Top reasons for working with weights.

There has been a fair bit of publicity regarding the importance of resistance training for the over 40’s recently.

As you know, I have always advocated strength training for everyone regardless of age but aside from the fat loss benefits, here are a few more important reasons why it should be a must.

Improved Posture
Muscle groups work in pairs so when say your biceps contract (muscle at the front of the upper arm), the triceps at the rear stretch to allow this and visa versa.
A good resistance programme will work all major muscle groups and identify areas that are tight and those that need more flexibility.
One of the most common examples of poor posture is the rounded shoulder, forward head position.  Strengthening the weak lengthened upper back muscles and stretching the shortened tight chest muscles will create a positive effect.                                

Maintain Your Flexibility
Forget the image  of the muscle bound body builder.  Full-range resistance training workouts can actually improve your flexibility. The key here is Full Range,

 If you can’t complete the full motion—going all the way up and all the way down—with a given weight, you may need to use a lighter dumbbell.

Improved mobility and balance
Strong muscles that can move through a full range of movement make you more agile and able to maintain your independence as you age.

Reduced risk of osteoporosis
As we age we become more prone to osteopenia and osteoporosis.
Weight lifting doesn’t only train your muscles; it trains your bones too. When you perform a curl, for example, your muscles tug on your arm’s bones. The cells within those bones react by creating new bone cells, so. your bones become stronger and more dense.

Injury prevention
If you keep picking up little niggling injuries and have aches and pains in your joints you need to resistance train to strengthen your tendons and ligaments.

Stronger muscles, ligaments and tendons hold your joints in position more effectively.

Increased self confidence.
Resistance training releases feel good endorphins and coupled with the realisation that after a few weeks of training  you are able to complete daily tasks that were once a struggle, you get a pretty good feel good factor. 

 Fights depression and anxiety.
Research shows that resistance training can release those happiness endorphins and help keep anxiety at bay and sharpen your mind .

Better, stronger, faster
Stronger muscles mean better performance at work, rest or play!  Your core will be better able to support your own body weight and maintain ideal posture and form during other exercises (like running), plus your arms and legs will be more powerful.

Reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes. 
Cardio isn’t the only way to work your heart. Weight training can help to lower blood pressure, reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (good cholesterol).

In addition it may help your body to process and use glucose more effectively.

You’ll Blast More Fat

Forget that “fat-burning” zone on the treadmill/X Trainer. It is now widely accepted that strength training is better at helping people to lose body fat compared with cardio. While aerobic exercise burns both fat and muscle, weight lifting burns almost exclusively fat.

Hold on to your Muscle

The thing is, as part of the ageing process we will all be losing muscle mass. This starts as early as our late thirties!   Strength training can help us to counteract this.

One of the reasons why people get fatter as they age is because they don’t do anything to replace the muscle that they are losing.

 Less muscle = slower metabolism = more Bodyfat.

So grab those dumbbells/resistance bands or just your own bodyweight and reap the benefits – it’s never too late to start!