There are multiple reasons why strength training should form part of everyone's fitness regime, providing mental as well as physical health benefits. After reading this, I think you will also agree it's a 'must-have', not a 'nice-to-have' in your life!
1. Building and maintaining muscle mass and strength
Strength training is used to build and maintain muscle mass and strength. It can also be used to increase power (speed and strength). Muscular strength is necessary for everyone, from professional athletes to anyone in day-to-day life carrying shopping, gardening, playing with their children, and aging safely. Strong muscles lead to strong bones, both of which lower your risk of injury.
Peak muscle mass in all muscle tissue within the human body is reached by approximately the age of 30. After this age there is a progressive loss of muscle tissue in all areas (including skeletal and organs - minus lungs which aren't muscle), equating to approximately 5% per decade, speeding up further in the 6th and 7th decades.
The changes in muscle tissue affect both strength and power - with declines in strength at a rate of 1.5% per year, and power at 3.5% per year. Without support, these losses have a significant effect on the functional ability and health of the older person, increasing your chance of injury.
2. Improving cardiovascular health
By strengthening the heart and lungs. The heart is a muscle which requires exercising to keep strong and healthy. Strength training can help increase aerobic capacity, allowing you to perform physical activities for longer without getting fatigued. Research suggests strength training can reduce resting blood pressure, lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, and improve blood circulation by strengthening the heart and blood vessels, reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Strength training can also help you maintain a healthy body weight and help manage your blood sugar levels. As high blood sugar levels are linked to heart disease, this is important. Skeletal muscle helps increase insulin sensitivity (reducing your risk of diabetes, or helping those with it, better manage it). Skeletal muscle also reduces blood sugar levels by removing glucose from the blood and sending it to muscle cells. Greater muscle mass can therefore help improve blood sugar management.
3. Increase bone density
Strength training can increase bone density and decrease overall bone loss by stimulating bone growth and strengthening existing bones. Strong bones help to minimise the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis.
"A combination of age-related changes, inactivity, and inadequate nutrition conspire to gradually steal bone mass, at the rate of 1% per year after age 40. As bones grow more fragile and susceptible to fracture, they are more likely to break after even a minor fall or a far less obvious stress, such as bending over to tie a shoelace." (Havard Medical School)
It is worthy of note that post menopause bone mass losses of 3-5% can occur. So it is particularly important for this population group to undertake a minimum of 2 strength training sessions a week.
How do you strengthen your bones?
Activities that put stress on bones can nudge bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) into action. The stress comes from the tugging and pushing on bone that occur during strength training (as well as weight-bearing aerobic exercises like walking or running). The result is stronger, denser bones. Strength training also targets bones of the hips, spine, and wrists, which are the sites most likely to fracture.
4. Stabilise and protect joints
Joint health is essential for maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle. Knees, hips and shoulders are all vulnerable to injury and disease, such as osteoarthritis, especially as we age. Strength training can help increase the stability and strength of the joints, which can prevent injuries and improve overall function. The stability and strength of joints is maintained by improving the strength, range of motion and mobility of your muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as increasing your bone density. Your posture and balance will also improve with strong stable joints.
5. Reduce body fat
A reduction in body fat is another benefit of strength training, especially when combined with aerobic exercise and a balanced diet. Research suggests strength training helps the body burn calories during and after exercise, a process referred to as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), enabling the body to burn more calories throughout the day. Exercises like high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and sprint interval training (SIT) are also very effective in activating EPOC.
Strength training can help reduce body fat by increasing your metabolic rate. This increase can positively affect body composition. Muscular tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue, people with more muscle tend to have a higher metabolic rate, meaning you burn calories more efficiently. Your metabolic rate is also increased up to 72 hours after a strength training session.
Multiple studies have also shown the benefit of strength-training on reducing abdominal and overall body fat. Muscle is more dense than fat, meaning lb for lb, it takes up less space on your body. Therefore, you can lose inches off of your waist even if you don’t see a change in your weight on the scales.
6. Supporting mental well-being
According to 2021 research in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, strength training can help improve mental health by decreasing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Strength training can be a powerful form of selfcare. The mind-body connection used in strength training can increase feelings of self-confidence, improve mood and boost brainpower. Strength training creates multiple benefits to mood regulation, such as increased self-esteem and self-efficacy. Overall, exercising promotes the release of mood-boosting endorphins, which play a role in a positive mood.
There are also studies in children aged 10–16 years which observed a significant association between strength training and high self-esteem, physical strength, and physical self-worth.
7. Improve sleep quality
Research suggests strength training can help improve sleep quality, too, which is essential for physical and mental well-being and may help reduce fatigue and increase energy levels throughout the day.
According to research, strength training should not be performed within 90 minutes of going to bed, as intense workouts may make it harder for some to fall asleep.
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