Lifting weights on a regular basis signals to the body to keep muscle tone for a healthier overall lifestyle. The natural erosion of muscle and strength that happens with aging directly weakens bones, causes stiff joints and increases the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and other maladies. Consider the benefits of lifting weights for recovery.
Lift the Brain
The brain gets a boost when muscles are used to perform full body workouts. If a man works out three times per week for two months, blood pressure can go down an average of eight points, reducing risk of stroke and heart disease.
Bone Strength
As a man ages, bone mass decreases which increases the likelihood of suffering a fracture in the hips or vertebrae. Even worse, men may be more likely to die within a year of breaking a hip and significant bone loss can create rounded shoulders and a dowager’s hump from weak spines. Resistance training can help avoid this fate. Men who lifted weights for 16 weeks increased hip-bone density and increased overall health.
Touching the Toes
Between the ages of 30 and 70, flexibility decreases around 20 to 50%, making it harder for joints to move through full range of motion. If a person cannot squat down until the backs of the thighs touch the calves, tight hip flexors may be to blame, which limits movement at the knees and sets a person up for injury. Full body workouts can increase flexibility of the hips and shoulders which will help in working out to be more effective at weight loss and weight control.
Keep Muscles
The quantity of muscle is lost over time but the quality matters, too. Research has shown the ageing process reduces the size of a fast-twitch muscle fiber by up to 50% but shrinks slow-twitch fibers by less than 25%. Fast-twitch fibers are the muscles largely responsible for generating strength and power and helping people get in and out of chairs with age.
Increased Metabolism
One additional benefit is increased metabolism to burn energy and digest food properly. Every time a person eats, the calories burned will be greater when working out. An increased metabolism can lead to a healthy body over the long term with decreased adverse health risk as a positive side effect.
Weightlifting is not only good for the body but the mind gets a boost, too. Confusion, tension, anger and overall mood are impacted positively by lifting weights and feeling accomplished by hitting goals for greater fitness. This can increase confidence and build self esteem, important for men in recovery from addiction.
Cypress Lakes provides space to recover from addiction and heal the wounds it causes. You are able to come and gain new perspective on life. Addiction affects not only you but your loved ones as well. Healing begins when you let go of addiction to seek help. Helping to heal the mind, body, and soul are what Cypress Lakes loves to help you do. We are here to support your decision to get well. Call us to find out how to get started: 877-938-1577