We all know that aerobic exercise is good for us, such as walking, cycling, running or using the stairs instead of the lift.
But why is it important to include resistance or ‘strength’ training in our days too?
As we get older we find that we begin to lose muscle mass as well as bone density. So by continuing to work our muscles and skeletal system by adding in weight bearing exercises we can help to slow down that process and keep as active as possible.
Strength exercises, as well as balance exercises, are also believed by health professionals to reduce our chances of falling and lower our risks of injury.
A strength exercise is simply described as any activity that makes your muscles work harder than usual.
This could be lifting weights, but it can also be heavy gardening, such as digging and shovelling, using resistance bands, sitting to stand or hill walking.
Additionally, building muscle mass can also help you to tone up as muscle tissue burns more calories than body fat, even when you’re at rest.
Try to include two or more sessions of resistance training a week to really reap the benefits and notice a difference.