11 Benefits of Strength Training That Have Nothing to Do With Muscle Size
- Category: News
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- Written By: Dr. Adam Rivadeneyra
Dr. Adam Rivadeneyra, a sports medicine physician with Hoag Orthopedic Institute, recently sat down with US News & World Report to talk about all the perks of strength training. Ever wonder why its popular? Or if it's for you? Read more here:
11 Benefits of Strength Training That Have Nothing to Do With Muscle Size
Here are some
Excerpts:
5. Lowered injury risks. "Having a good muscle base is important for all movement, balance, coordination and injury prevention," explains Dr. Adam Rivadeneyra, a sports medicine physician with Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Irvine, California. "If a muscle is too weak, it puts more stress on its connecting tendon and can result in tendonitis."
7. Improved flexibility and mobility. It's time to rethink your stretching routine. Results from a 2017 study in the journal Isokinetics and Exercise Science show that strength training improves flexibility in both men and women. A previous 2006 North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy study suggests that eccentric strength exercises may provide the biggest benefit, improving hamstring flexibility twice as well as static stretching. Eccentric exercises are any that emphasize muscle lengthening, rather than shortening. Example exercises might include the lowering phase of a squat or raising the bar during a lat pull-down, Rivadeneyra says.
9. Osteoporosis prevention and management. Strong bodies have strong bones, with strength training significantly increasing bone mineral density, Rivadeneyra says. He explains that any weight-bearing exercise in which you're standing and gravity is pulling down on your body lightly stresses and strengthens the bones and muscles. Plus, every time a muscle contracts, it pulls on the bones it's attached to, which stimulates the cells within the bone to produce structural proteins and move minerals into the bone, he says.
