Benefits of Exercise

Many people still have the mindset that you only need to exercise if you're overweight. That couldn't be more wrong! Exercise has many benefits other than just weight loss. Regardless of your age or size, everyone needs to get fit!

Here are a few of the benefits of strength training as listed on ivillage.com:
1. Strength training prevents muscle loss. Adults who do not strength train lose between five to seven pounds of muscle every decade.
2. Strength training will increase your metabolism. The average adult experiences a two to five percent reduction in metabolic rate every decade of their life, so strength training can help make up for that loss.
3. Strength training will increase your muscle mass. Research shows that doing 25 minutes of strength exercise, three days a week can increase muscle mass by about three pounds over an eight-week training period.
4. Strength training will reduce your body fat. Increasing your muscle mass will increase your calorie burn, thereby reducing the likelihood of fat accumulation.
5. Strength training will increase your bone mineral density. In this way, strength training helps protect against fractures, "shrinking" and osteoporosis.
6. Strength training will improve your glucose metabolism. This improvement is one of the many ways a healthy exercise routine can fight diabetes.
7. Strength training will speed up your digestion. This is significant because delayed digestion puts you at a higher risk for colon cancer.
8. Strength training reduces your resting blood pressure. Combining strength and aerobic exercise is an even more effective means of improving blood pressure readings.
9. Strength training will relieve lower back pain. Because over 80 percent of Americans experience back problems, it is advisable for all adults to strengthen these muscles properly.
10. Strength training will reduce arthritis pain.

In addition to the benefits of strength training, here are some of the benefits of cardiovascular exercise:
Weight loss
Stronger heart and lungs
Increased bone density
Reduced stress
Reduced risk of heart disease and some types of cancer
Temporary relief from depression and anxiety
More confidence about how you feel and how you look
Better sleep
More energy

I could definitely stand to use some of those benefits! Couldn't you?!?