Weightlifting as Part of Daily Exercise
By: Health Matters with Dr. David
Updated: May 15, 2010
Not enough of us exercise regularly, and even fewer of us engage in resistance training.
Lifting weights isn't just for bodybuilders, it should be included in every exercise routine.
At Ageless Health and Fitness in Little Rock, ordinary men and women are getting extraordinary results from resistance training. In fact, on most days, Dr. Henry Lile feels like a man half his age.
"I'd be just a chairbound slug if it weren't for this," Dr. Lile says.
That's true for lots of his peers, because muscles really are a use them or lose them situation. Aging invariably causes muscle loss of about 5 to 7 pounds per decade. That's why we get weaker and weaker as we age. Losing muscle also slows our metabolic rates. That means calories that were once used for muscle energy are now put into fat storage, leading to weight gain. And here's something many people don't know, lifting weights also builds bone and that's critical to prevent osteoporosis.
"I couldn't give up the strength training. It's made such a difference in what I could do, energy level, strength, picking up kids," says Judy Wilburn, who also exercises with weights.
A year long study of post-menopausal women at Tufts University showed that lifting weights just two days a week increased bone density significantly, improved balance, and increased strength 75-percent. It will also decrease your risk of chronic disease. That's like turning back the clock.
To get the benefits, remember to workout hard and workout smart. It doesn't matter if it's free weights or on a machine. Just find someone to help you plan a weight training program tailored to your needs. End your resistance to resistance training and get stronger, feel younger.
Lifting weights isn't just for bodybuilders, it should be included in every exercise routine.
At Ageless Health and Fitness in Little Rock, ordinary men and women are getting extraordinary results from resistance training. In fact, on most days, Dr. Henry Lile feels like a man half his age.
"I'd be just a chairbound slug if it weren't for this," Dr. Lile says.
That's true for lots of his peers, because muscles really are a use them or lose them situation. Aging invariably causes muscle loss of about 5 to 7 pounds per decade. That's why we get weaker and weaker as we age. Losing muscle also slows our metabolic rates. That means calories that were once used for muscle energy are now put into fat storage, leading to weight gain. And here's something many people don't know, lifting weights also builds bone and that's critical to prevent osteoporosis.
"I couldn't give up the strength training. It's made such a difference in what I could do, energy level, strength, picking up kids," says Judy Wilburn, who also exercises with weights.
A year long study of post-menopausal women at Tufts University showed that lifting weights just two days a week increased bone density significantly, improved balance, and increased strength 75-percent. It will also decrease your risk of chronic disease. That's like turning back the clock.
To get the benefits, remember to workout hard and workout smart. It doesn't matter if it's free weights or on a machine. Just find someone to help you plan a weight training program tailored to your needs. End your resistance to resistance training and get stronger, feel younger.
