Whether your preference is cycling, yoga, HIIT, or barre , chances are, you’re pretty content with your current workout routine. But according to recent surveys, the fitness focus is moving away from losing weight to discovering what the body can do – and it’s not all about bulging muscles. Research proves that incorporating strength training into your workout routine can boost endorphins – instantly slashing stress, anxiety, and whatever else comes with a hectic day at work, while improving energy levels, posture, and sleep patterns.
What Is Strength Training?
Strength training is all-over-body exercise that uses resistance to build muscle. But that doesn’t mean you’ll end up looking massive. In fact, far from it. Absolutely everyone benefits from strength training, but there are misconceptions which have deterred some, women in particular, from heading to the weights or dumbbells. For many, there’s a fear that they will bulk up, but strength training is the key to achieving that toned physique and getting definition in your arms, legs, and everywhere else. These changes will help improve your overall health and well-being too.
What Are Some Benefits of Strength Training?
- Strength Training Can Nip Stress and Anxiety in the Bud. Set essential oils aside for a minute because strength training could be the answer to a clearer mind as time goes on. Experts believe it’ll lead to a more positive perspective to fight the unsettled negativity of stress. Even better? Strength training can boost energy levels and endurance, and help even out sleep patterns. Research shows that even short periods of strength training may produce small improvements in anxiety and lower stress levels – this is because it releases endorphins. It may only briefly reduce stress each time, but any stress relief is a bonus!
- Strength Training Can Strengthen Weak Joints and Help Ease Pain. Anyone with weak knees knows that it can be painful and exhausting. Take the stairs? We’d rather not. However, doing even a few lower body strength training exercises for 15 minutes daily has the ability to completely change that. An inactive lifestyle results in people becoming gradually weaker over time, but building muscle mass allows us to move more and to do more in life. It allows people to become more engaged with their personal fitness and to explore what their bodies can really do.
- Your Body Works Hard Even After You’ve Stopped Strength Training. Overindulged lately? Strength training has got your back. The more muscle you have, the more energy you burn at resting heart rate. In other words, if you work with weights, or use your own body weight for strength, your body keeps on working to burn off calories even after you’ve stopped exercising.
- You Can Strength Train Anywhere. If you don’t want to get a gym membership, that’s totally OK. You hardly need any equipment to do most strength training exercises, just a little space. They can even be done in the office. Check out a workout you can do anywhere here. Strength training is an excellent workout method for anyone, including busy people who don’t have time to hit the gym, as it comes in far more accessible forms which you can do at home. That’s why its popularity is growing. You can even do strength training during ad breaks while watching television – each moment counts – and more often than not, all you need is your own body weight to create work for your muscles.
- Training Will Make You Look A Heck of a Lot More Toned. Ditch the notion that strength training will make you beefy – it won’t. Sure, cardio will burn calories, but it’s strength training that’ll give you a super-defined physique, especially if you stick at it.
Don’t be scared of the word muscle. What makes you ‘big’ is more linked to diet than exercise. Mixing strength training in with your normal cardio and barre routines will only get you toned. You’ll feel tighter, stronger, and firmer!!
