistance machines at the gym
Using resistance bands to leverage your own body weight in building strength
Total body circuit training such as boot camp-style workout programs
Yoga!
Start light and slow and build up your strength over time.
How many reps should you do? That depends on your goal:
Muscle strength and endurance: 12-15 reps with light to moderate weights
Muscle growth: 6-10 reps with heavier weights.
Repeat each set a total of 3 times. Pump up the jam to make it fun. With either goal, you’ll know you’ve got the right weights when your muscles start to fatigue within the last 3 reps of each set.
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