Good Fitness Requires Strength Training

Did you know that nearly all adults start losing one pound of muscle mass every year after the age of 40? Yes, sadly it’s true. This is largely because of a decrease in physical activity or a sedentary life style. You should incorporate strength training into your exercise routine since it can assist in weight control, raise muscle mass and enhance your potential to do life’s daily activities.

Suggestions

It’s suggested by the American College of Sports Medicine for adults age 18-64 to take part in muscle strengthening routines twice a week. Be sure to add exercises for all of the major muscle groups: abdomen, shoulders, legs, chest, hips, upper and lower back. Wait forty-eight hours between strength training sessions of the same group of muscles to give them sufficient recuperating time. If you’re new to strength training, it’s probably a good idea to talk to a fitness specialist about the proper techniques.

Tips on Strength Training

Making your muscles stronger requires working out to a point where it’s difficult to perform another repetition without assistance. You should select a resistance level that lets you complete eight to twelve repetitions for each set and the final repetition should be hard to finish; however, you need to still maintain correct form while completing that last repetition. If you can only do one set of strengthening exercises for each muscle group, that’s okay, you’re still going to receive the benefits; but if you can do two or three sets, that would be even more beneficial to you.

Advantages

To assist in reducing your risk of chronic diseases and heart disease, you need to stay lean and at a healthy weight and this can be accomplished with aerobics and strength training. Performing strength training routines could also supply relief for symptoms of arthritis, bolster your metabolism and decrease your risk for developing osteoporosis. There’s even better news—routine strength exercises can decelerate the aging process!

Some Considerations

It’s important to always talk with your physician before starting any type of exercise program if you have a health condition that could make it dangerous for you to exercise or if you’ve lead a sedentary lifestyle for a while. If you’ve had a stroke or heart attack a strength program could help your rehabilitation, but only under the guidance of your doctor. There are other exercise routines for strengthening muscles that don’t involve weights; you could utilize your own body weight as resistance such as in pull-ups or push-ups and you can always use resistance bands.

Be sure to select a strengthening exercise program that is right for you at the present time; as you become stronger, you’ll be able to add more repetitions, heavier weights or more sets. But always remember—your routine should be something you’ll enjoy doing so that you’ll want to stick with your fitness program.