Wellness Wednesday

Strength Training Isn't Just For Bodybuilders

Lifting weights isn't just for looking like a lunk; strength training can determine whether or not you keep the muscle mass you have now, later in life.

When many people think of strength training, they may think of heavy lifters such as Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Dwayne Johnson and their large, intimidating workout routines. This concept of lifting to obtain a large physique works may have been the goal of these lifters, but the goal of the majority of those participating in strength training is to maintain a healthy self and lifestyle. Lean muscle mass is naturally lost with age and is replaced with fat; essentially strength training is the solution to this use it or lose it approach.

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  Here are some ways that strength training aids you:

• Weight Management:
• Strength training can help you lose weight by getting your heart rate up, and increasing metabolism to help you burn off that future Thanksgiving turkey. High interval training, the topic of last weeks article, uses short resting periods in strength training to keep the heart rate elevated and turn a short workout into the equivalent of a longer aerobic one.
•  Strong Bone Development:
• Osteoporosis is common in older individuals, especially in women. Strength training helps build bone density to prevent or stave off osteoporosis for as long as possible.
• Chronic Condition Management:
• Arthritis, back pain, depression, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. All of these chronic conditions can be managed by strength training and coordination with your primary care physician.
• Quality of Life Improvement: 
• Risk of falling, increased mental sharpness, and improved flexibility/balance are all beneficial outcomes of strength training.