Resistance Training – The Benefits you Gain

Unlike the common belief that resistance training will make you, especially women gain more muscle mass and make them bulkier and it is only for bodybuilders is long gone. In fact, every workout plan should include resistance training for a healthy balanced lifestyle. A complete workout routine should include both cardio and strength training.

Resistance training is also known as strength or weight training is designed to improve muscular fitness by exercising specific muscle group and thereby offering many health benefits ranging from your heart health to your bones. It can also do wonders for individuals who want to lose weight. There are a variety of different forms of resistance training and many of which can be done at the home without the need for specialised equipment depending on your overall goals.

Here are the benefits you gain with resistance training.

Makes you Stronger and Fitter

This probably is the most important benefit you get with resistance training. Muscle strength is crucial in making it easier for you to do the day-to-day basic things. This is especially important when we get older and naturally start to lose muscle.

Resistance training involves strengthening and toning your muscles by contracting them against a resisting force. There are two types of resistance training:

Isometric - This involves contracting your muscles against a non-moving object, such as against the floor in a push-up.

Isotonic - This involves contracting your muscles through a range of motion as in weightlifting.

The most important thing that you need to keep in mind is that whenever you are starting a new exercise program, it's better that you do it in presence of a trainer and you can even undergo private training if you are not comfortable working out with other people at the gym.

Manages your Weight

Like said above, resistance training is the most effective ways of losing and managing your weight as it can increase your metabolic rate to help burn more calories. When metabolic rate is increased, it increases lean muscle mass which increases your body's resting energy consumption and thus it helps manage your weight.

Improves Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin resistance is a metabolic disturbance that, if not treated can lead to type 2 diabetes. Muscles are affected by insulin resistance and when they stop listening to insulin effectively, it becomes a big problem. The good news is, moving your muscles regularly that is exercising your muscles will increase their sensitivity to insulin and reverse this metabolic disturbance. Resistance training has been shown to assist with the management of blood sugar levels and is recommended in the management of type 2 diabetes.

Improves Coordination

Lifting weights in your exercise program increase intramuscular coordination, meaning you are engaging a greater number of muscles when performing a certain exercise. More muscles will be involved which means that the load is more evenly distributed. This lowers the risk of injury whenever pick up a dumbbell or a bag of groceries.

Some people underestimate the benefits that resistance training has on daily life activities. However, when you pick up a basket of laundry or put your luggage in the overhead bin, you use the same muscles as you would in a deadlift and an overhead press. Getting stronger in the gym means you can do more outside the gym as well.

Improves Flexibility and Mobility

Resistance training helps improve flexibility in both men and women as it focuses on hamstring muscles and hip, shoulder, knee muscles and joints. A recent study showed that eccentric strength exercises provide the biggest benefit, improving hamstring flexibility twice as well as static stretching. Examples of exercises include squat or raising the bar during a lat pull-down. However, even more, important to overall function is the mobility. By taking your joints through their full range of motion during resistance exercises, you can increase that range of motion over time.

Improves Outcomes from Serious Injury or Illness

Muscle mass has been shown to play a vital role in the recovery from critical illness or severe trauma. This is because it can provide amino acids to the body during recovery time, however, this isn't optimal. You also need muscle strength and function to recover faster. The more lean body mass you carry the faster you will be able to get back on our feet after debilitating injuries or illness. Here another treatment can help you recover faster and that is remedial massage therapy. The main aim here is to treat muscles that are knotted, tense, damaged or immobile. The therapist uses various techniques to help you relieve from the pain.

These are some of the benefits you get with resistance training. Make sure to look at the training program offered by Body First Health Group to get a professional advice on the training program you should undertake.