Welcome back to this week’s edition of 2-Minute Tuesdays where we are talking about one exercise topic for two minutes and giving you three reasons why you should follow our advice. Now, this week we are talking to those of you who are interested in resistance training but are not sure how it might impact your life. What are some of the awesome benefits that you can see from resistance training if you start doing it on a consistent basis?
1) Improvement In Strength
One of the first things you might notice when you start resistance training is an improvement in the strength of your muscles. This means you can do more with the muscles you have. It is important that you keep your strength as you age because, number one, you will naturally lose muscle mass as you age if you are not fighting it by consistent resistance training. Additionally, your muscles are the things that allow you to do the activities that you love.
Action Step: Look at your calendar and find two times this week when you will be able to get at least 10 minutes of focused resistance training in. You do not need to lift weights for an entire hour to glean the benefits of resistance training. Book out the time in your schedule to strengthen your muscles, and prioritize it by making sure nothing gets scheduled over top of it.
Related: Women, Weights, and Wellbeing
2) Improvement In Joint Motion
Secondly, by consistently doing resistance training, you may see improvements in joint range of motion. Now, a lot of times you may think changes in joint range of motion happen through stretching and activities of that nature. While you may see changes in joint motion through stretching, etc., incorporating strategic and appropriate resistance training can also help your joints move better.
Action Step: Above all else, make sure you are respecting your body when you do resistance training. Improvements in joint motion do not take place by forcing your joints to move further. Instead, stay within the available motion your body has when you go to exercise and do not try to move beyond your limits. Often times, doing isometric exercises in a comfortable position will help to improve your joint motion, so do not force your body to move further than it is able.
Related: Supercharge Your Stretching With This One Simple Change
3) Keep Your Bones and Joints Healthy
The third thing that regular resistance training will do for you is it will help keep your bones and joints healthy. Bones respond to stress and, when you do resistance training, you are putting stress on your bones. This greatly helps to improve the density of your bones. Additionally, your joints stay healthy when they move appropriately. By making sure that you keep the muscles strong around your joints, you will not only help to make sure the structure of your joints stays healthy, but you will also ensure that your joints are able to move more smoothly.
Action Step: Make sure you are doing resistance training for all areas of your body. One of the easiest mistakes to make is to only to resistance training for your upper body (fellas) or your lower body (ladies). In order for the bones and joints throughout your entire body to stay healthy, you must do resistance training for each respective area of your body.
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