People of all ages can get substantial benefits from including resistance training into their exercise program. Even if you are older you can find noticeable improvements in your health by doing a little resistance training.
Adding resistance training strengthens muscles which helps with balance, which becomes all-important as we age and falling has more serious consequences. By becoming stronger we can remain more independent as we age.
Research has also shown that resistance training improves bone density and this is an important aspect of good health for people of all ages. Bones are constantly ‘growing’ as with all parts of the body, however this process slows down as we age. Post-menopausal women are particularly prone to problems relating to bone density as their hormones change and they can benefit considerably from resistance training.
Along with proper nutrition, resistance training is one of the most effective methods of reducing fat, leading to a leaner body. Using your muscles burns fat so any program that increases your muscle mass will help to burn the fat. You are effectively burning fat to feed the muscles.
Research has also proven that resistance training has many other beneficial effects for your health from lowering blood pressure and lowering your heart rate while at rest.
This will obviously reduce the risk of heart disease quite considerably.
The additional strength that can be gained from resistance training serves to help anyone lead a more active lifestyle. With the added benefits of strength, fat loss, balance and the ability to slow the aging process, there is nothing quite like it to help you live longer and be happier along the way.
It doesn’t need to be something that rules your life, as even a little bit of training will benefit you, however, doing it consistently will result in a better return for the time you invest in your health.
The easiest type of resistance training that I do is adding ankle and wrist weights when I walk. I walk at a brisk pace and move my arms so that the muscles get a good workout. You don’t need big weight to get benefits. I am a 54 year old woman with rheumatoid arthrits and exercise is important to keep my joints moving. I use one pound weights on my wrists and two pound weights on my ankles. These are inexpensive and available in most department and sports stores.
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Here is an extensive, helpful exercise video library of hundeds of weight training exercises.
http://www.physicalfitnet.com/exercise_video_library/browse_exercises.aspx