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Strength Training - Why Take the Time

By: David Rafferty

Copyright (c) 2008 David Rafferty

Research has shown the weight training, weight lifting and or strength training, has enormous effects on the muscular skeletal system, enhances the maintenance of functional abilities, helps prevent osteoporosis, sarcopenia (loss of body mass), low back pain, and other disabilities.

Loss of strength is one of the characteristics of aging. This is particularly problematic for those people whose lifestyles don't demand use of the muscles. If you are an office jockey or are otherwise sedentary, your muscles will atrophy lowering your metabolic rate and negatively impact your immune system. Strenght training is one of the most effective ways to combat aging.

Strength training also contributes to muscle conditioning. Conditioning muscles is essential to overall stability and the strength of the body. A strong body provides many benefits all through out life. Maintaining strong muscles also aids in maintaining stronger, healthier bones, tendons and connective tissues.

Your posture or the ways you sit and stand reflect the health of the muscles and bones that keep you upright. Strengthening those muscles and bones will enable to sit and stand more comfortably.

Many people, particularly women, fear strength training believing they will experience dramatic gains in muscle size making them look more like men. This just is not so. Men and women have different hormones that govern how muscles respond to strength training. The male hormone testosterone is key to building large muscles. Women simply lack sufficient levels of testosterone to "bulk up". Instead you'll gain longer more shapely muscles that can also be much stronger.

Clinical studies have shown that strength training is a keep ingredient in managing stress. A regular exercise routine that incorporates strength training will result in better deep sleep in addition to handling stress more readily. The hormones released as result will also lift your mood thus combating depression.

Strength training like most forms of exercise raises the metabolic rate thus burning more calories. It will aid in maintaining the proper weight with less body fat. Be aware though that as your routine progresses, you may not actually lose weight, but you'll lose inches. Muscle is denser thus heavier than fat but takes less space. Over time you should notice decreases in waist measurements and body fat measurement.

A little exercise is better than no exercise. Avoid feeling that if you can't spend hours, then why bother. Every journey starts with the first step. Be conscious of how you carry grocery bags, babies or other objects. Make daily chores into an impromptu workout.

Consult with your doctor if you want to make weight lifting a daily part of your fitness regimen.

David Rafferty owns and operates http://homeworkoutsexpress.com a supplier of home fitness and exercise equipment and related information.

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