Beginning a weight training program is one of the best decisions to make for your health, well-being, physical, and mental performance. Weight training on a regular basis improves your strength, endurance, confidence, appearance, health, longevity, and quality of daily living. Consistent weight training helps reduce your stress, manage your weight, strengthen your bones, lower your risk of injury, and gives you a competitive edge in all aspects of life.
In this chapter, you find out why weight training benefits all bodies at every age and fitness level; why it’s important to assess your fitness and set goals; what tools to use; why safety measures are essential for a lifetime of enjoyable training; how to decide which exercises, routines, and training settings are right for you; and how to achieve total wellness beyond simply lifting weights. If you want to find out more, each section tells you which chapters provide the necessary details.
Weight Training for All Bodies
Modern living provides every convenience except one: a lot of natural physical activity. From young to old, we ride in cars, use remote controls, step into elevators, play on the computer, and shop on the Internet. Many activities that required us to get up out of the chair and use our muscles no longer exist. The result: We need to add weight training to our lives to stimulate our bodies and our brains to keep us healthy and strong.
People of all ages — kids, teens, young adults, pregnant women, older adults, and people with special needs — benefit from weight training . The risks of doing nothing are greater than the risks of injury from exercise —
even for the frail and elderly. Whether you’re a beginner who wants to get started safely or you’re already fit and want to improve your performance, weight training improves your current condition (whatever that is) and helps you achieve your goals of feeling stronger and better about yourself. Strong muscles help us move better and avoid pain and injury at all stages of life. Weight training provides the following benefits:
Increased strength and endurance
_ Improved sleep
_ Reduced stress
_ Enhanced feelings of confidence and well-being
_ Reduced risk of falls
_ Strengthened bones
_ Boosted metabolism for more energy burn around the clock
_ Full, independent living
Because weight training strengthens your muscles and improves your muscular endurance, you’ll naturally have more energy to be more active throughout the day. When you’re physically tired, you’re able to fall asleep more easily and enjoy a deeper, better quality of sleep. As you’re more refreshed and energetic, you feel better and accomplish more, which improves your mood and confidence level. In this manner, your consistent training stimulates an upward cycle of well-being. Don’t wait. Absorb everything you need to know from this book to get going with a program that is perfect for you. Keep taking the steps you need to achieve stronger, more toned muscles for a fuller, more enjoyable and active life.