Resistance training, which is what weight lifting is, is based on the idea that the muscles in your body will work their hardest when they are forced to overcome another force. There are various important health benefits associated with this, including stronger and more defined muscles, a weight that is sustainable and healthy and stronger and denser bones. Interestingly, weight lifting has been a highly controversial issue for a long time, but it seems some greater knowledge is now starting to develop on the matter.

Weightlifting Helps You Avoid Putting on Weight

In recent studies, it was conclusively proven that lifting weights helps people avoid getting overweight or obese.

“Boston University School of Medicine Scientists performed a study using a “push-up” gene in a mouse to examine how strength building affects metabolism and other physiological systems.” – Forbes

The results of the study demonstrated that lifting weights actually made obesity regress. Furthermore, it also demonstrated that metabolic disorders could be fixed by lifting weights. As such, it can help people who have significant weight issues to once again become healthy, which is a very important development, as it was long believed that weight lifting was only something for those who wanted to be bodybuilders.

Weightlifting Helps You Avoid Osteoporosis

By lifting weights, you also ensure that your muscles protect your skeletal system.

“Weight training can help prevent osteoporosis.” – Family Education

Your muscles will become stronger and denser, which means the bones underneath them are protected and supported. It is particularly important to take part in weight lifting if you are trying to lose weight, because osteoporosis is a reasonably common side effect of losing too much weight, or losing it too quickly. As such, by lifting weights, you make sure that you are never too thin or too light and always have a strong body.

Weightlifting Helps in Hormone Regulation

There are a number of hormones that are very important in the overall regulation of our body. Generally, when you speak of weight training, people immediately think about testosterone and therefore also assume that the training is not suitable for women. However, this is untrue, as women simply have lower levels of testosterone, meaning their muscle shape, once defined, will be very different. Additionally, weightlifting regulates more than just levels of testosterone.

“It has been proven to have a positive affect on insulin resistance, resting metabolism, blood pressure, body fat and gastrointestinal transit time, factors that are linked to illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.” – Weight Loss Resources

It is also believed to help fight insulin resistance, which usually leads to type 2 diabetes. It is also believed to help with leptin resistance, which regulates how hungry we feel. As such, weightlifting helps you to stay healthier and control what you eat properly.

As you can see, weightlifting isn’t only about looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is about getting healthy and making sure that you get the most out of your body and that it gets the most out of you. Everybody should engage in at least some resistance training as part of their workout.