Blaze Driscoll

Everyday there is more proof that resistance training, commonly referred to weight lifting, is beneficial to our health far beyond simply looking better.  Several benefits that come to mind immediately are, bone density, strength, and balance.  Sure, heading to the gym to pump some iron will help you burn calories, build muscle and improve your appearance but the health improvements don’t stop there.

First, start pumping iron if you want to keep Alzheimer’s at bay, say scientists.  A study found lifting weights can improve cognitive function in those aged between 65 and 75.  According to this study, weight lifting can help to stave off dementia.  Check out this video of senior citizen working out.  We can find a huge amount of data to support the fact that resistance training stimulates your brain as much as it stimulates the muscle.  In fact, I have told many of my clients that they should be as mentally tired as their body after leaving the gym.  If you are focusing and concentrating on making your body do a specific movement you will build now neurological pathways that will aid later in life with better coordination, balance and of coarse strength.

Second, self image is important to all of us and can take a significant downturn after breast cancer surgery.  According to this article, weight training is not only safe for breast cancer survivors and may make lymphedema flare ups less frequent, but it appears help women feel better about their bodies.  A common misconception is that weightlifting needs to be done at the gym taking up hours of your day… the truth is… you can spend just ten minutes a day at home, dressed in street clothes, to achieve the same results as the vast majority of gym members.

Third, weightlifting releases hormones that help fight depression.  These are the same hormones that are released when we laugh.  Interestingly, these are also the same thing that happens when we take medication.  It is the same thing that happens when taking cocaine.  According to this article from the Wall Street Journal, exercise can be as useful as medication… in fact, recently a study found that over two thirds of people taking anti depressants received little or no benefit from the drug.  If you can get more benefit from ten or twenty minutes a day lifting weights then taking an expensive and potentially harmful drug it should be a complete no brainer.

With the benefits you receive from progressive resistence trianing you can improve you mental health as well.  warding off deression, dementia and improving your self image are three terrific bonus’ from hitting the gym.  There are many more benefits too, that are just too numerous to mention in a blog.  With a return on your investment of less then thirty minutes a day, it’s a wonder everyone isn’t doing it.  The key is the develope a habit that is engrained into you subconscious that is as routine as brushing your teeth or taking a shower.  Keep following my blog for more short but useful posts on how you can get more results, spending less time to improve your over all health.