Muscle-strengthening exercises have been proven to be beneficial for your overall health. Did you know they can also reduce your chance of dying? A recent study found that weightlifting and other muscle strengthening exercises could play an important role for disease prevention. These exercises are associated with a lower risk of certain types of cancers, such as cardiovascular disease.
Do you feel motivated to go back to the gym? It should.
What Are Muscle-Strengthening Exercises?
Muscle-strengthening activities are defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as “activities that make muscles work harder than normal.” This could include lifting weights, using resistance band, and doing bodyweight exercises such as push-ups or sit-ups.
How much exercise do I need?
According to the CDC, adults should exercise their muscles at least twice a week. Each session should be at least 30 minutes long. You can also break down your time into smaller segments throughout the day if you are just getting started.
This is the CDC’s recommendation. Most likely, your trainer will push you to do more.
What are the benefits of muscle-building exercises?
There are many benefits to muscle-strengthening exercise. These exercises can improve bone health, muscle endurance and strength, as well as boost your fitness level. These exercises can help improve your mental health and reduce stress.
Consistency is the key to muscle-strengthening exercises being so effective. Results may take several weeks to become evident. Rest is important! It is important to rest if you exercise and train in this way. This will allow your muscles to repair and rebuild.
Is age a factor? Is it possible to be a weightlifter at 90?
The saying “You loose it if it’s not used” works for everyone! Jack LaLanne is often called the “Godfather of Fitness”. Jack kept going through his daily 2-hour workouts with weights into his 90’s. Jack was an example to older Americans of how you can keep in shape if only you work hard at it.
Strength training can be very helpful to prevent injuries and help with recovery for older adults. As we age, the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis, and, in general, poor mobility, increases. Adults over 50 may notice a better balance and a lower chance of falling if they do muscle-strengthening exercises. Don’t let your age stop you from doing what you love.
Aerobic Exercise: What about it? Are Aerobic Exercises as Beneficial?
Exercise is essential for your overall health, and mental well-being. According to the HHS, adults should exercise 150-300 minutes each week in moderate activity and 75-150 minutes in high intensity aerobics. (Department of Health and Human Services). Aerobic exercise can include running, swimming, and walking. It’s all great! Aerobic exercise is especially good for your heart health.
How can muscle-building exercises help prevent disease?
This study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine used data from 16 studies that were published between 2012-2020. Participants were not suffering from any serious health problems at the time. Every study included statistics from thousands of participants. One study included over 480,000 people. All were followed for at least two years.
According to the authors, “All studies focused on muscle-strengthening exercises such as resistance/strength/weight training and calisthenics, but not on muscle-strengthening activities such as carrying heavy loads and heavy gardening.”
Data presented showed that 10-17% less risk of all-cause death. Similar reductions were seen in total, diabetes, heart disease, lung cancer, and total cancer. However, the study didn’t show a reduction in risk for bladder, colon, kidney, and pancreatic cancers.
They found that one hour of muscle-strengthening exercise per week reduces the chance of developing diabetes.
Researchers and others noticed the need to do more research on muscle-strengthening in a larger population when analyzing the clinical data. The impact of aerobic exercise on weight loss and muscle strength has been studied for a longer time.
Ask any trainer, even if there aren’t many studies. Ask any qualified trainer what results they get when someone shows up for the exercise and puts in the effort to improve. These benefits might inspire you to get back in the gym and work towards becoming Jack LaLanne.
Tag: BEAUTY FITNESS HEALTH AND WELLNESS MOTION
