Some exercise for weight loss, others want a toned body, and few also want 6-packs, at times also settling for less as well. Regardless of your motive for working out, no one argue against the benefits of exercise.
Balm for the body, exercise improves circulation and keep chronic illnesses at bay. Exercise also caters to the mental wellbeing of the people; it decreases stress levels in the body and therefore protects the body against the damage rendered by chronic stress.
Another benefit of exercise is on the musculoskeletal health. Not only does exercise builds muscles, but it also makes the bones stronger as well. Especially useful in the endeavor of building strong bones is the strength training exercise.
However, those with conditions like osteoporosis or those who have had recent fractures should first consult with and get approval of the Orthopedic surgeon in Lahore before starting exercise.
What is strength training?
Also known as resistance or weight training, this type of exercise entails working against resistance, which can be produced by free weights, machines and also your own body weight.
The underlying principle is exerting weight on the muscles, so they adapt accordingly, and thus become stronger in the process. In weight training, as the muscles move, they pull at the bones, causing them to become stronger as well. Strength training is also effective for building endurance.
What are the benefits of strength training?
Weight training helps to make your body stronger, which in turn bolsters your confidence in yourself. It also helps in lowering the risk of type II diabetes. Moreover, it also decreases the amount of bad cholesterol in the body.
Furthermore, it also helps in the regulation of the hormone levels in the body. Strength training also improves immunity in the body.
Other ways strength training helps you is by:
Improved body mechanics
Strength training is great for improving coordination. As the bones and muscles get stronger, balance also improves. It thus helps in preventing fall-induced fractures, which is a problem especially during the old age.
Burns calories
Strength training is very useful for people who desire to lose the extra weight and gain healthy muscle mass. Moreover, calories are burnt not just during exercise, but after it as well.
Keeps you fit
Strength training not just helps in weight loss, but it helps to stave off the excess pounds for longer period of time. It improves metabolism and helps to enter the body enter into the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, EPOC, ensuring that your body churns and burns calories even when not working out.
Fortifies heart
Strength training is useful in preventing hypertension and decreasing the risk of heart diseases as well. As it lowers the risk of diabetes as well, strength training also then caters to the secondary factors that affect the health of the heart.
Uncomplicated in execution
Strength training has many different types, and people can then choose whichever is convenient. The most basic exercises like pushups and pullups can be done anywhere and do not need much space or paraphernalia.
Elastic band for resistance is another easy and uncomplicated way to incorporate resistance training in the workout routine.
Some tips to help with the training
Strength training needs to be done by following in on the expert guidelines, as it gets ineffective otherwise. It also can lead to injury due to rookie mistakes. Some useful tips to help with the training program are:
Take breaks
Your muscle needs time to recuperate during the training, so make sure to take at least leave a gap of 48 hours between each session.
Warm up and cool down
A very basic rule of exercise is warming up the muscles before starting off the exercise. Because at the end of the session, especially a brutal one, the urge to simply collapse is great, but it is imperative to cool down first. Gently bring the heart rate down and stretch out the muscles.
Watch your posture
If you posture and form is incorrect, you will not get much benefit from the training, no matter how much weight you end up lifting. It also increases the risk of injury as well. Therefore, pay close attention to your form.
Start off slow
Your muscles need to gently acclimatize into the training. Do not start off with heavy weights. Rather, either first train with no weights or very light ones and then gradually add on more.
Breathing
We often forget to breathe through the exercise. So, make conscious effort of inhaling as you pull the weight up, and exhale as you release.
Work all the muscles
All the muscles of your body need to be exercised, and not a selective few. Hence, either do complete body reps 2-3 times a week, or split the days for targeted training like a lower body workout day, another for upper body etc.
Be careful!
Goes without saying that being careful is very important. If you do not give your muscles time for recuperation, they don’t heal. An improper posture or lifting at wrong angle can also lead to injury in the muscles or bones, requiring an intervention by the top Orthopedic surgeon in Karachi then.
When done properly, strength training is one of the best gifts that you can give yourself!