A New Year, A Better Body: 6 Important Reasons Why You Should Do Resistance Training

I used to be a cardio girl.

My idea of exercising was to take a variety of cardio classes, work up a sweat on the treadmill,

the elliptical machine and the exercise bike and leave the gym feeling great about myself.

I had been reading a lot about the importance of resistance training but I didn’t make a change

in my workout routine until I consulted with Tre, a fitness trainer at my gym last month.

Fine-tuning my fitness routine by working with a personal trainer was one of my 2015 goals.

Tre evaluated my stats and asked me what my goals were.

Since they included fat loss, muscle toning and weight loss, he suggested a workout plan that

was high in resistance training–3 days a week–along with cardio on alternate days.

He prescribed resistance training for me for several good reasons.

People of all ages can gain substantial benefits by including resistance training in their

exercise regime.

Here are 6 important benefits of resistance training

#1. Strengthens Muscles

By adding resistance training your muscles will become stronger and this will help you with balance,

which becomes all-important as we age.

#2. Improves Bone Density

Research has also shown that resistance training improves bone density and this is an important

aspect of good health for people of all ages.

Bones are constantly ‘growing’ as with all parts of the body, however this process slows down as we age.

Resistance training helps to address this aging process by maintaining good bone density.

Post-menopausal women are particularly prone to problems relating to bone density as their hormones

change and they can benefit considerably from resistance training.

#3. Burns Fat

Along with proper nutrition, resistance training is one of the most effective methods of reducing fat.

And along with fat reduction you can expect a leaner body.

Muscle burns fat so any program that increases your muscle mass will help to burn the fat.

You are effectively burning fat to feed the muscles.

#4. Supports Heart Health

Research has also proven that resistance training has many other beneficial effects for your health

by lowering blood pressure and lowering your heart rate while at rest.

This will obviously reduce the risk of heart disease.

#5. Helps You Maintain Active Lifestyle

The additional strength that can be gained from resistance training serves to help anyone lead a more

active lifestyle.

Even older people can find noticeable improvements in their health from resistance training.

By becoming stronger, elderly people also become more independent as they will be less likely to rely

on others.

#6. Live Stronger and Longer

With the added benefits of strength, fat loss, balance and the ability to slow the aging process, there is

nothing quite like resistance training to help you live longer and be happier along the way.

Resistance training doesn’t need to be something that rules your life–even a little bit of training

will benefit you.

However, doing it consistently will result in a better return for the time you invest in your health.

A Sample of  My Resistance Training Routine

1. Leg Curls – 35lbs – 12 reps

2. Leg Extensions – 75lbs – 12 reps

3. Run up and down 4 flights of stairs – 2 rounds (Cardio)

4. Incline Cable Chest press – 35lbs – 12 reps

5. Cable Pulldowns – 80lbs – 12 reps

6. Bike – 1 minute (Cardio)

7. Side Laterals – 5lbs – 10 reps

8. Tricep Kick Back – 5lbs – 12 reps

9. Kettlebell Swings – 10kg – 22.2 lbs – 30 seconds

10. Leg Raises – 20reps

11. Side Bends – 10lbs – 10 reps each side

It was an exhilarating workout.

We ended the session with some stretches.

Then he reminded me to ingest some protein, so I dashed next door for a get a fresh,

plant-based protein smoothie at Juice Generation.

They blended banana, almond butter, hemp milk, blueberries, raspberries and a vegan

protein powder into a healthy and delicious protein-rich post-workout pick me up.

I ended my workout with more cardio–40 minutes on my favorite elliptical machine in this case.

Then I packed up my stuff and headed home feeling lifted and strong!

Do you include resistance training in your fitness regime?

What kinds of exercises do you do?

Share your thoughts and comments with us.

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