Why Strength Training at Any Age is so Important

1. Strength Training Builds And Maintains Muscle Mass.

While cardio is excellent for heart health, it can't really compete with strength training when it comes to building muscle. "Cardio simply can't deliver the type of physiological change most people desire," Anjorin says. That's not to say you can't build muscle running or doing other types of cardio that rely on weight-bearing moves (think: dance and HIIT) or resistance (hi, swimming!), it's just that it's not the most efficient way to get those gains.

2. Strength Training Makes Your Joints Stronger.

Since most strength training exercises are lower-impact, you can build muscle strength and endurance with less stress on the joints. What this means is that, while any weight-bearing workout will actually help strengthen your joints, you can reap those results while reducing your risk of injury if you opt for resistance training.

Another plus of strength training? Many moves—like squats and lunges—actually strengthen your joints while mimicking functional movement patterns (think bending down to pick up a baby, pushing a heavy door, or getting up from a chair). So, you'll be helping to keep your hips, knees, ankles, wrists, elbows, and shoulders healthy while also training your bod to make every day activities easier, too.

3. Strength Training Is One Of The Best Forms Of Low-Impact Cardio Exercise.

While it's more difficult to build muscle via aerobic exercise, strength training is actually one of the best, low-impact cardio workouts. The key is to focus your workouts on compound movements, which involve more than one joint and muscle group and not to rest for very long (if at all) in between exercises.

Combine four to five compound movements and perform them with very little rest and you'll get your heart rate going and reap of all the aerobic benefits without conventional methods like running.

4. Strength Training Supports Weight Loss And Weight Management.

One of the perks of building muscle with strength training? Lifting weights helps you to burn calories and stored energy (i.e. fat) more efficiently AND strength training is a surefire way to increase your lean muscle mass, which in turn, helps your body burn off more of the fuel you consume from food every day rather than store it as excess energy in the form of fat cells. This type of energy optimization is important if learning how to lose fat and gaining muscle at the same time is one of your fitness goals.

You'll reap some short-term burn benefits, too: With strength training, there's a higher excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). This means you burn more calories after your workout. It's known as the afterburn effect, and this bonus burn can last for several minutes to several hours after a sweat sesh.

5. Strength Training Improves Your Cardiovascular Health.

"Recent studies show that weight training can be just as effective as cardio in promoting heart health," Watts says. In fact, after looking at data from over 4,ooo people as part of a year-long survey, researchers from the American College of Cardiology in 2018 determined that strength training was better at reducing a person's risk of heart disease than cardio exercise like walking or cycling—though both types of physical activity are necessary for overall health.

6. Strength Training Protects Bone Health.

Among its many other benefits, strength training can also help you maintain strong, healthy bones, which becomes only more important as you get older. "Strength training supports bone density, so it can help lower your risk of osteoporosis," says Watts. Osteoporosis, which is common in older women, occurs when bones become porous and weak, and more prone to breaking.

For this reason, Freeman is especially adamant about menopausal women strength training. "Estrogen decreases as women go through menopause, and lower estrogen levels lead to a much higher incidence of osteoporosis," she says.

7. Strength Training Improves Your Mood and Mental Health.

In addition to the physical benefits of strength training, there are legit mental health perks to consider, too. "It's also about the feeling you get when you strength train and pick up weights," Anjorin says. "You feel powerful, which transcends your workout and sets the tone for your day." Basically, it's a one-way ticket to tapping in to your inner badass.

Science also suggests that strength training can improve your mood and mental health, according to a meta-analysis of 33 clinical trials (over 1,800 subjects) in 2018. It found that participants who performed resistance training showed a significant reduction in symptoms of depression.

8. Strength Training May Actually Help You Live Longer.

Do it correctly (think adequate rest and appropriate intensity), and you can strength train for your entire life—all while building and maintaining the strength you need to enjoy your days and favorite activities.

It's a good thing strength training makes it easier to stay mobile and independent too, because it's increasingly linked with longevity.