Physical activity shares many similarities to pharmacological treatments. It has been proven to elicit many powerful physiological changes in the body that are beneficial to your health.
In fact, you can think of physical activity, especially strength training, as a medical prescription to your overall health and fitness. Consider the following benefits from strength training as you age.
#1. Strength combined with aerobic training is n effective means of reducing resting blood pressure.
#2. Although aerobic training improves our cardiovascular fitness, it doesn’t prevent the loss of muscle tissue. Strength training helps maintain muscle mass. Not engaging in strength training on a regular basis can attribute to 5-7 pounds of muscle loss every decade.
#3. The average adult experiences a 2-5% reduction in metabolic rate every decade of life. Because regular strength training prevents muscle, loss, it also prevents the accompanying decrease in resting metabolic rate.
#4. Regular strength training helps minimise the decline in muscle mass that occurs during weight loss. Also, increased muscle mass as a result of strength training allows you to burn more calories all day long, reducing the likelihood of fat accumulation. An increase in lean muscle mass also leads to a decrease in body fat.
#5. The same training stimulus that increases muscle also increases bone collagen proteins and mineral content. For women, this is especially important as bone mineral density can be increased, combating the bone loss that occurs post-menopause.
#6. Sensible strength training develops stronger muscles, bones, and connective tissue, helping to ease the pain of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
