Hands up if you think lifting weights is going to turn you into the Incredible Hulk. To those with their hand up, don’t worry, you are not alone. Unfortunately, there is still a bit of a stigma attached to weightlifting, bulky boys and sweaty gyms, but I’m here to tell you that EVERYONE should lift weights. You don’t have to lift the heaviest weights, but lifting some weights, even your own body weight, is a good thing for your health and fitness.
How good you ask? Well according to research and science, being strong during middle age is associated with ‘exceptional survival’, defined as living to the age of 85 without developing a major disease. As we get older, the more muscle mass we have the less likely we are to die prematurely. I’ll lift to that!
We are surrounded by chronic disease and the cost of medications is only escalating, so how much better would it be to physically lift a few weights and reduce your chances? We don’t want to be sitting watching the world go by when we finally get around to having the time to enjoy it! You want to be a part of it! It’s kind of like investing money for your retirement. It won’t be much good if you aren’t actually around to enjoy your retirement. Surely a small time investment on your health is worth as much as that money you’re investing in your future?
Weightlifting will not only help you sleep and feel better, but you’ll also be able to handle stress better. Break a sweat in the weight room and you’ll stay cool under pressure.
Another plus is that you burn more calories lifting weights. Simply having more muscle on you helps your body burn extra calories doing nothing! Also, as you start training, you don’t want to waste all that effort of getting ahead and feeling and looking better, so you also tend to eat better.
As we get older we also lose a bit of balance and our bone density can weaken. Weight-bearing activity, especially strength training, is thought to increase bone density in adults, which in turn helps reduce the risk of fractures and breaks amongst older adults. This enhanced protection against osteoporosis may result in improved strength and balance, resulting in fewer falls.
So don’t think of weights as those dirty big things that are only for the boys or people trying to ‘bulk’ up. Weights are for everyone who want to achieve better health. So do yourself a favour and try some weights today. If you’d like any further assistance don’t hesitate to get in touch.