Strength exercise is also called weight training and resistance exercise. People usually think that it is exercise for body shaping. In fact, it has a very positive effect and influence on overall health, such as increasing strength, flexibility and balance, improving mood and coping with stress better, protecting heart health, focusing more, and looking younger.
Strength exercise includes sit-ups, weightlifting, pull-ups, push-ups, etc.
Effects of strength exercise
Increase body strength, flexibility and balance
Frequent strength training will make people good at doing everything, which does not exaggerate the benefits of strength training. Physical exercise of lifting weights (or other forms of resistance training) can help the body increase muscle mass, so that in addition to dumbbells, no matter what object is lifted, it will be easier and more powerful . Data shows that through strength training, women's maximum strength load can be increased by 30% to 50%. Whether it is going to the mall for a shopping spree, cleaning the room or walking up the stairs, it will become easier with the progress of strength training. In addition, regular weightlifting exercises can also help improve the body's flexibility, balance and coordination. Data shows that strength training can also increase the body's balance by 40%.
Help burn more calories
Exercises related to lifting heavy objects can burn calories (especially when doing circuit exercises, which can also bring the benefits of aerobic exercise), and strength training can help burn more calories, even when you are not exercising. This is due to the muscle-building effect of strength training. Once the number of muscles increases, the amount of muscle used by the body in daily activities is more. More, correspondingly more calories will be burned. In addition, the calories burned by exercising muscle cells are also more than those burned by exercising fat cells. Therefore, you only need to do simple weightlifting exercises to increase the amount of muscle, while also increasing the metabolic rate, turning the body into an efficient calorie-burning machine. Relevant research in the United States has found that women who do strength training 2 to 3 times a week for two consecutive months can lose 1.6 kg of fat and build nearly 1 kg of muscle.
However, there is no need to worry that strength training will make your muscle lines as strong as men's, because the hormone content that promotes muscle growth in women is much lower than that in men, so generally strength training will not make your body too masculine, which is why young American women choose this sport. One.
Improve your mood and better cope with stress
There is a saying: "Runner's high". In fact, this does not only apply to runners. All forms of exercise, including strength training, have been shown to promote the release of endorphins (biochemical synthetic hormones similar to morphine produced by the human body, which have the effects of relaxing nerves, relieving pain, and can produce excitement and comfort), which makes people feel good. In addition, strength training has been shown to reduce tension and anxiety and is an effective stress reliever. Studies have shown that people with a fit body have lower levels of stress hormones than those who sit and work every day. There is even relevant evidence that weight training can help beat depression.
In addition, strength training can also reduce muscle soreness and shoulder and back pain in women. Strength training not only promotes the development of skeletal muscle, but also helps to strengthen soft tissues and joints. The results of a 12-year survey showed that strength training can effectively reduce or even eliminate chronic pain in the shoulder and back, including back pain caused by fatigue, sitting or tension, with an improvement effect of up to 80%!
Protect your heart health
Due to the beneficial effects of strength training on heart health, the American Heart Association recommends it as the first choice for protecting the heart. Studies have shown that strength training can help prevent heart disease, and even for those who already have heart disease, it can help reduce the incidence and other heart problems caused by it. In addition, some studies have found that moderate weight-bearing exercises can also reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the human body and increase the level of good cholesterol, thereby improving heart health. In addition, according to research by the American College of Health Sciences, strength training can also reduce blood pressure levels by up to 20%. Researchers say that the reason why the heart can be in a healthy state is due to the increase in blood flow to the muscles, heart and the whole body, and strength training can do just that.
Build strong bones
Many people may not think of this, but in fact, the living cell tissue that makes up bones can become stronger through exercise. Regular strength training and other forms of load exercise, such as walking and running, can help improve the health of the body and the strength of bones by improving and maintaining bone density. Through weight training, the calcium content of women's spine can increase by 13% in just six months. In addition, relevant studies have shown that if combined with a proper diet, strength training can even reduce the risk of osteoporosis and the fractures associated with it.
Lose more weight and look more stylish
In addition to burning more calories and increasing metabolism, strength training can also help lose more body fat. Research from Pennsylvania State University in the United States found that: Generally speaking, people who do strength training will lose 6 pounds more fat than those who do not do strength training, and this is still due to muscle. When you start to reduce your calorie intake and include regular exercise, your body will unknowingly start to increase calorie consumption from a certain point. When you only focus on dieting, the body will use fat as fuel, but it will also destroy muscle as fuel, which is not good for maintaining body shape. When we add strength training on the basis of paying attention to diet, we can build and maintain muscle mass while losing weight. Generally speaking, 1 pound of muscle can burn 35 to 50 calories a day, and ordinary aerobic exercise cannot achieve such an effect.
Look slimmer
If you are doing a full-body strength training program, don't be surprised that your standing posture has changed significantly compared to before. Strength training can help improve joint mobility, coordination and muscle toughness, making the body more upright and slim. Through reasonable strength training, muscles can be balanced and maintain good elasticity, thus changing the bad posture caused by bad posture. Moreover, it only takes a few weeks of strength training to make yourself stand taller and straighter, with your shoulders open back and your chin up, which makes you look more confident and slimmer!
In addition, in addition to enhancing self-confidence, strength training can also improve women's ability to withstand stress. A study at Harvard University found that after 10 weeks of strength training, participants in the experiment were better able to relieve their depression. Women can also improve their ability to resist external pressure and withstand stress through strength exercises such as weightlifting.
Makes you more focused
Strength exercises have been shown to improve brain health. According to the "Internal Medicine" archives, 1 to 2 hours of strength exercises per week can improve cognitive function, better planning and the ability to handle multiple things at the same time. So, next time you need to work overtime, remind yourself: the brain also has work to do, but it's in the gym.
Brings good sleep
Sometimes, if the exercise time is too close to bedtime, it will make it difficult to fall asleep. But doing strength exercises (at least 2 hours before bedtime) has been shown to help avoid sleep disorders and insomnia. Moreover, strength exercises can make people feel pleasantly tired and help them fall asleep more smoothly.
Look younger
Women who have been doing strength exercises for a long time look younger than their peers as they age. Because long-term exposure to a certain amount of exercise load can greatly improve the body's blood circulation and the material metabolism process of tissue cells, and reduce the degree of degeneration of the body, so the body can maintain better curves and firmness than peers.
Reduce the risk of diabetes
Regular and moderate strength training can help prevent diabetes in many ways. First and foremost, strength training can improve the body's metabolism of sugar. Researchers have also found that strength training can improve the body's insulin sensitivity and control the amount of glucose in the blood. In addition, as mentioned above, strength training can control cholesterol and blood pressure, both of which may play a role in controlling diabetes.
