Making Strength Training a Priority in Your Fitness Regimen

*By: Megan Deppen*

If there’s one kind of workout that you should make a priority in your fitness routine, it’s strength training. Strength training also known as resistance training is not only one of the best workouts you can do for your body, but also comes with many added health benefits. You’ll find if you incorporate this type of training into your workouts at least 2-3 times a week for 20-30 minutes, combined with a healthy diet, you will feel stronger and see results in no time.

Here are some of the top reasons why you should consider strength training:

1. Weight Loss – Strength training is one of the best weight loss options because it increases your resting metabolism which means you’re still burning calories after your workout and are in rest mode. This will also keep the weight off for good.
2. Prevents Injuries – The more you strengthen your muscles, the less risk you have for injury.
3. Gain Muscle Without Getting Bulky – Many of us think strength training means lifting heavy weights and getting bulky, but that’s definitely not the case. Unless you’re doing specific strength training exercises to bulk up, you will not get bulky from your everyday strength training exercises, but you will gain muscle and feel toned and fit.
4. Balance – The stronger your muscles are, the more balance you’ll have. Since balance decreases as we get older, strength training is especially important to start incorporating into your workout sooner than later in life.
5. Helps Protect Muscle Mass and Bone Health – Strengthening your muscles also helps to increase muscle mass as we age and therefore are essential for good bone health.

Strength training doesn’t only include lifting weights. It can be a variety of bodyweight exercises such as pushups, squats, lunges, planks, etc. Furthermore, you can also use resistance bands to do arm curls, squats and other types of exercises. Below are some great workouts to check out for your strength training routine.

Do have any strength training workouts you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below!