Resistance Training for Health Benefits
What is Resistance Training? -Resistance training is a form of physical activity that is designed to improve muscular fitness by exercising a muscle or a muscle group against external resistance. Resistance training is any exercise that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance with the expectation of increases in strength, power, hypertrophy, and/or endurance. The external resistance can be dumbbells, exercise tubing, your own body weight, bricks, bottles of water, or any other object that causes the muscles to contract. People of all ages and ability who regularly participate in resistance exercise reduce the risk of numerous diseases, improve quality of life, and reduce mortality. What are the benefits of Resistance Training? -Many health and fitness benefits are associated with physical activity and strength/endurance training, such as improved physiologic, metabolic, and psychologic parameters, as well as decreased risk of many chronic diseases and premature mortality. Resistance exercise can manage and treat many conditions including but not limited to: -Arthritis -Cardiovascular disease -Depression -Dementia -Diabetes -Fall risk -Hypertension -Mental health -Obesity -Peripheral Vascular Disease -Stroke Key Physiological Benefits of Resistance Training -Increased muscle strength, endurance, and power -Improved bone, muscle, and connective tissue growth and durability -Improved hormone regulation -Blood glucose regulation -Improved anaerobic fitness Prescription of Exercise -Resistance can include any of the following: Free weights, machines, medicine balls, kettle bells, bands, or body weight -Perform 8-10 multi-joint exercises that target the major muscle groups -Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions, making sure to lift and lower the weight in a controlled manner (2 seconds up and 2 seconds down) -Perform exercises 2-3 times a week with 30-50 minutes each day you train -Progress weight lifted over a period of time so that the difficulty feels like a 6-8 out of 10 (0 = no effort, 10 = hardest effort you can give)