Why Build Strength?
There are so many benefits to strength training it is hard to know where to begin.
The most obvious benefit of strength training is that when you are strong, you can do more things. If you are over 50 you might be noticing that carrying suitcases, groceries or a big bag of dog food isn’t as easy as it once was. Strength training can help you regain the strength to perform those tasks more easily.
Beyond making life easier, other health benefits of strength training are now well established. Since muscles and bones work together, it is no surprise that as you strengthen muscles, you also strengthen bones. It is important to have strong bones as we age because, when you fall, you are less likely to break a bone. As someone who has broken both legs skiing, I can tell you that broken bones are a real pain. I also remember that my father fell and broke his hip and died in the hospital. In an excellent review article, authors R. Hong and S. Kim describe the benefits of resistance exercise on both osteoporosis and sarcopenia. (1)
There is a large amount of research on the impact of strength training on several other health conditions. In a meta-analysis of 16 research studies, Haruki Momma, et al. (2) found that muscle-strengthening activities of just 30-60 minutes per week “were associated with a 15% lower risk of all-cause mortality.” For muscle-strengthening alone there was a 12% reduction in all forms of cancer. They also found that a combination of strength and aerobic training was associated with a 46% reduction in cardiovascular disease … and a 40% lower risk of all-cause mortality.”
There is now research associating certain kinds of fitness training with benefits for specific disease conditions. Research by Kobayashi et al., (3), funded by NIH, showed that both strength training and strength training combined with aerobic training resulted in improved HbA1c tests (for blood sugar) in individuals with type-2 diabetes. Aerobic training alone did not affect blood sugar levels. They also found that “lean mass relative to fat mass increased only in the ‘strength training’ group.”
Taken together, these results should motivate us to start a strength training routine today.
Let’s Get Moving!
(1) R. Hong and S. Kim. (2018) Endocrinol Metab 33:435-444
(2) H. Momma, et al. (2022 ) Br. J of Sport Med. Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Jul;56(13):755-763.
(3) Y. Kobayashi, et al. (2023) Strength training is more effective than aerobic exercise for improving glycaemic control and body composition in people with normal-weight type 2 diabetes: a randomised controlled trial. 66(10):1897-1907.