5 Major Benefits of Weight Training

Maybe you don't know exactly how to start weight training for a full exercise routine. Or maybe you think you have to spend hours at the gym or bench press a hundred pounds to reap the benefits. But lifting light weights is different from lifting heavy weights. Light lifting is a type of resistance training that improves strength. You'll lift lighter weights for a number of repetitions, then take a break. This increases muscle endurance, which helps you carry out everyday tasks like carrying shopping bags or gardening more easily.

Of course, The weight you use should be light enough that you can perform about 12-15 repetitions before the muscle becomes fatigued. This is usually between five and eight pounds for most women, although it's okay to start with lighter weights. And what's even better is that light lifts can be done anywhere, indoors or outdoors, and you only need a basic set of dumbbells to get started. Here are five of the benefits of this type of training: Aging slows down your metabolism and makes it easier for you to accumulate body fat, especially around your waist and hips. But regular light weight lifting, along with regular cardio and a healthy diet, can build muscle mass.

With consistent light lifting, your body will look leaner and more toned, and your clothes will fit better. There's no way around it: after you turn 30, if you don't do something to get stronger, you lose muscle mass. And with the loss of muscle mass, body fat begins to increase. In fact, muscle mass declines 3 to 8 percent per decade after age 30, and at an even faster rate after age 60. Lifting light weights can slow this decline.

Premenopausal and postmenopausal women are at greater risk of osteoporosis due to declining estrogen and progesterone levels. But using weights helps produce new osteocytes to compensate for age-related declines in bone mineral density. Activities like walking are great, but that does nothing for the bones in your upper body, which also need resistance training to stay strong. Exercise releases endorphins and serotonin, which reduce levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. You'll feel a sense of accomplishment every time you finish a workout, but don't beat yourself up if you missed a day, rather applaud yourself for what you accomplished.

Just keep in mind that one missed day doesn't have to become three missed days. Light weight exercises can help build core muscles to make it easier to maintain good posture and protect the body from falls caused by sudden changes in movement, such as going around a crack in the pavement. Ultimately, lifting weights helps you build more muscle, which keeps you young and independent. .