Weight lifting is NOT the same as weightlifting.
When talking about weight lifting, perhaps your mind might directly think about Pumping Iron, Gold’s Gym, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. But weight lifting —as opposed to “weightlifting,” the Olympic sport of weightlifting— does not always have to be about winning weightlifting competitions and becoming Mr. Universe.
The fact is that lifting weights may help you maintain and manage a variety of health concerns, reduce weight, and improve your body from the inside out. Let’s examine what you stand to gain (or lose!) from weight lifting in terms of blood sugar regulation all the way to improved mobility.
Advantages Of Weight Lifting for Health Management
Improves Blood Sugar Levels
Skeletal muscle helps increase insulin sensitivity (the ability of your cells to respond to insulin, which leads sugar into the muscle to be utilized as fuel). This is a great thing because as we age, our body becomes more insulin resistant (utilize blood sugar less efficiently). Skeletal muscle helps lower blood sugar levels by removing it from the blood and sending it to the muscle. As a result, having more skeletal muscle can help improve and maintain better blood sugar levels.
Improves Brain Health
Strength training can protect against cognitive decline by increasing blood flow, reducing inflammation, increasing expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and increasing hippocampal brain volume. BDNF is involved in learning and memory functions and increased levels can result in enhanced cognitive performance.
Boost Self-esteem
Data shows that strength training can increase self-efficacy (the belief that you are able to perform a task) in individuals, leading to improved self-confidence. Resistance training also has been shown to improve multiple dimensions of body image, including body satisfaction, appearance evaluation, and social physique anxiety.
General Benefits to Your Health
Exercise, including weight training, increases metabolic rate, which aids in weight loss; reduces cardiovascular health risk (by raising HDL cholesterol and lowering LDL cholesterol); improves mood; lowers the risk of cancer; lessens fatigue; builds strength; and lowers the risk of falls and broken bones (especially important as we age and are more likely to become frail)
Sources:
SantaBarbara NJ, Whitworth JW, Ciccolo JT. A Systematic Review of the Effects of Resistance Training on Body Image. J Strength Cond Res. 2017 Oct;31(10):2880-2888. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002135. PMID: 28723817.
Zamani Sani SH, Fathirezaie Z, Brand S, Pühse U, Holsboer-Trachsler E, Gerber M, Talepasand S. Physical activity and self-esteem: testing direct and indirect relationships associated with psychological and physical mechanisms.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2016 Oct 12;12:2617-2625. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S116811. PMID:27789950; PMCID: PMC5068479.
Wilke J, Giesche F, Klier K, Vogt L, Herrmann E, Banzer W. Acute Effects of Resistance Exercise on Cognitive Function in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Multilevel Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2019
Liu Y, Ye W, Chen Q, Zhang Y, Kuo CH, Korivi M. Resistance Exercise Intensity is Correlated with Attenuation of HbA1c and Insulin in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Jan 7;16(1):140. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16010140. PMID: 30621076; PMCID: PMC6339182.
