Losing Weight and Weight Lifting
Interestingly enough when I began to lose weight I was not very confident when it came to taking the plunge and going to the gym. No… it wasn’t because I was afraid of exercise… it was because I was scared. You see being overweight and going to the gym with all those men and women who were so fit was very daunting.
For those who have been in my situation will know how true that is. It is often the case that some slim people with the muscles would often put larger people down. It was just them. Many of them didn’t have some of the issues that surround some… not all large people, so they didn’t know that how offensive they could be. Finding the right people who ran those gyms and didn’t put you down because you were large was sometimes touch, but I managed to find a guy in who was very understanding and set up a program for me.
The program wasn’t a hard one to start with. It was enough though to get me started and as I slowly lost the weight my program increased. Five mornings a week I would rock up to the gym at 6am and begin my one hour work out before I went to work for the day.
My favourite was the weights and I have to admit there was a lot of weight work. Not all of it was weight lifting. I worked many areas of my body which helped a lot and I felt good. I loved working the weights because I made sure I worked my thighs, calves, arms… well every part of my body didn’t go without a work out. Did I say I loved it? Yes I did and I felt goo, inside myself and out. So there are many benefits to weight lifting or working out with weights and over the next few weeks, my goal is to find somewhere in the area I live to start working out with weights again.
Below is an article that explains the many benefits people can get from weight lifting and it is courtesy of Fast Fat Reduction...
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The Many Benefits of Weight Lifting
Most people, especially women, discard weight lifting as a good form of exercise because they think that weight lifting will actually make their bodies look like a man. If you are one of those people, then you might be surprised to know that this is not true. The hormones of man and woman are not the same. The hormone testosterone plays a major role in muscular development. Because women have very little of this hormone, they tend not to “bulk-up” with weight training.
Researches also demonstrate that resistance exercise, also called strength training, like weight training and weight lifting, has profound effects on the musculoskeletal system, contributes to the maintenance of functional abilities, and prevents osteoporosis, sarcopenia (loss of body mass), lower-back pain, and other disabilities.
Weight lifting also contributes to muscle conditioning. Muscle conditioning is important for the overall stability and strength of the body. It is beneficial until the end of life if well maintained. Muscle conditioning is good for the bones because bones grow stronger and denser with stresses put on the muscles around them.
Moreover, weight lifting makes the muscles, connective tissues and tendons stronger.
The way you sit and stand are influenced by the health of a network of neck, shoulder, back, hip and abdominal muscles. Stronger muscles can help you stand and sit straighter and more comfortably. You may notice improved balance and stability.
As you begin to notice the positive physical changes in your body and develop a regular exercise routine, your ability to handle stress effectively will improve. Weight training allows you to sleep better, i.e.. fall asleep quicker and sleep deeper. Clinical studies have shown regular exercise to be one of the three best tools for effective stress management.
Weight lifting, like most forms of exercise also raises metabolism thus causing the body to burn more calories. This helps in the maintenance of our desirable weight. Boosted metabolism (which means burning more calories when at rest) with reduced body fat. Your overall weight may not change, but you will gain muscle and lose fat. Over time you should notice decreases in waist measurements and body fat measurement.
Remember the adage “something is better than nothing.” Start improving your health. A little start like lifting those grocery bags and rocking your baby to sleep may mean a decrease on your risk of muscle loss on later years.