FITNESS HANDOUT

WHY STRENGTH TRAINING IS SO IMPORTANT!
WHY WE ALL NEED IT!

Here are just a few great reasons why people need to take strength training seriously:

*YOU WILL LOSE MORE FAT THAN YOU WILL GAIN IN MUSCLE. The average person who strength trains two to three times a week for eight weeks gains 1.75 pounds of lean weight, or muscle, and loses 3.5 pounds of fat. Special Note: 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 bulking up.

*YOUR NEW MUSCLE WILL HELP FIGHT OBESITY. As you add muscle from strength training, your resting metabolism will increase, so you’ll burn more calories all day long. For each pound of muscle you gain, you’ll burn 35 to 50 more calories daily.

*YOUR BONES WILL BENEFIT. By the time you leave high school, you have established all the bone mineral density you’ll ever have - unless you strength train. Research completed by Wayne Wescott, PhD, from the South Shore YMCA in Quincy Massachusetts, states, weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density by 13 percent in six months. So strength training is a very powerful tool against osteoporosis.

*YOU WILL FIGHT HEART DISEASE. Strength training will improve your cholesterol profile and blood pressure, according to recent research. (reminder - your exercise program should also include cardiovascular exercise and flexibility training).

*YOU WILL REDUCE YOUR RISK OF DIABETES. Adult-onset diabetes is a growing problem for women and men. Research indicates that weight training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23 percent in four months.

*YOU WILL BE ABLE TO BEAT BACK PAIN AND FIGHT ARTHRITIS. 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. Other studies have indicated that weight training can ease arthritis pain and strengthen joints.

*YOU WILL BE A BETTER ATHLETE. Whatever sport of choice, strength training may not only improve your proficiency but also decrease your risk of injury.

*YOU WILL STRENGTHEN YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. A Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did. People who strength train commonly report feeling more confident and capable as a result of their program.