Fitness Builds Health

Get fit  -  Lose weight  -  Have fun  -  Feel great

Fitness:  Resistance Training Improves Strength

A person who is in the process of choosing the best exercise program to keep fit and healthy, must consider his schedule and physical condition. A busy person should choose an exercise program that will keep him out of his office or work for a short time only but that gives maximum health benefits.

Any person can choose from various fitness programs like yoga, aerobic exercises or the more serious form of resistance training. You should research the different options and choose the one that best suits your needs.

A person who opts for resistance training should know that it requires the use of strength as opposed to force produced by resistance. Resistance training is often used to develop and enhance the strength of the muscles of a person. Doing the proper resistance training for a certain period can improve the health and overall well-being of a person.

Elastic resistance to strengthen muscles
Resistance training is actually aimed at exposing the muscles to challenges brought about by elastic resistance in order to develop the muscle and make it stronger. While resistance training is geared towards muscle strength, it also benefits the bones of a person making his body stronger and toned or sculpted.

People may think of resistance training in the line of the more popular exercises like weightlifting and bodybuilding but it is really a different thing. The latter are sports usually done in view of competition and involving training requiring strength but not with the use of elastic forces.

A person who opts for resistance training can make use of exercise machines, resistance bands and swimming machines.

Books on Fitness and Motivation Join the National Bike Registry today Billy Blanks' Tae Bo AMPED	Walking For Life eBook Treadmill to Fitness Running Shoes

Low impact on joints
People may think that resistance training will cause damage to the joints and the muscles but they are wrong. Resistance training is generally safe and does not cause as much injury as the other high impact workouts. Resistance training is even comparable to water aerobic exercises in terms of safety.

A person who is just starting out with resistance training should observe good body posture and positioning to minimize the chances of getting injured. Anyone starting out with resistance training should not begin his training without proper consultations with his doctor to ensure his safety.

Among those who should particularly check with their doctors are those over 40 years of age, people who have certain medical conditions or those who have not exercised for a longer time.

Some people get confused between strength and resistance training but these two terms actually refer to muscle building. A person who wants to build or strengthen his muscles should try using dumbbells for his home exercises. He can also enroll in a fitness gym so he can use free dumbbells.

However, a person who wants to try using the dumbbells first without spending extra money should be more creative and use objects that are readily available in his home like an empty pet bottle filled with sand or water perhaps.

Another option for a person who wants to go into resistance training is the use of resistance bands which work like the ordinary rubber bands used in ordinary households. A person can work his biceps out by stepping on the resistance bands and holding on to the other end of the band while doing some curl up exercises.

Resistance training for weight loss
More people choose resistance training because it does not only strengthen the muscles and the bones but it also reduces the body fat of a person and improves his metabolism thereby encouraging weight loss. Resistance training is also good for lowering the blood pressure and heart rate of a person, which is good for lowering the risks of getting heart disease.

A person who is already into resistance training should not tire his muscles to the point of getting into a plateau. Some practitioners recommend that a once a week resistance training program is more ideal than doing it every day. Going into various resistance training exercises is also recommended to avoid muscle stiffness.

But like all the other exercises, a person should not start a resistance training program without doing preliminary stretching exercises to avoid body injury, stiffness and cramps.