I hear so many people (women especially) who are all about cardio, are constantly checking their smart watches and care mostly about that calorie burn number.  So much research has come out in support of resistance training, but still few seem to really take that to heart.  Here are some highlights about resistance training and why we should add it to our fitness routine:

What is resistance training?

Resistance training (also called strength training or weight training) is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance and size of skeletal muscles.

It’s based on the principle that muscles of the body will work to overcome a resistance force when they are required to do so. When you do resistance training repeatedly and consistently, your muscles become stronger.

Examples: free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, TRX, your own body weight

Benefits: weight management and increased muscle-to-fat ratio – as you gain muscle, your body burns more kilojoules when at rest. As your lean muscle increases so does your resting metabolism, and you burn more calories all day long. Generally speaking, for each pound of muscle you gain, you burn 35 to 50 more calories each day. That can really add up

Builds Strength without Bulking up – Researchers also found that unlike men, women typically don’t gain size from strength training, because compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times less of the hormones that cause muscle hypertrophy. You will, however, develop muscle tone and definition.

Reduce risk of Injury, Back Pain, Arthritis, Osteoporosis – Strength training not only builds stronger muscles, but also builds stronger connective tissues and increases joint stability. This acts as reinforcement for the joints and helps prevent injury.

A recent 12-year study showed that strengthening the low-back muscles had an 80 percent success rate in eliminating or alleviating low-back pain.

Reduce Risk of Heart Disease and Diabetes- weight training can improve cardiovascular health in several ways, including lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol and lowering blood pressure.

weight training may improve the way the body processes sugar and can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23 percent in four months.

Improved sense of Well-being – A Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did. Women who strength train commonly report feeling more confident and capable as a result of their program, all important factors in fighting depression.

Strength training can increase a woman’s strength by 30 to 50%! This gives you greater stamina and just makes every day living easier! So next time you hear someone saying they only like to do cardio because it makes them sweat more and they burn more calories, remind them of all these great points! Here are the links that I read and I hope you take the time to read them too.

https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/franco7.htm

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/resistance-training-health-benefits

http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/building-muscle-boosts-fat-loss/