We’ve all made that new year resolution to lose weight in our quest to become healthy and fit. This is probably why a lot of people focus on doing cardiovascular exercises like walking, cycling or running. However, fitness is not always about weight loss, especially if losing weight means losing muscle.
Muscle-building, as any San Francisco fitness expert will tell you, is also essential to a fitness regime. And we agree. So, if you’re looking to become healthy and fit, you also need to incorporate strength training into your fitness regimen. And to ensure you get motivated to perform these exercises, here are 5 reasons why it’s so important to do so:
Age-related muscle loss, or sarcopenia, happens naturally as we age. In fact, physically inactive individuals lose as much as 3% to 5% of their muscle mass per decade after turning 30. Also, even active people can lose muscle at this stage, with most men losing about 30% of their muscle mass over the course of their lifetimes.
Muscles loss also means reduced mobility and greater weakness which, in turn, can drastically increase your risk of falling and getting fractures. To counter this, you need to perform muscle-building strength training activities – whether at home or a gym in your San Francisco neighborhood.
Strength training exercises such as bodyweight training and lifting weights help to prevent injuries. Core strength exercises help improve balance and coordination, thereby reducing your likelihood of falling or getting injured.
Muscle-building exercises also greatly help build and strengthen tendons and bones, so you’re protected from sprains and muscle tears. This is why, as we grow older, strength training becomes an even more important part of our exercise regimen.
Both aerobic and strength training exercises are prescribed for osteoporosis sufferers and people who want to avoid developing osteoporosis. Some of these osteoporosis-friendly exercises include dancing, stair climbing, hiking, playing tennis, high-impact aerobics, elliptical training, running, exercise band routines and bodyweight training.
Starting a strength training program to build muscles not only will make you feel better about yourself but will also make you look good. As you exercise, you tone your muscles, so everything starts to look firm and “lifted up.” So even if improving your appearance is not your primary objective for exercising, you’ll end up looking a lot better in your swimwear anyway.
Developing well-formed, firm muscles inevitably improves your fitness and conditions the body, and this has a beneficial impact on your overall health. People who regularly engage in exercise reduce their risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases which typically affect sedentary people. These include heart disease, hypertension, obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Combined with a balanced, healthy diet and quality sleep, muscle-building exercises you engage in at your favorite San Francisco gym or at home are sure to make a favorable impact on your health and wellbeing.
