1. IMPROVES METABOLISM
One of the biggest benefits of strength training for weight loss is that it boosts your metabolism. While cardio exercises burn more calories per session, weight training helps you burn more calories all day, every day. Why? Because muscle maintenance requires more calories than fat maintenance, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn even when you’re resting.
2. CREATES AN AFTERBURN EFFECT
If you’re on a quest to lose weight, you’ve probably heard of something called ‘the afterburn effect.’ Known scientifically as ‘excess post-exercise oxygen consumption’ or EPOC, this is the process by which your body continues burning calories long after you’ve finished your workout. Your body needs to recover, repair damaged muscle, rebalance your hormones, and restock its fuel stores after exercise, and it expends energy to accomplish these things. The more intense your workout, the more energy expenditure it will take for your body to return to its resting state, resulting in a greater afterburn effect. High intensity interval training, or HIIT workouts trigger the greatest afterburn effect, but that doesn’t mean you have to engage in sprint intervals to reap the benefits. Circuit strength training that uses compound movements and/or super sets create a decent afterburn effect. The key is to use heavy weights with shorter recovery periods between exercises
3. REDUCES VISCERAL FAT
Many women gain weight during the transition to menopause, particularly around their midsection, which can be extremely frustrating. Our metabolism slows down as we age, and some research suggests that peri- and post-menopausal women burn up to 300 fewer calories per day compared to when they were in their early 20s. Falling estrogen can also cause fat in your bum, hips, and thighs to be redistributed to your midsection, and as your waist circumference increases, so does your risk for developing things like diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.
Many peri- and post-menopausal women turn to cardio exercises in an attempt to lose belly fat since these types of workouts burn more calories per session. What they don’t realize is that weight training builds and maintains muscle mass in a way that cardio can’t, allowing us to burn more calories while at rest so we can lose and maintain our weight more easily.
4. PRESERVES BONE HEALTH
In addition to increased visceral fat, post-menopausal women are also at an increased risk of osteoporosis, which causes our bones to become weak and brittle. Vitamin and mineral supplementation can help prevent and treat osteoporosis, but did you know that strong muscles lead to strong bones? Strength training can also improve balance and coordination, which further reduces the risk of osteoporosis-related falls and fractures. Taking the time to build your muscles and improve your bone health will keep you mobile and active, which will have positive benefits on your long-term physical and mental well-being, allowing you to maintain a healthy body weight as you age.
5. IMPROVES SLEEP QUALITY
Quality sleep is an essential part of your overall health, both physically and mentally. Ongoing sleep deprivation can lead to issues such as heart disease, kidney disease, high blood sugar, anxiety, diabetes, stroke, as well as weight gain and increased body fat. Cardiovascular exercise is often touted as an easy way to improve sleep quality, but some research suggests that strength training is even more beneficial because it creates a molecule called adenosine, which causes drowsiness.