Benefits Of Weight Training

By: Kirsten Hawkins

Weight training isn't just for Arnold Schwarzenegger and
Sylvester Stallone anymore. It's really a system of exercise and
health benefits that are available to everyone. If you go to a
local gym and observe, you can find everyone from teenagers to
great-grandmas exercising and strength training.

Weight training doesn't mean just using barbells - it involves
much more than that and is most often combined with aerobic
activity during the "circuit."

The natural benefits of weight training include:

- Slowing down bone loss - Making your bones stronger - Toning
and firm up your body - Increasing your muscle strength

Most people will tell you that strength training and using
weights makes them more energized and happier, along with
reducing stress. It's amazing how much better you'll feel when
working out after a hard day at the office! The endorphins your
body creates in response to exercise like this is very much
"addictive," and you'll find that beyond being less-stressed,
you'll actually "crave" your workouts and look forward to them!

One of the benefits I have personally found in strength training
is that it's made my back stronger. Prior to beginning my
workout, if I had to lift a lot of boxes or move heavy things, I
really felt it the rest of the day, and sometimes the rest of
the week. However after just a month of weight training, I found
that I didn't need to take an anti-inflammatory medication every
time I moved some boxes around.

Of course, all professionals will tell you to consult a doctor
before beginning your workout habit; you'll want to make sure
that there are no impediments to beginning this new part of your
daily routine. Most doctors will tell you to use caution and
listen to the trainers, but nearly none will eliminate exercise
altogether for their patients--there are simply too many
benefits from the exertion.

If you go to a chiropractor, ask him or her how strength
training and weight lifting can help you and what specific
exercises would benefit your back and joints. Again, s/he will
probably have some specific suggestions for your body and spinal
'issues,' but generally, a chiropractor will tell you that
strengthening back and abdominal muscles will benefit you
greatly.

If you do find that you 'overdo it' initially, scale it back
just a bit until you're ready to move on. You can use cold and
heat to minister to the aching muscle(s), and take an
anti-inflammatory agent to help in the recovery. But if you do
ache a bit, don't take it as your body's way of saying that you
'shouldn't workout.' What your body is telling you is that you
haven't worked out enough and that it's not used to the
exertion!

If you plan your workout well, you will find that weight
training machines can be a great part of your exercise plan and
your health will improve greatly in very short order.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.