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Five reasons why you should include weight lifting in your fitness routine

Weight training can improve performance in endurance sports and help you sleep better.

Here are the Huffington Post‘s top reasons:

1. For better sleep

Regular exercisers – especially those who truly push themselves — report the best sleep, and weightlifting is no exception. In a small 2012 study in older men, researchers found that resistance training reduced the number of times the study participants woke up during the night, as compared to a control group who performed no exercise.

2. It improves performance in endurance sports

So your primary sport is running or biking or swimming? That’s not actually a reason to stay out of the weightlifting. Weightlifting helps athletes in endurance sports as well. For example, this review of 26 different studies found that strength training made endurance athletes faster and more efficient.

3. To protect your bones

Weight-bearing exercise and particularly strength training is thought to increase bone density, reducing the risk of fractures and breaks among older adults.

4. You can do it in under 30 minutes.

Adding strength work to your regular exercise routine doesn’t have to eat up the tiny bit of free time you had left in the day. In fact, lifting is one area where more is not always better — around 30 to 60 minutes a week, total, is plenty, according to Runner’s Times.

It can make you happier

Like many forms of physical activity, a little lifting can work wonders for your mental health. Strength training has been linked to reduced anxiety and depression symptomsas well as improved self-esteem, and it may even give your brainpower a boost.

To read more go to:

13 Reasons To Start Lifting Weights

5 REASONS TO LIFT HEAVY WEIGHTS (BESIDES BUILDING MUSCLE)

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shonaaylward

Shona Aylward is a vastly experienced journalist working as a senior reporter. Aside from her extensive community involvement and story writing, she is also involved in creative page layout, and the various media platforms. Shona began her career with Caxton at the Southlands Sun. Previous to this she worked in the marketing industry for surf magazines. Shona is a renown 'greenie' and champions environmental causes. She is also Mom to a number of dogs and cats, and the occasional uninvited snake. When she can find some spare time, it's usually to the beach that she heads.
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