Movement is essential for both our bodies and our brains and it becomes even more important as we age. Exercising regularly maintains our total health, vitality, and longevity.

There is no “wrong” style of training, whatever gets you off your bum regularly and doubles as movement that you actually enjoy, is so worth keeping in regimen. In addition to your preferred style, we need to make sure strength training is built into the weekly program.

Why strength training?

Lifting weights, and doing it consistently, provides so many benefits to one’s daily life.

1. As we age, our bodies naturally lose muscle mass. Resistance training adds mass to the muscles and reduces deterioration.

2. Muscle helps build strong bones. Strength training builds bone density and reduces the risk of fractures.

3. Look and feel better. The body’s metabolism speeds up when strength training is appointed. The more muscle the body has, the more fat burns off, allowing the body to lose weight.

4. Improved cardiovascular health. Studies show that strength training as little as one hour per week can reduce risk of stroke or heart attack as much as 40-70%! Study

5. Daily movements become easier. We want to be able to get off the ground without struggle, keep up with little ones, or work a golf swing to have more power. Whatever your individual movement mission is, regular strength and resistance training will propel you towards that goal.

6. Muscle strength improves joint function, stability, and prevents excessive stress. Regular exercise promotes good muscle function and may prevent symptoms of osteoarthritis.

7. Research shows strength training is also beneficial for mental health. Lifting weights has been linked to increased cognition, mood, self-esteem and quality of life. Study

Strength training will not only make you feel a sense of confidence and internal security, but helps sync the body with longevity and vitality. Next time you feel like skipping your training, think about all the benefits you get from lifting weights and how much clear your brain and body will feel afterwards. A few minutes is better than no minutes. You deserve the release.