In an earlier post, we’ve shared with us some simple exercises for a toned body and if you enjoyed them, then maybe it was time you took it to the next level: weightlifting. Don’t let the word scare you, it’s really not as hard as you imagine it to be, but it’s not a walk in the park either. Chiseled abs aren’t the only benefit of lifting weights and sweating in the gym. Looking good is just something that goes along with working out, but it’s not the only thing. We’ve got 10 amazing benefits of weightlifting that are sure to convince you to take up this amazing sport. Enjoy!
10. Ladies, It Won’t Make You Bulky
So many women are afraid to start weightlift training because they fear it will make them bulky. Ladies, you really don’t have to worry about that. Weightlifters work harder than you might think to have those muscles, they take supplements and have a diet that would make any sane person lose their minds. Add all that together and in a year or so you start getting muscles. So, you can go to the gym three times a week and lift weights, it will not make you bulky.
9. Improved Balance
Weightlifting will not only make your muscles stronger, it will also help you with your balance. The core muscles which weightlifting helps grow are also the same muscles that help stabilize you on your feet. Did you know that falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in people over the age of 60?
8. Muscle Fights Fat
The equation is simple, the more muscular you are the better your metabolism is. The better your metabolism is, the better it fights fat deposits. So, work those muscles today, so you can burn more calories even when you’re not doing anything. Make sure you go to the gym at least two times a week.
7. Lower Your Diabetes Risk
Almost 350 million people suffer from diabetes worldwide and the WHO predicts that in 15 years, diabetes will be the seventh leading cause of death. The things you need to do to avoid developing this condition are quite simple: eat a healthy and balanced diet, manage a healthy weight and exercise regularly. But did you also know that weightlifting specifically reduces your risk of developing diabetes? A study showed that people who lifted weights for 30 minutes/5 times a week had a 35% lower risk of diabetes.
6. Move with Ease
Getting all your muscles activated in the gym will help you move with ease in other areas of your life. It will even help you walk better, have a better posture or lift heavier bags. It will give you that leaving the gym feeling, that you’re light as a feather, capable of doing things that otherwise you wouldn’t feel capable of doing.
5. Prevents Back Pain
Weightlifting, when done correctly, will help prevent back pain. It will do so, by growing your back muscles, improving them and making them stronger, so that they can better support your spine and you weight. Because the heavier you are, the harder it is for you back to support your weight.
4. Fight Osteoporosis
One of the best benefits of weightlifting is that it will help you fight osteoporosis, which is a concern for women. Just as weightlifting will help the muscles in your back to become stronger so that they can support your back, the same way your bones will be helped by the same powerful muscles, because bones adapt even when they’ve stopped growing.
3. Better Heart Health
Weightlifting is a type of cardio exercise. A study performed by the scientists at the College of Health Sciences’ Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science at Appalachian State University discovered that 45 minutes of moderate-intensity decreased the blood pressure by 20%, the same as anti-hypertensive drugs.
2. Reduce Depression Symptoms
When it comes to working out, any type of exercise will get the blood flowing and release endorphins, or the happy hormones. Weightlifting in particular does a person good; it helps improve the symptoms of depression and even help avoid it completely. So, if you’re not feeling quite like yourself, how about you hit the gym and lift some weights, you’ll feel much better!
1. Better Blood Sugar Control
Weightlifting will help regulate blood glucose; it was discovered in a study published on the Nature Medicine website. The researchers found that weightlifting encourages the growth of white muscles which help control blood glucose. If you have trouble with your blood sugar, give weightlifting a chance, you’ve got nothing to lose.
Are you weightlifting and you’ve noticed other benefits of weightlifting that you would like to share with us? Drop us a line in the comment section below, we love hearing from our readers!
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