12 reasons why you should start strength training today

The ongoing fitness boom has inevitably led to more women than ever before exercising regularly. However, upon entering a gym, it's often observed that very few women venture beyond the cardio area and try out machines or free weights. Yet, for women striving for a well-toned physique, avoiding strength training is a frequently overlooked obstacle that prevents them from achieving their desired results. Contrary to popular belief, strength training won't turn you into a muscle-bound brute; instead, it contributes to both your physical and mental well-being and brings you far closer to your dream of a "sexy body" than cardio alone. To illustrate the positive effects of strength training in detail, we've compiled twelve reasons why you should immediately ditch the cross-trainer.

Reason 1 - You burn more calories

Don't you dream of burning extra calories without having to sweat it out for what feels like forever on monotonous machines? Then you should definitely supplement your fitness program with some strength training sessions, because the muscles built up in this context burn extra energy even when you're resting on the couch. Furthermore, your body also needs fuel in the form of calories to regenerate the muscle fibers stressed during training, which means your metabolism remains elevated for up to 39 hours after your last workout. This increased calorie expenditure is also noticeable during the workout itself, so you need to invest significantly less time to burn a specific target amount of calories.

Reason 2 - You lose up to 40% more fat

If your goal is to lose body fat, rather than simply gain weight, you should definitely include strength training in your routine. This allows you to burn significantly more fat than those who rely solely on cardio. The reason for this lies in the fact that the human body is optimized for efficiency and adapts its tissue composition accordingly. Therefore, if you limit yourself to endurance training, you will lose fat, but also muscle mass, as it is simply not needed. This results in a generally unobstructed body toning experience. With supplementary strength training, you retain a large portion of your muscle mass and primarily burn fat, ultimately leading to a much firmer and more toned physique.

Reason 3 - Your clothes fit better

Especially if you like to wear form-fitting clothes, strength training will be beneficial, as the female body shape is particularly well accentuated by relatively well-developed muscles. Furthermore, the increased use of muscles reduces the risk of fat accumulating in problem areas, allowing you to comfortably wear tight clothing.

Reason 4 - Strength training helps you stick to your diet in the long term.

A recent study from the University of Pittsburgh demonstrated that diets are easier to stick to when regular exercise is included. According to the researchers involved, this is because the workouts serve as both conscious and subconscious reminders to participants to adhere to their diet plan.

Reason 5 - You will cope better with stress

Another study proves that physically active people are better able to keep a cool head in stressful situations than their sedentary counterparts. This is because their bodies release significantly fewer stress hormones, allowing them to cope with stress much more easily. Furthermore, blood pressure normalizes significantly faster after a stressful situation in women with relatively high muscle mass than in those with less pronounced muscle development.

Reason 6 - You will develop strong bones

Women, in particular, experience bone demineralization with age, increasing the risk of fractures with each passing year. Regular strength training can significantly increase bone density within just 16 weeks.

Reason 7 - Strength training makes you happy

Yoga isn't the only thing that can help improve your well-being; as scientists recently discovered, strength training has a similar effect. Just three light workouts per week have been proven to be enough to boost your well-being.

Reason 8 - You'll get your body in shape faster.

Circuit training is a fantastic way to combine the benefits of strength training with those of classic cardio workouts. When performed correctly, this type of training raises your heart rate to a higher level than traditional cardio alone. Furthermore, you benefit from the fact that you're simultaneously working your muscles, which means you'll burn fat while preserving a significant portion of your physique.

Reason 9 - You are promoting the health of your heart.

Studies from the University of Michigan showed that people who perform comprehensive strength training three times a week can lower their diastolic blood pressure by an average of eight points. This measure alone reduces your risk of a heart attack by 151 points and the risk of a stroke by as much as 401 points.

Reason 10 - Strength training extends your life

Besides reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, recent studies from the University of South Carolina suggest that relatively muscular people are significantly less likely to develop cancer. A strong muscular physique also helps prevent accidents, which are particularly common in old age due to muscle weakness.

Reason 11 - You are more productive

Because training reduces the release of stress hormones, you can be 151 times more productive on training days than on days without strength training. In other words, at least in theory, you can leave work earlier, provided your job allows it.

Reason 12 - Strength training promotes cleverness

It is a widespread cliché that intellect seems to decrease with increasing muscle mass, but as Brazilian researchers recently discovered, strength training, contrary to all expectations, actually promotes the performance of the human brain, as evidenced in particular by increased attention and the improved performance of short- and long-term memory.

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