Here’s how resistance training exercises can benefit your health
Resistance training exercises are crucial for maintaining one’s physical and mental health as well as general quality of life. While walking and engaging in other cardio-based activities are excellent starting points and are great for preserving everything from our weight to our heart health, experts advise not to undervalue the importance of resistance exercises.
Resistance training exercises refer to a wide range of activities where you are working against weight or resistance. Experts concur that as you become older, strengthening your muscles with this kind of exercise is essential, but you don’t have to go out a lot to get the benefits. You can use resistance bands, workout machines, barbells, free weights, or even your own body weight to achieve this weight.
As we age, it’s critical that we preserve our strength, balance, and mobility. However, we naturally lose muscle mass with age, which can create problems for us down the road. In brief, we move less the weaker our muscles are. Furthermore, we become more rigid the less we move.
Weight-bearing activities, commonly known as resistance training exercises, enhance bone mass and quality while assisting us in maintaining and even increasing our muscle mass. Our body produces new bone tissue when we practice these types of exercises because it exerts pressure on our bones. Simultaneously, this creates microscopic wounds in your muscles, which our body heals to build stronger muscles.
Lifting weights is one common way to engage in resistance exercise. We can begin with a small set of weights at home or join a gym that has a larger selection of equipment. An easy way to start is to aim to comfortably lift between 8 and 12 times in a single set of exercises, and then repeat that three times.
Push-ups, squats, lunges, and planks using only your body weight are also great low impact exercises to practice resistance training. To make these workouts even more difficult, you may also add a resistance band. Squats performed with a band right above the knees are a common option. You can look for a licensed personal trainer who can assist in creating a safe routine if you want to begin resistance training exercises.
Remember, it’s never too early, or late, to practice resistance training!