Unlock Lasting Health: Experts Advocate Resistance Training

Editor’s note: Prior to starting any new fitness routine, it’s essential to consult with your physician. If you experience discomfort or pain, stop the exercise immediately.

You may not regularly engage in weightlifting, utilize resistance bands, or perform squats and lunges during your TV time. However, it might be time to reconsider given the vital benefits of strength training.

Whether you’re using weights, resistance bands, gym machines, or just your own body weight, strength training is crucial for lasting health. It’s also called resistance training and it boosts muscle strength, endurance, and bone density. These exercises also lower the risk of falls and fractures as you grow older, supporting independent living, notes the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s why the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend adults to do muscle-strengthening activities two or more days per week, working all major muscle groups at a moderate or greater intensity.

Regrettably, only about 30.2% of Americans meet these guidelines, according to a 2017 data analysis published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. In the same analysis, nearly 60% of participants reported they did no strength training at all.

The extent to which people undertake resistance training varies by location, as shown by a 2020 analysis of National Health Interview Survey data. Particularly, individuals in larger metropolitan areas and in the West US Census Bureau region were more likely to meet the CDC’s physical activity guidelines than those in less populated areas and other regions.