Strength Training: Why Should I Add It to My Routine?
If you are an endurance athlete, then you have been able to push your body to the limits in terms of aerobic strength. You can go for long, sustained efforts and not even think twice about the distance you are covering. What you might not think about regularly is the importance of also supplementing your aerobic capacity with a weightlifting routine. “Why do I need to lift weights when I am already so strong?” you may be asking.
Through this Marc Pro blog, we share the reasons why strength training is so crucial for all different types of athletes and workout warriors alike. While you might have brute aerobic strength, there may be areas of the body that could benefit from added resistance and strength. Reasons that you should include strength training in your regular routine include:
Protection of Bones and Muscle Mass
After puberty, both men and women start losing about 1% of muscle and bone strength each year. However, this loss can be combated with the addition of strength exercises in regular routines.
Improvements in Overall Strength
Strength training allows an individual to become stronger by using resistance forces that can be different from the normal activities the body becomes accustomed to on a regular basis. Isometric resistance and isotonic strength training can allow you to challenge and strengthen different muscles for better overall fitness.
Better Flexibility and Balance
Not only does strength training allow you to become stronger, it can also help improve flexibility and balance. Posture and coordination can improve with strength training, allowing you to maintain better balance for longer periods of time. An example of an easy balance strengthening exercise can include standing on one leg while having the other leg go into extension. You can make this exercise more challenging by closing your eyes, and working your way up to single leg squats with proper technique.
Preventative Care
The Marc Pro team understands the importance of preventative care to ensure that performance doesn’t suffer, and the same can be said about strength training. Incorporating strength exercises into your routine can decrease the risk of injury, while also preventing disease, including type-2 diabetes and arthritis.
Endorphin Booster
You may get a boost from your “runner’s high” post-workout, but you can increase that sensation with strength training, which has been shown to increase endorphin levels. In addition, strength training has been proven to help improve sleep quality, which can lead to a happier ‘you’ in the morning.
Strength training does not mean that you have to hit the heaviest weights in the gym to achieve maximal benefits. Circuit training, including push-ups, squats, lunges, and jumping jacks, can allow for you to quickly add some strength drills post-workout, even at home.
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