Resistance Training: Why Is it Important for You?

Whether you’re looking to add strength training to your gym routine or thinking of working out at home, resistance training improves muscle strength and tone and protects your joints from injury. It also is a relatively accessible option that can help you reach your weight-management goals as well as maintain flexibility and balance.

These benefits are important, especially as you get older. While increased strength and mobility are helpful to all ages, you want to be sure you are fighting muscle loss as you age. Read on to learn what resistance training is and how to get started. 

What Is Resistance Training?

Resistance training is a form of exercise intended to increase muscular strength and endurance. It involves exercising muscles using some form of resistance. This resistance could be weights, bands, or even your own bodyweight working against gravity.

When doing resistance training—which is sometimes called strength training or weight training—you can focus on specific results, such as joint stability, muscular endurance, increased muscle size, strength, and power.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you should do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity, two or more days a week. These exercises should involve all major muscle groups. For children, the CDC recommends three hours of resistance training per week.

Benefits of Resistance Training

Resistance training is intended to increase muscular strength and endurance, but it has a wide variety of health benefits, too. Here are a few benefits you may experience from incorporating resistance training into your workout routine.

Boost Metabolism and Reduce Body Fat

Resistance training could be helpful for your weight-loss goals. Studies have found that resistance training can help boost your metabolism. In fact, one study estimated that nine months of resistance training was enough to significantly increase your resting metabolic rate.

This means you can significantly change your metabolism in under a year by doing resistance training consistently. Further studies indicate that resistance training was even more effective for improving your metabolism than aerobic exercise. This fact can be helpful if you want to change your routine and try something new.

While studies suggest resistance training can be effective for improving metabolism, it doesn’t mean cardio is ineffective. Try incorporating a combination of both forms of exercise for the best results.

Increase Bone Density and Improve Balance

Your bones can benefit from resistance training, too. Studies have shown that doing resistance training consistently can maintain or increase bone mass and density. Additionally, resistance training can help improve balance and stability. This is especially important as you age.

For instance, one study on balance improvement included 50 older adults who were assigned to either a training group or a control group. Throughout the study, the training group performed leg extensions and curl exercises over 12 weeks. At the end of that time, researchers noted that the training group had significantly improved balance compared with those in the control group.

Improve Mental Health

Your physical health is not the only reason to start working out. Healthcare providers often recommend exercise for improving mental health, too. Your mental and emotional health is vital to your quality of life and day-to-day experience.

A study on improving the quality of life in older adults found that resistance training boosted mental, emotional, social function, and physical function. Further studies found that resistance training can help alleviate depression symptoms, even if the exercise is mild enough to have no clear improvement in physical strength.

Resistance training can also help relieve general feelings of anxiety and worry. This means that even a small amount of resistance training consistently can improve your mental and emotional health and act as a stress reliever.

Build Muscle Mass

Some people's goals for resistance training may be to build muscle mass in a process known as muscle hypertrophy. This goal is for people who want to build muscle as well as older adults who want to minimize muscle loss, also known as muscle atrophy.

Regardless of your goal, resistance training is an excellent option for building muscle mass. According to studies, the best way to build muscle is to focus on mechanical tension and metabolic stress. Persistence in this type of training regimen is essential to getting results.

Improve Muscle Strength and Endurance

Improving the strength and endurance of your muscles isn’t just for show; it also can help keep your muscles healthy and improve your quality of life. Muscle strength and endurance are important in your daily life, especially as you get older.

Resistance training can help your muscles remain healthy and functional. For instance, your muscles help you do small tasks, such as lifting things, opening containers, or even being active for longer hours.

According to one study, the amount of resistance training you do is directly proportional to muscular strength and endurance. If you want to improve your strength or endurance, increase the amount of resistance training you do either by expanding how long you do it or how often.

Reduces the Risk of Sports Injuries

Resistance training workouts for children decrease rates of fracture, musculotendinous, and muscle injuries associated with playing sports. Regular resistance training may help children and adolescents avoid muscle injury when participating in athletics.

Of course, the workout routine for a child would not be the same as it would be for an adult. Consult a personal trainer when developing a workout routine for a child or adolescent.

Increases Self-Esteem

While resistance training can help you tone your muscles and even increase their size if that is your goal, it also can help you build confidence and boost your self-esteem. Researchers note that engaging in resistance training can raise self-esteem, particularly in women.

In fact, in one study of college women, researchers noted that participants reported feeling invigorated after a resistance-training workout. They also indicated they had improved self-concept, self-esteem, and self-efficacy, as well as improved overall mood.

How to Get Started With Resistance Training

According to the CDC, you should try incorporating resistance training into your workouts consistently. Because you can use your body weight to begin or even a simple set of dumbbells, you do not have to join a gym or hire a personal trainer to get started.

You need to make sure you are using proper form in your workouts. Proper form can ensure you get the most from your workout and decrease your risk of injury.

If you have a medical condition or a disability or are starting an exercise routine, talk to a healthcare provider for advice. They can provide insight into what is best for you given your medical history.

It is also important to note that you do not have to buy equipment to get started with resistance training. You can use your body weight for exercises like pushups, squats, and planks. Or, you can use household items to add more weight like gallon jugs of water, soup cans in a canvas bag, or a backpack with an unopened bag of flour. Once you've achieved a certain level of expertise, you may invest in equipment like adjustable dumbbells.

As for the weight you begin with, some people like to start by using their body weight before adding free weights or other equipment. Here are two exercises that do not require special equipment recommended by Katie Pierson, a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor.

Bodyweight Squat

This exercise engages your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and core. Pierson recommends performing two to three sets with 10 to 12 repetitions per set. Here is how you complete a bodyweight squat:

• Begin with your feet slightly wider than your hips and toes slightly turned out.
• Engage your glutes and lower down, as if you were sitting in a chair.
• Make sure that your knees do not go past your toes.
• Stop at the bottom of the move with your hips slightly higher than your knees.
• Press through your heels as you come back to a standing position.

Pushups

Pushups engage your chest, triceps, and core. Pierson recommends doing two to three sets with five to eight reps per set. There are pushup variations depending on your fitness level. Pierson recommends starting on your knees if you are a beginner. Here is how to do a pushup from your knees:

• Start on your hands and knees and walk your hands forward.
• Stop when your abs engage, and a diagonal line forms from the back of your knees to your shoulders.
• Place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
• Lower your chest slowly toward the floor. At the bottom of the rep, your elbows should form a line with your wrists.

Resistance Training Safety Tips

Before starting a new workout program, always talk to a healthcare professional for guidance on what is right for you given your fitness level and medical history. It is also essential to stay safe and responsible when working out. Here are some tips on how to work out safely:

• Use proper form: If you cannot use proper form, consider lowering the weight or resistance. If this is impossible or you still can’t use the appropriate form, consider talking to a personal trainer about trying an altered form of the exercise. 
• Exercise safely: Never use more weight or resistance than you can handle at your fitness level. Using weights that are too heavy can lead to improper form and injury. 
• Bring water: Drinking water can help you avoid dehydration and fatigue. Not all gyms offer drinking fountains or have water options.
• Find a workout buddy: A workout buddy can help increase motivation and accountability but can also help if you injure yourself or need a spotter. 
• Stop if you experience pain: If you feel pain or discomfort, stop working out and talk to a healthcare provider. You also should seek medical attention if you injure yourself during a workout.  

A Word From Verywell

Resistance training provides a wealth of benefits. Aside from building muscle tone and strength, it also improves mental health, relieves stress, and increases balance. It also can help with everyday activities like carrying groceries, climbing stairs, or working in your garden. For these reasons, you should consider adding resistance training to your routine, especially if you want to boost your metabolism and increase bone density.

Talk with your healthcare provider first to find out what is right for you given your current fitness level and medical history. It also may be helpful to talk to a personal trainer for advice on proper form if you are starting resistance training. You do not have to join a gym or work with a trainer to benefit from resistance training.