It is common for people to overlook the importance of training their muscles. Instead they concentrate all their efforts on cardiovascular fitness. There is no question that building good cardiovascular endurance lowers the risk for countless diseases, while increasing energy and endorphin levels. But did you know that muscle building exercises such as weight lifting, CrossFit, yoga, martial arts and others have those same benefits, along with their own unique advantages?
Here are eight reasons to regularly participate in muscle building workouts
1. More muscle mass means more calories burned; even while at rest – This is probably the biggest advantage to having a little extra muscle. It means you can eat more without worry about it going to your waistline. Those calorie hungry little muscle cells will devour anything extra that would otherwise end up in unwanted areas.
2. Burn more fat – Not only does muscle tissue require more calories, it actively burns fat from the body’s fat stores. This is particularly true about fat stored in the same region as muscle. So, if your want to burn fat off your stomach, build your abdominal muscles.
3. Improved physique – People who are happy with the way their bodies look are more confident, have higher self esteem and are more socially active. Cardio workouts can improve the physique, but you must think of muscle building and cardio workouts as a team. They each improve the body in different ways. Together they can give you a strong, lean, healthy physique.
4. Help prevent injury – Making your muscles work on a regular basis will lower the chances of torn muscles and sprains. Keeping the core and back muscles around the spine strong greatly decreases chances for back injuries. This is especially important for older folks, as injuries become more common with age. Even for those in their forties and fifties, muscle tissue is already at a natural decline every year, so you must work just to counter-balance that loss.
5. Improved athleticism – More muscle (to a certain point) typically means better athletic performance. So if you like staying athletic for your next adventure, keep those muscles built.
6. Get rid of pain – Many chronic pains such as back, knee, shoulder, neck and others can be improved by building the muscles around them. Muscle building workouts also build cartilage in the joints, which can help relive joint pains.
7. Build stronger bones – When the muscles are built, so are the bones. They become thicker, denser, more sturdy and harder to break or fracture.
8. Build mental and physical toughness – Completing an intense muscle building workout takes mental and physical perseverance and brings along with it a sense of accomplishment and the desire to continue on the path of fitness.
For more health articles by John McKiernan check out The Holistic Truth
Sources for this article include:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/juliewilcox/2012/05/31/health-benefits-weightlifting/
http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/01/21/the_unsung_benefits_of_lifting_weights/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/422010-emotional-benefits-of-weight-lifting/
