If you’re like me, you make sure you get a regular cardio workout several times a week, but when was the last time you did any strength training?

Some people, especially women, skip strength training because they don’t want to look muscular. Women’s bodies respond differently to strength training than men’s. Women would have to do some pretty intense strength training to get a bodybuilder’s physique.

Regular strength training can give you some pretty concrete benefits that will improve the way you look and feel. Strength training:

• Increases bone strength: My grandmother has osteoporosis. My mother has the beginning stages of it. That means that I’m at risk of getting it too. Strength training helps build bone mass, decreasing the risk of having brittle bones.
• Prevents injuries: Strong muscles provide extra support to joints, especially the vertebrae in your back, decreasing the likelihood of getting injuries.
• Helps you loose weight: Lean muscles burn fat.
• Helps you look great: Having lean muscle changes the shape of your body giving you a healthy look.
• Lessens cell damage: People with strong muscles have less free radical cell damage than people who sit around eating potato chips all day.

Starting a strength training routine doesn’t have to be hard. You don’t need a health club membership. You don’t even need any weights. You can use the weight of your own body as resistance. I’ve been doing the 100 Push-Ups Challenge. It’s been a fun way to do some strength training that doesn’t take too much time out of my busy schedule.

Look around for some strength training ideas that are best suited for you. If you stick with it, you’ll be happy with the results.

Photo by ericmcgregor.

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