If you’ve been trying to lose weight, you’ve likely heard that exercise is an important part of any weight-loss program. But not all exercises are created equal—weight training is an incredibly effective form of exercise that can help you reach your weight-loss goals faster. Here’s why.
Weight Training Burns More Calories than Cardio
Research shows that when it comes to burning calories and losing weight, cardio exercises like running or biking are more effective than strength training. However, the calorie-burning benefits of weight training don’t stop after the workout is done. Resistance training helps build muscle, which increases your resting metabolic rate—the number of calories your body burns while at rest. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be—which means that even when you aren’t exercising, you will still be burning more calories than if you weren’t doing any strength training at all.
Weight Training Improves Muscle Tone and Strength
When most people think of weight loss, they think only in terms of how many pounds they want to lose. But for long-term success in reaching your health and fitness goals, it is just as important to focus on improving body composition—that is, increasing lean muscle mass and decreasing body fat percentage. Weight training can help with both; not only does it burn calories during the workout itself, but it also helps increase lean muscle mass while decreasing body fat percentage over time. That means improved muscle tone and increased strength!
Weight Training Reduces Stress Levels
Stress has a huge impact on our overall health and well-being; it can lead to feelings of anxiety or depression, and can even lead to physical ailments such as headaches or digestive problems. Exercise has been proven to effectively reduce stress levels by releasing endorphins into the bloodstream—but research shows that among different forms of exercise, weight training has the greatest effect on reducing stress levels in both men and women. So if reducing stress levels is part of your overall wellness plan, adding some weights into your routine may be just what you need!
Overall, regular weight training can be a powerful tool for anyone looking to reach their weight loss goals in a healthy way. Not only does it burn calories during the workout itself and increase resting metabolic rate over time, but it also helps improve muscle tone and reduce stress levels—all important factors for achieving long-term success with any fitness plan! If you’re looking for a way to get started with incorporating weights into your routine safely and effectively, consider hiring a certified personal trainer who can create a custom program designed specifically for reaching your individual goals. With their help and guidance along with regular exercise sessions focusing on weights, you’ll soon find yourself well on your way toward reaching those goals!