Top 10 Benefits from Strength Training
Strength training is all the rage right now, and for good reason! No matter what age you are, increasing your muscle strength has benefits. But, other than the fact that we like the way we look when we have toned muscles, why would we want to strength train? How often do we need to strength train to see results? What are the actual benefits of strength training? Well, these are great questions and, as it turns out, there are a lot of important benefits of strength training! Let’s explore some of them now!
What is Strength Training?
First, let’s define strength training. Strength training is any movement that causes your muscles to contract against outside resistance. There are many forms of strength training, ranging from typical weight training (using dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, or anything heavy) to bodyweight training (think squats, pull-ups, push-ups, jumps) and resistance band training (with stretchy bands). So, basically, strength training is any exercise that specifically targets our muscles with resistance.
Let’s look at the Benefits we get when we practice Strength Training
Increased Bone Density
To start with, strength training increases bone density. Bone density is important at all ages, but we need to focus on it more as we age because our bones naturally lose density as we get older. When our bones are less dense, they are more prone to breaking. In fact, osteoporosis (which occurs when the growth of new bone does not keep up with the loss of old bone) is the leading cause of broken bones in the elderly. And, among other things, a sedentary lifestyle is one of the leading causes of osteoporosis. But, strength training can help!
Strength training increases bone density by creating a small amount of stress on our bones which stimulates the bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) to increase bone formation in the areas experiencing stress. As we age, the spine, hips and legs are especially vulnerable to bone loss, so exercises that focus on those areas (like squats, lunges and deadlifts) are particularly important.
Improved Balance
Another thing that is super important as we age is maintaining balance. The less we fall, the less opportunity we have to break bones! And strength training can help with balance as well! Strength training improves the strength of our core and stabilizing muscles (those little muscles around the ankles, knees and hips) that are needed to support better balance. Additionally, strength training improves coordination. The more we use our muscles, the stronger the neuromuscular pathways that communicate between our brains and our muscles. When these pathways are stronger, our movements are smoother and more controlled. And, the more control we have over our movements, the faster our reaction time. You can imagine (or remember!) how important reaction time is when we are falling! So, increased bone density and balance are some benefits of strength training.
Increased Testosterone & Human Growth Hormone
For those of us who are feeling the impact of declining hormones as we age, there is good news! Strength training increases testosterone and human growth hormone (among other hormones), both of which naturally decline as we age and are essential for overall health. Testosterone is crucial for muscle growth, strength, and recovery. It supports protein synthesis, which helps build and repair muscle tissue. In both sexes, but more so in men, testosterone is temporarily boosted with strength training. And, growth hormone, which is created during more intense workouts, promotes muscle growth, fat metabolism, and tissue repair. It also plays a role in bone density and overall tissue health.
Improved Athletic Performance As We Age
So, particularly as we age, strength training becomes really important for many reasons. But this does not mean that anyone should wait until they are older to start strength training. First of all, we reach our peak of bone density in our early 30’s! At that point, bone density begins to decline. And, the more density we have at that point, the more we have “in the bank”. That’s one reason to incorporate strength training early, but there are many more.
At any age, strength training helps with athletic performance in so many ways! First, let's look at basic power and explosiveness. In most sports, it is helpful to be physically stronger than your opponent. Strength helps tremendously when an athlete needs to generate power to run, jump or throw. Additionally, enhancing fast-twitch muscles through movements like squat jumps and plyometrics leads to improved power in movements.
Improved Speed & Agility
Next, strength training improves speed and agility. Through targeted strength training, athletes can build the muscles needed for powerful strides, quick direction changes, and dynamic movement which leads to faster acceleration and improved agility.
As many of us know, muscle endurance improves with use. The more we use a muscle (provided we allow it adequate time to recover), the stronger it gets and the more endurance it has. As any athlete knows, strength training has a powerful impact on one’s endurance in almost any sport.
Improved Stability and Balance
Stability and balance are not only important to prevent falls as we age, but they are also essential in most sports. As we talked about before, strength training helps improve both of these aspects in a physically healthy body.
Improved Injury Recovery
And, if we do happen to get hurt, strength training helps with recovery from injuries. Often, in order to heal from an injury, we decrease our activity levels. This can lead to muscle atrophy or loss of muscle. Strength training can help rebuild lost muscle and can minimize the loss of muscle in non-injured areas of our bodies. (Obviously, this should be done in a way that does not risk further injury). And, when the area is healed, strength training can help with stabilizing joints and small muscles to minimize the risk of re-injury. Additionally, strength training can also help regain lost flexibility and the range of motion in the joints that may have been impacted by the injury or scar tissue.
While injured, doing low-intensity exercises can increase blood flow to the injured area, delivering nutrients and oxygen, both essential for the healing process.
Improved Mental Health
And, not to be forgotten, strength training can help with our mental health while injured! Recovering from an injury can be super frustrating and stressful. Engaging in a modified strength training program can improve mood, reduce stress, and boost confidence during the recovery process.
Now that we have a better understanding of the benefits of strength training, let’s take a few minutes to look at the best practices for actualizing these benefits.
Best Practices for Actualizing the Benefits of Strength Training
As a health coach, one of the first things I talk about with my clients is consistency. Any action step we take must be one that can be implemented consistently. That goes for strength training as well. And, every person must decide which level of commitment works for them. If you can commit to two strength training sessions per week, that is a great place to start. If you can only commit to 30 minutes a week, that is better than nothing! The key is to create a habit. Once that is done, we can build on it.
What movements are best?
Because there are so many different exercise programs the next question we tackle is, “What movements are best”? And the answer to that is that the best exercise routine for each person varies depending on their individual goals and current level of fitness. But, compound movements and functional movements are typically beneficial for everyone so let’s talk about those.
Compound movements are exercises that work more than one muscle at a time. Some examples of compound movements are squats, pull-ups, push-ups, lunges, overhead presses and chest presses. These are great exercises because they are efficient, improve coordination of muscle groups, improve flexibility and increase core strength.
Additionally important for everyone, but particularly the elderly, are functional movements. These are movements that mimic everyday activities. These are wonderful because they improve our ability to live fully, with fewer restraints to our activities. When we do these movements with weights or simply repeatedly with our body weight, we are much less likely to injure ourselves when we are moving through “real” life. Functional strength training strengthens the muscles we use to push, pull, twist, lift and squat. Some examples of functional movements are squats (great for getting in and out of a car, sitting on the toilet, and standing from a sitting position), deadlifts (which simulate picking something up from the floor), push-ups (helpful if we fall and need to get up from the floor), overhead press (for when we need to lift something onto a high shelf or pick up a grandchild), step-ups (for climbing stairs or hiking), and single-leg movements (which help with balance needed to get dressed).
We all want to be healthy and active as long as possible. We all want to remain injury-free as much as possible. We all want to be able to enjoy the activities we love as long as possible. Strength training allows us the opportunity to do all of those things. And, when done consistently and safely, there really is no downside. And, it is never too late to start!