Why Weight Training is a Great Idea for Anyone (tai chi practice)

Written by Webmaster

Wednesday, 29 October 2008

By Timothy Nugent

Exercise experts these days tell us that we need to perform a variety of exercises to keep our bodies in tip-top shape. Not only do we need to work out hard enough to get and keep our hearts pumping, we also need to lift weights and do regular stretching.

All of these components work together to provide different health benefits. Stretching may improve balance, making it less likely we'll fall and break a hip in old age, while cardio training keeps the heart strong and may protect against heart attacks and other health problems.

When it comes to lifting weights, there are a ton (pardon the pun) of good reasons you should be pumping iron if you're not already.

If you're trying to lose weight, you might have heard that a pound of muscle burns more calories to maintain itself than a pound of fat does, so getting more muscle on your frame will help you lose weight. Lifting weights also strengthens your bones and may help prevent injuries such as slip and fall accidents, again thanks to improvements in balance you'll feel from lifting regularly.

And it almost should go without saying, but lifting weights makes you stronger. Bodybuilding will give you greater endurance in other activities as well as more energy, both for working out and for all the other things you need to do during the day.

If you're worried that lifting weights will give you the physique of one of those scary Venice Beach bodybuilders, don't worry. It's actually very difficult for women to get really ripped looking (it usually involves chemical interventions), and it's not that easy for men, either.

Instead, you'll end up looking longer and leaner if you're a woman lifting weights. Men will show visible muscles much more easily than women do, but most of them don't mind that much. The point is that there's nothing to be afraid of when it comes to lifting weights.

You don't even have to join a gym or buy a lot of expensive equipment to get started. There are some moves you can do just with your body weight or with a couple of different weights of dumbbells, especially if you're new to lifting. Over time you'll probably want more to play with, but the basics are pretty darn basic.

So don't be afraid of weight lifting -- it's actually an important part of building a healthy body and living a healthy life for as long as possible.

Tim Nugent is the author of the Fast Muscle Formula, a guide to weight loss, fat burning and muscle development that makes it easy for anyone to lose weight. Learn more at www.tsnmaymembers.com.

Healthy Exercise With Tai Chi