Isis Monteverde is a life coach and experienced yoga teacher who enjoys a wide range of physical activities in her spare time. This article will look at strength training and its benefits in terms of both physical and mental health.
While the benefits of cardio are well reported, strength training receives somewhat less recognition. However, according to a paper published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, people who regularly participate in some form of strength training live longer, better lives, on average. In addition, the European Heart Journal recently published the findings of a study involving individuals who were overweight or obese, with the paper suggesting that cardio paired with strength training could be just as effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease as cardio alone.
FiiT for Life founder Athalie Redwood-Brown serves as a senior lecture in sports science at Nottingham Trent University. She highlights the benefits of strength training in midlife, improving metabolism, strengthening bones and joints, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and boosting mental wellbeing. In addition, a growing body of research suggests that strength training may actually help stave off Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. In a study involving 80,000 participants, strength training was shown to diminish the risk of death by all causes by an impressive 23%. The research paper, which was published by The American Journal of Epidemiology, also suggested that strength training can reduce an individual’s risk of developing cancer by up to 31%.
Although strength training was traditionally associated with building muscle, the activity is becoming increasingly routine, with many doctors recommending it to help patients lose weight and stay fit and healthy. While a full-on bench press routine may be too much for the uninitiated, there are more accessible ways for health-conscious individuals to ease themselves in. For those just starting out, it is sensible to focus on bodyweight strength under tempos, switching up speed on exercises like push-ups and squats, as well as key movement patterns like push, pull, carry, hinge and rotation, all movements that routinely occur in everyday life. This could be achieved through exercises like lunges, planks, squats and hip swivels, all of which can be done without picking up a single dumbbell.
While people often use the terms strength training and weight training interchangeably, in reality, numerous exercise disciplines help participants to build strength that do not involve lifting weights. Examples include bodyweight workouts, Pilates, yoga, cross-training and resistance bands.
For older individuals, the benefits of regular strength training are even more pronounced. After the age of 30, people naturally lose muscle mass, particularly women experiencing menopause. This can increase the risk of a range of health problems, including osteoporosis and bone fractures. Fortunately, strength training presents an opportunity to mitigate this risk, helping to keep the body and mind healthy and strong.