Those that lift weights can be divided into three different groups. There are some that do strength training merely to look better. They want to look good when they stand in front of a mirror and they want to get looks from the opposite sex when walking down the street. Others lift weights to increase their strength. They are not worried so much about looking good. They just want to feel a sense of pride at how much iron they can throw around. Then there is a final group who is simply are the health benefits that lifting weights can provide.

Today I want to consider those that are in the third camp. What are some of the health benefits that you might experience if you were to embark on a weight lifting program?

Fat Loss

The more you lift weights the more muscle you will add to your body. This will in turn raise your metabolic rate and help burn calories and fat at a faster rate. Muscle is a fat burning machine that we can all put to good use. Now some women are worried that they are going to get big and bulky if they lift weights. This is not going to happen since they lack testosterone in their bodies to enable them to build bulky muscles. Frankly, if it was that easy I would have looked like Mr. Universe long ago but this is not the case. However, it am not loaded up with fat.

Better Overall Health

If you were to incorporate a regular weight training program into your exercise routine then you can have a great impact on various measures of good health. Studies have shown that you can improve you blood pressure, and lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Now it is obvious that you would need to include a reasonable diet along with weight lifting in order to benefit as you should. You cannot eat a pizza every night for dinner and still see these benefits.

More Energy

As your muscle strength increases you will find that you have more energy then you used to have. It will be easier to go up stairs. You will find yourself less tired throughout the day. The very fact that you begin to look better and feel better adds a vitality to your life that you may not have experienced before. It helps improve your attitude and when that changes, it can affect so many areas of your life.

Fewer Injuries

If you do participate in athletic activities weight lifting should help keep you healthier and less prone to injury. Strength training will not only give you stronger muscle but also stronger tendons and ligaments. This will help you avoid injury.

These are just a few of the health benefits of lifting weights. If you have not begun to lift weights yet then you need to make it a priority to include it in your exercise program.