Why You Should Be Lifting Weights

Why you should be lifting weights is a question really with a very simple answer. I saw a video recently of an online fitness persona explaining why you should lift weights. Their premise was that it beats cardio exercise in all facets. It will help you grow your muscles and burn more fat.  I think it was a reel, so it wasn’t really very long, but a few reasons were given and they were primarily based around the fact that training with weights is the best way to exercise.

Cardio is important. Maybe not the best for burning fat and definitely not for building muscle. However, fitness is more than just how we look and muscle growth. It’s about health and cardiovascular is important for our heart health, breathing, endurance, and overall fitness levels. I don’t do that much intense cardio these days personally, but I make sure to go for short to long walks on a daily basis, and I do plan to add more again. Some sort of cardio work should be a staple in anyone’s fitness regiment.

For actual fitness goals, there is an argument to be had for the reasons weight lifting may be better than cardio. But the reason why you should be lifting weights should not be it versus cardio, nor should it only be based only around your physique. The simple reason you should lift weights or do strength training and conditioning exercises is because you use your muscles for everyday activities. You actually perform many movements in your day to day life that could benefit from training them. 

By activating them and training them during your exercise routine, you are conditioning them to be ready for those day to day movements that you do on a regular basis. It will improve your ability to do your regular activities with less risk of injuring yourself.

This is just the most basic reason for it. It shouldn’t be either or. Fitness work needs to be well rounded, but you should consider weight or resistance training for this reason alone whether or not you planned to lose weight or gain weight. It’s a good protection method for your joints, core and overall muscles.

There are of course many other reasons and benefits that you can list all day. Mental health, endorphins, pushing yourself, your physique are a few of these reasons. But it really doesn’t have to be that deep. You should lift weights, do resistance training, and strength and conditioning work plain and simply because it benefits your day to day movements and will minimize pain and even deterioration as you get older.

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