Why Should You Lift Weights?
Lifting weights and resistance training in general have become increasingly popular among the general population over the last several decades. Studies continue to show the numerous benefits that can be obtained from lifting weights. Many of us know that lifting weights can have a profound effect on our physical fitness and strength. However, lifting weights and general resistance training can benefit us in many ways that may come as a surprise. Before covering some of the more abstract benefits of resistance training in this article, I want to touch base on the broad range of physical benefits. Although most people know that lifting weights can help us get stronger and gain muscle, I believe there are many physical benefits to lifting weights that many are not aware of. To avoid any confusion about technical terms, I would like to leave the disclaimer that although lifting weights is only one type of resistance training, I will be using the two terms interchangeably in this blog post.
I could not write a blog post about the benefits of lifting weights without mentioning the obvious. Resistance training and lifting weights can improve strength, which will carry over to many of our daily tasks requiring physical strength. What may not be quite as obvious is that lifting weights can actually help increase our mobility and flexibility, especially with proper exercise selection. Furthermore, lifting weights can help increase bone density, which can help prevent osteoporosis and osteopenia. Along those same lines, lifting weights can result in better proprioception (the body’s ability to sense its position in space) and prevent falls. All of these contribute to injury prevention in our various daily activities.
Many people are worried that lifting weights will give them a “bulky” look, but it is entirely possible to get stronger without putting on large amounts of muscle mass. Lifting weights is great for changing body composition and helps preserve lean muscle mass while losing weight. Most people wanting to lose “weight” actually want to lose fat mass. Without adequate protein intake and regular resistance training sessions during weight loss, a high percentage of the weight may be lost from lean muscle mass. This can wreak havoc on our metabolism and actually make it harder to manage our weight in the future. One major concern with new weight loss drugs, such as semaglutide, is preserving muscle mass while losing weight. Lifting weights regularly may be especially important for those individuals taking semaglutide in order to ensure that they are losing the least amount of lean muscle mass possible.
I could write all day about the physical benefits of lifting weights because the list goes on and on. Along with the benefits I expanded on above, lifting weights has been shown to improve cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure, improving metabolism and reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome, helping correct posture, and improving balance and coordination, among other benefits. If you are not convinced of the physical benefits of resistance training yet, I encourage you to do your own independent research. It truly is astonishing how much influence lifting weights can have on the various systems of our body.
Even more interesting to me are the mental and emotional benefits that can be derived from lifting weights. Although this is where many of the benefits become more subjective as they are harder to measure than physical changes, there are many observational studies, surveys, and personal anecdotes that suggest that lifting weights can have a variety of beneficial psychological effects. If you think back to when you started resistance training, many of you may have noticed some of these benefits yourself. I know I have!
Similar to other forms of exercise, resistance training can reduce stress and anxiety by providing an outlet for stress and by releasing endorphins. We have all heard of the “runner’s high,” which is a term used to describe the euphoric feeling runners get during or after a run. This is actually caused by chemicals that our bodies produce to reduce pain and induce pleasure. It turns out we release the same chemicals while we lift weights, which can reduce stress and improve our mood.
Along these same lines, lifting weights can increase our motivation and improve our self-confidence by giving us a sense of accomplishment and progress. It can also improve our self-efficacy, which is our own belief about our ability to accomplish a task. These benefits can carry over into our personal lives and have a positive effect on our ability to accomplish other tasks. Momentum is like a snowball rolling down a hill; it starts small and slow but picks up speed the farther it rolls. The more momentum we gain and consistency we have in the weight room, the more it will pour out and positively affect other areas of our lives.
Lastly, as many of you may know from resistance training at the Fitness Clinic, it can provide a sense of community and social connections that are important for our health and well-being. Social connections and healthy relationships are important for our mental well-being and can help us handle stress and anxiety. Research has shown that a lack of social connection can have very detrimental effects on both our physical and mental health. Choosing the right environment to participate in resistance training can have a positive effect on other areas of your life.
I hope that this article has highlighted some benefits of resistance training that you were not formerly aware of and helped inspire you to either continue or start to lift weights. I truly believe from both personal and professional experience that resistance training has the ability to transform people's lives for the better, and many find that it can positively impact areas of their lives that they would never expect. I highly encourage anybody who is on the fence about starting to lift weights to give it a try. We are always here to answer questions or help steer you in the right direction.
In health and fitness,
Luke