Strength training is the best way to get fit, improve your health, and feel great. It can also help reduce stress and improve mental health. Below are some benefits of performing strength training exercises regularly.
Reduces stress-related hormones
The body produces stress-related hormones in response to stress. These hormones can cause physical and psychological symptoms like fatigue, irritability and depression. Strength training has been shown to reduce those symptoms by lowering the levels of these hormones.
For example, a study examined how strength training affected the hormone cortisol in people with fibromyalgia (a disorder characterized by excessive muscle pain and tenderness). Participants were asked to complete three strength-training sessions per week for 12 weeks. Results showed that their cortisol levels dropped significantly after four months of training (as compared to their baseline values).
Improves mental health
If you’re feeling depressed, it’s important to understand the causes of depression so that you can be better equipped to combat it. Depression is a serious mental illness that affects millions of people worldwide. It’s also one of the most common reasons why people go to see their doctor, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
An exercise routine can help improve your mental health by releasing endorphins in your body—chemicals that make you feel good and reduce stress on a physical level. It can also release serotonin and dopamine—two other brain chemicals that contribute to feelings of well-being and happiness. By increasing physical activity (and therefore improving your overall fitness), regular exercise can lead to stronger bones as well as increased circulation throughout the body, which helps regulate blood pressure levels. This will have a positive effect on your mood as well!
Strengthens your bones
Strength training is an effective preventive measure against osteoporosis. This disease, which primarily affects older women, has a devastating impact on your body’s ability to support itself. While some medications can help manage symptoms, strength training is one of the best ways to build bone mass. While it’s true that you need more calcium and vitamin D, diet alone isn’t enough; if you don’t exercise regularly, then you won’t reap the full benefits of what these nutrients have to offer. (See our article on why strength training is important for seniors).
Promotes weight loss and maintenance
When you’re strength training, you’re increasing muscle mass, which increases your metabolic rate. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate—thus, the more fat you incinerate at rest. Strength training is an important piece of any effective weight loss program because it helps improve body composition and reduce body fat percentage by increasing lean muscle mass while decreasing total body fat mass. In other words: You can lose weight without losing muscle!
Reduces the risk of depression
Depression is a serious mental illness that affects 1 in 10 people. If you have depression, it could be affecting your life and your relationships. Depression can make it hard to get through the day and do the things you need to do.
You can seek some advice from Legion Athletics experts for strength training, weight loss and much more.
Depression can usually be treated with medication and therapy. Exercise, including strength training, can improve your mood and make you feel better about yourself. It’s important to talk with a doctor before starting an exercise program if you think exercise may help reduce symptoms of depression or anxiety.
