Lifting weights is probably the most effective exercises you can do to improve your overall health and general welfare. Strength training increases your metabolism, and build strength and confidence. Strength training can improve your game no matter what sport you practice, and improve cardiovascular function and heart health. Lifting weights can strengthen bones and reduce, or even prevent, the symptoms of osteoporosis.

Large or small, long or short, anyone can reap large benefits from weight lifting. With age our metabolism slows down and muscle mass and bone density gradually disappear. Loss of muscle mass also leads to a slower metabolism, and this will lead to a vicious cycle of obesity and inactive lifestyles, which brings with it many other health problems. Now I do not claim that weight lifting and strength training can reverse the aging process, but it can stop the vicious downward cycle, and can make you feel good and fit, regardless of your age.

The most difficult part of most fitness programs stick with them long enough to make a real difference. With strength training, it’s easier to stay motivated and continue to run than many other training methods, because the real results can be experienced within a relatively short time. You will see a clear improvement in strength and endurance after only a few weeks to work out. And not just in the gym – all of a sudden your shopping bag will feel much lighter. If you practice other sports, you will see your muscles stronger will allow you to perform better than ever. In addition, because you increase your muscle strength, you will be able to burn more calories during any exercise, thus helping your body to burn fat.

Many people start lifting weights only to improve their appearance and to sculpt their bodies. What they do not realize is that they do wonders for their overall health as they work out their muscles. In the past, most fitness experts have recommended aerobic exercise to improve cardiovascular health, but recent studies indicate that iron also strengthens the cardiovascular system. It should not come as a big surprise, because the heart and lungs are the support system of muscles during and after exercise. So today, health coaches suggest that you should make sure to include strength training as part of any fitness program to improve your health.