Why Resistance Training Matters

Why Should we Practice Resistance Training?

The idea of implementing resistance training into your workouts is often daunting. Why purposely lift a heavy object and put it back down? Why move one object to a spot, back and forth multiple times? Why put all this effort and energy into a fruitless endeavour?

The truth of the matter is that there is virtually no aspect of our lives that resistance training provides a negative consequence to.

From athletic feats, to physiotherapy treatments and physical rehabilitation, to aging with grace, resistance training plays a crucial role across the board. The benefits of resistance training are wide and vast; increased energy, better mood, and an improved physique are just a few to name, but let’s hone in on some aspects that are maybe a little less obvious.

Aging with grace

Resistance Training throughout adulthood and into our senior years plays a pivotal role into what our quality of life will look like as we age. As we get older, our muscle mass will inevitably decrease as much as 3-8% per decade from the age of 30 onwards. In fact, the rate of decline increases higher than 8% from the age of 60, thus increasing the chance of bone injuries and diseases, such as osteoporosis. Introducing resistance training can not only extend our lives, but also significantly improve the quality, allowing us to fully live our lives and enjoy as much of the activities we all love.

Physical Rehabilitation

Another facet of our life where resistance training benefits us is during physical rehabilitation. Life can sometimes throw us a curveball, or maybe we become involved in sports which can lead to sprains, strains, tears, and breaks. The most common injuries we see in adulthood though, aren’t sustained by a sport; oftentimes it’s the way we sit at our desk, the long commute to work, the position we sleep in, or even injuries that never quite healed. When applied correctly, resistance training can assist in strengthening our body, allowing us to return to our sport or activity sooner and improve our quality of life.

Athletic Training and Injury Prevention

For the athlete looking to separate themselves from their peers, resistance training is an absolute must. Being able to develop power, strength, endurance, and mobility are essential to the growth of any athlete. Resistance training provides an unmatched stimulus allowing the athlete to develop in all of these areas safely and progressively.

In addition, through proper guidance and professional training, this increase in performance can help mitigate injuries and protect the athlete from a constant varied impact.