The Importance of Strength Training

After the age of 25 our muscles begin to atrophy (loss of muscle cells) at a faster rate. Research tells us that after the age of 25 a person may lose up to one-half pound of muscle tissue every year. This cycle of losing muscle tissue every year can be broken with a regular strength training program.

Strength training is not just for people that want to become stronger. Strength training (an anaerobic exercise) is just as important as running or any other aerobic exercise.

As we lose muscle our resting metabolic rate RMR (the amount of energy that is used while resting) lowers. This makes the body burn less calories at rest. The reason our RMR lowers is because it takes less energy for the body to care for fat than muscle.

If we build our muscles, the body will use more energy at rest; therefore, burning more calories at rest. One pound of muscle tissue requires three times the amount of energy as one pound of fat tissue. Here’s how it works:
-Gaining 3 pounds of muscle will make the body burn an extra 40kcals a day.
-So gaining 3 pounds of muscle will burn about four pounds of fat a year.

Strength training also has many health benefits just like aerobic exercise. In a research study titled, “Does Strength Training Improve Health Status?”, strength training was found to have some health benefits other than just getting stronger. Strength training improves a person’s body composition, glucose metabolism, bone mineral density, and gastrointestinal transit time. By improving these components of health a person decreases their risk for heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and possibly colon cancer.

(Ben Hurley, PhD. “Does Strength Training Improve Health Status?” National Strength & Conditioning Association, June 1994.)

Strength training does not replace aerobic exercise. Increasing or maintaining your strength should be a part of your physical activity during the week.