10 Great Benefits of Strength Training

Strength training is one of the best ways to help you reach your health and fitness goals. But did you know that the great benefits go way beyond helping you manage your weight? Strength training with X-Force Body can also help enhance the quality of your life! Because strength training applies a load of external resistance to specific muscles or a muscle group, the muscles are forced to adapt and grow stronger. The best part? You don’t need to spend hours a day in the gym to see the benefits. Just two 30-minute sessions a week with X-Force Body can help you look and feel your best.

Here are 10 ways that your strength training workout works for you:

1. Leads to better cardiovascular health.

Strength training helps you enhance muscle mass, which naturally diminishes with age. One of the best muscles you can train is your heart. A study in the March 2019 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showed that adults who did one hour per week of strength training has a 40% to 70% lower risk of heart attack or stroke. Spending more than one hour showed no additional cardiovascular benefits. Additionally, research from the Journal of Applied Physiology also found that men who regularly strength train have lower cholesterol and better HDL levels. Want more proof? Doctors may soon use grip strength to predict heart disease risk, calling it a more accurate measurement than taking your blood pressure. People with a stronger hand grip pump more blood per heartbeat and may have a healthier heart muscle structure.

2. Lowers abdominal fat more effectively than cardio and can help you keep it off.

A study in the November 2017 issue of the journal Obesity found that dieters who did strength training lost the most fat over 18 months as compared to those who only did aerobic exercise. That’s because strength training increases lean muscle mass. As you gain muscle, your body burns calories more easily.

3. Controls blood sugar levels.

Strength training improves your ability to use glucose so it’s great for those with Type 2 diabetes to incorporate into their lifestyle.

4. Reduces risk of cancer.

Reduces the risk of 10 common types of cancer, including colon cancer, according to the September 2019 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Fat not only increases your risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but it can also promote cancer development. Conversely, muscle mass has been shown to help with cancer treatment outcomes, according to a 2017 study in Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology.

5. Helps with balance and lowers risk of injury.

Strength training helps with coordination so it can reduce your chance of falling. It also helps with flexibility. If a muscle is weak, it puts more stress on the connecting tendons.

6. Reduces anxiety and depression.

You’ve probably heard of a ‘runner’s high.’ However, strength training also releases endorphins that improve incidents of depression and anxiety.

7. Boosts energy and mood while decreasing fatigue.

Exercise that gets your heart rate up and gets the blood flowing is going to increase your stamina and raise your energy level. WebMD experts say that the slow, deliberate motions of resistance strength training provide a form of calm energy that reduces tension (the opposite of the tense energy that Type A people use to get work done).

8. Protects bone health and prevents osteoporosis.

Strength training increases bone mineral density – especially weight-bearing exercises such as squats and lunges.

9. Improves sleep.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, strength training can help you get a better night’s rest so you fall asleep faster and wake up less frequently during the night. Of course, the benefit to getting enough sleep is that your body uses that time to replenish your muscles’ energy and recover from workouts.

10. Better brain health.

A study in men and women between the ages of 55 and 86 who did twice-weekly strength training showed that they significantly improved their score on cognitive tests.  It increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.