Pumping Iron Will Keep You Younger

As we get older, most exercise advice we get from doctors and other sources focuses on the benefits of cardiovascular activity.  Emphasis is placed on jogging, biking, swimming, and other "get your heart going" programs.

But aerobic activity alone is not enough to keep you healthy.

A regular exercise program that includes weight or machine resistance training 3-4 times a week is critical to maintain flexibility and keep our joints and skeletal structure strong and supportive.  In addition, strength training has been shown to reduce the symptoms of a number of diseases and chronic conditions including obesity, back pain, diabetes, arthritis, and depression.

Bench Now, Live Later

Even an exercise as basic as the bench press can have beneficial effect beyond just enhancing strength.  The basic weigh-resistant movement of the bench press actually opens up your ribs and expands the chest cavity.  This provides more room to our lungs and makes us less prone to pneumonia and other chest related ailments when we get older.  This is especially critical as the risk of respiratory disorders increases with age.

Strength training for the back muscles is also vital to any exercise program.  So much time these days is spent hunched over computers.  This stresses the back out and can lead to serious consequences as we get older.  Maintaining strong back muscles will help protect one of our most important support systems and decrease chances of spinal injuries or deterioration.

Strength training will also promote healthy bone structure and slow the loss of bone density.  Suffering a broken hip is the number one cause of older people having to enter an assisted living facility.  Maintaining healthy bone density through resistance training will reduce the risk of breaks and fractures when we reach our later years.

Remember to make resistance training a part of your regular exercise routine.  Your body will thank you later.