Why Lift Weights?
A better question may be why not? It is THE anti-aging exercise. While the exact age will vary, once you pass about 30 years old, your body begins to lose bone mass and muscle mass. This is known as osteopenia and sarcopenia respectively.
Guess what activity can simultaneously improve both? Weight lifting.
And the benefits do not stop there. Assuming you are training progressively and eating sensibly, in addition to improved muscle mass and bone mass, you will see:
Increased strength - making everyday living easier
Improved body composition - less fat but more muscle, means you function better at a given body weight
Improved heart rate - your resting heart rate will decrease due to a more efficient heart and larger cardiac output
Lowered blood pressure - which decreases your risk for many conditions
Improved blood lipids - lowered LDL and triglyceride levels and increased HDL levels
Improved glucose metabolism- meaning more stable energy
Improved joint function - helps to manage arthritic pain and lubricate joints
Improved mental health - as demonstrated by decreased anxiety and improved mood
Improved sleep quality - which effects many other aspects of health
Many of these benefits play off of each other. For instance, high blood glucose has a negative effect on hypertension and blood lipids, so improving your glucose metabolism means an improvement in other areas of the body!
As you train and make improvements in these areas, you will experience a decrease in your risk of coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, heart failure, kidney disease, stroke, myocardial infarction and diabetes.
Your increased strength, muscle and bone mass make everyday tasks easier, makes you more resilient to bumps and falls and helps your joints feel better. And all of that puts you in a good mood as well. Lifting weights is simply awesome and a great way to stay young!
So what are you waiting for? Go lift!
