If you have been reading my articles for any amount of time you will know that I rarely make absolute statements and always caution people to take the middle path when it comes to health tips, medical advice, and nutritional guidance. But when the topic ventures into exercise, I must first state what that middle road is. As a baseline, exercise for it to be effective and healthful must achieve 3 goals, increase metabolic rate, preserve and/or increase muscle mass and strengthen the cardiovascular system. Weight or resistance training is an essential part of this plan.

The more efficient your body is at pumping blood usually the more healthy the body. The main pumper is of course you heart and moderate amounts of aerobic exercise are essential. But one must also realize that the muscles of the body also work to pump the blood back to the heart. You have blood vessels that course through the muscles and when they contract they act as a pump to keep the blood flowing.

Lets take a look at the benefits of weight training.

1. You will feel better about yourself and how you look. Ultimately, your self-image is internal but is based on many external factors and when you start setting goals for yourself and achieving them and looking better, you will strengthen your self-image.

2. Increase your metabolic rate. As you age, your metabolic rate slows down as the years go by. Resistance and weight training are incredibly effective at raising this rate so that when you are not exercising you will be using more calories! So as you are eating MiracleNoodles, and sitting watching TV you are losing more and more weight.

3. Enhanced Performance And it doesnt matter what type of sport or activity I may be talking about (wink).

4. Increased kinesthetic awareness By lifting weights properly you will develop a sense of how your body moves and your joints articulate, this will lead to better balance and decreased injuries.

5. Strength training programs have been verified in numerous studies to lower blood pressure and high cholesterol.

6. Increased strength. Lets face it we are all aging, getting weaker, and slowing down as we get older. Turn that around why dont you!! Get stronger and increase your metabolic rate and FEEL BETTER.

If you have never lifted weights before you should check with you doctor if he/she thinks it would be ok for you. Also you MUST have guidance when starting out. Nothing makes me more horrified than to see someone who obviously has no idea how to lift weights and is just asking for injuries. Your local gym will often give you 1 or 2 free training sessions. Personal training is no longer for rich movie stars, it is often much more affordable than many think.

Another option would be to avail yourself of training via the web. One great website is Global Health and Fitness. They have great videos of how to use equipment and free weights and will even design a workout program for you. You can email personal trainers with any questions and they get back to you very quickly.

If you havent already incorporated a weight training program into your life, then sit down, write down a specific goal of starting and get to it. You wont regret it! You CAN DO IT!!