The CrossFit Journal article “What Is Fitness?” 2002, recognized 10 general physical skills. They are cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. As we move through adulthood, these skills become more and more important. Our core programming at CWCF/CFA is focused on developing and maintaining all ten of these skills.
One of the 10 General Physical Skills we most certainly need to be better at life is Strength. The benefits of incorporating some sort of strength (or resistance) training into an exercise routine are numerous. A simple Google search for ‘importance of strength training’ yields a lot of research into the how and why. Here are a few benefits from the Mayo Clinic:
- Reduce body fat/increase lean muscle mass. Lean muscle mass naturally diminishes with age. Your body fat percentage will increase over time if you don’t do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose. Strength training can help reduce body fat by increasing a person’s metabolic rate. Since muscular tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue, people with more muscle tend to have a higher metabolic rate. This increase can affect body composition as well.
- Burn calories more efficiently. Strength training helps the body burn calories during and after exercise, a process referred to as post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), enabling the body to burn more calories throughout the day.
- Develop strong bones. By stressing your bones, strength training can increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
- Enhance your quality of life. Strength training may enhance your quality of life and improve your ability to do everyday activities. Strength training can also protect your joints from injury. Building muscle also can contribute to better balance and may reduce your risk of falls. This can help you maintain independence as you age.
- Manage chronic conditions. Strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic conditions, such as arthritis, back pain, obesity, heart disease, depression and diabetes.
- Sharpen your thinking skills. Some research suggests that regular strength training and aerobic exercise may help improve thinking and learning skills for older adults.
I feel like I could write forever on why strength training is so important for any age and future posts will look at it slightly more specifically for kids and for older adults. But for now, if you are unsure how to start incorporating some strength or resistance training into a routine, book a No Sweat Intro with us and we can help you develop a plan. It’s never too early and it’s definitely never too late.