Whether you find strength training intimidating or you just prefer cardiovascular exercise, it’s time to start adding strength training to your workout regimen. Strength training promises health benefits regardless of age, gender, or level of fitness. To convince you, FitClub has pulled together five health benefits that you can only get in the strength room.

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• Your bones get stronger. Bone mass begins to decline during your thirties. Adding strength training to your FitClub workouts, though, can increase bone density, resulting in stronger bones that aren’t as likely to break whether from an accident or osteoporosis as you age. Osteoporosis impacts women at a much higher rate than men, but men can develop osteoporosis or suffer from weak bones later in life, too. It’s never too or too early to start paying attention to strong, healthy bones that will last a lifetime. The very idea of weak bones can be terrifying, but the great news is that whether you’re lifting heavy weights and training for a body building competition or just doing bodyweight exercises (i.e. pushups), your bones are benefitting from strength and resistance training.


• Strength training makes everyday activities easier. Think about the last time you picked up a young child or struggled to get a heavy bag from the car to the house. Adding strength and resistance training to your workout regimen makes even these daily activities more bearable. When you add strength training to your workout repertoire, you actually cause micro-tears in your muscles. When the muscles repair themselves after a workout, the cells sent to repair the muscles come back stronger than before. Just because you might be a little sore the next day, doesn’t mean you aren’t getting stronger with every workout!


• It gives your heart a boost. While cardiovascular is still the best way to improve your heart health, strength training benefits your heart, too. Strength training has been found to lower blood pressure and increase good cholesterol. To maximize the benefits to your heart, pair strength training with your cardiovascular workout. Find something you love to do and be consistent three to five times each week.


• Improved memory and decreased anxiety. A study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found that strength and resistance training improved the participants’ memory and ability to complete memory-related tasks. The study also showed improvement in symptoms of depression, increases in self-esteem, and a 30% improvement in sleep patterns. Adding weights or body weight exercises to your workout routine improves your body’s ability to oxygenate all of its systems, including the nervous system responsible for brain activity.


• Muscle burns fat. Our muscles require a significant number of calories, even while at rest. If you’re only doing cardio exercises, your body may be burning both muscle and fat, resulting in the weight loss you see on the scale. To build a healthier, leaner body, resistance training can counteract muscle loss and lead to even higher fat loss. Lean muscle mass requires a higher metabolic rate, resulting in burning more calories even when you’re at rest. Burn calories even when you’re resting after your FitClub workout? Why not start today?

Questions about adding resistance training to your daily workout? Leave a comment!