It's Cold Outside? Get Lifting!

With all of the freezing temps and mountains of snow outside, it has been pretty hard for even the most dedicated runners, walkers and bikers to get outside and get their cardio in this winter.

As someone who has fallen pretty behind (yikes!) on her half-marathon training, I know this first hand. The cardio equipment at the gym is good in a pinch, but let’s face it -- running or biking for miles and miles on a stationary can really make you feel like a hamster on a wheel!

Many people I know have drastically minimized their cardio this winter and filled that space with its indoor friendly sister: strength training. Lucky for us strength training has incredible benefits just like cardio!

• Increases Metabolic Rate - What does that mean? It increases the calories you burn daily when sitting still, which, in turn, increases the amount of body fat you burn.
• Restores and Increases Bone Density – Strength training helps to fight and prevent osteoporosis (which is a bonus for us gals).
• Increases Lean Muscle Mass - A common myth women have about strength training is that they will get bulky. This is not true! You just do not have enough testosterone in your body for that to happen. Lifting lighter weights for long periods will create that toned look most women want and lifting heavier weights will build muscle, which is usually an ideal look for men. Did you know that for every pound of lean muscle mass that you have, you burn 35-50 calories per day?!
• Injury Prevention – The stronger your tendons and muscles are, the less prone you are to injury. This helps with injury prevention, from playing sports or age. Start working on it now so as you age, you will do it injury free!
• Improved Balance – Strength training builds a strong foundation. When you build a strong core and legs, you will be more coordinated and balanced!
• Lowers Risk of Heart Disease – You may or may not know that heart disease is one of the top killers of Americans (women in particular). Strength training decreases cholesterol levels and blood pressure, which drastically decreases your risk for heart disease.
• Recovery and Rehabilitation - Strengthening the muscles around our joints is one of the best ways to prevent and recover from an injury. For example, the best way to recover from a shoulder injury is to strengthen the deltoids.
• Looking and Feeling Better – Strength training provides a more lean and toned looking physique. It also is a great way to relieve stress and increases overall quality of life!

With most things in life it is all about moderations. A good balance of both cardio and strength training is probably the best way of going about it.