As we kick off our Summer of Strength Challenge this month, we wanted to touch on the importance of adding strength exercises to your workout routine. Cardio workouts offer a range of benefits and adding in strength training takes those results to a whole new level. Cardio alone may bring you good results but adding strength training will bring you great results.

So, what are the benefits? According to Everyday Health in May 2019, these are some of the top medical improvements found with strength training:

1. Strength training preserves your bone health and muscle mass. It is a medical fact that each year after the age of 30, we start to lose around 3 to 5 percent of our lean muscle mass. Many studies have shown that incorporating some form of resistance training improves functional performance, bone density, and preserves muscle mass in joints.

2. Strength training helps with chronic condition management and heart health. Chronic conditions like arthritis and type 2 diabetes have symptoms that can be managed with results ranging from improving muscle strength to providing stability in joints, according to the Mayo Clinic. High blood pressure can be managed by doing muscle strengthening activities at least twice a week.

3. Resistance training boosts energy and improves your overall mood. Elevating endorphins in your body causes the receptors in your brain to register this increase and naturally put you in a better mood. This typically causes you to feel more awake and motivated throughout the day. Strength training is also said to help you sleep better!

4. It allows your body to burn more calories every workout. As your metabolism is given a boost, weight and resistance training are known to burn calories even after working out. This is a process called “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption” or EPOC. The more energy you put into strength training, the more calories your body will continue to burn while you go back to a resting state.

It is important to remember that when you incorporate strength training into your fitness regime, allowing the proper amount of rest to recover fully is key. If you deny your body this rest, you can slow down your progress and burn yourself out. The best way to avoid this is to plan appropriate recovery time after strength training sessions.

Our Summer of Strength Challenge is an 8-week long strength training challenge that begins on July 8^th. This challenge will teach you how to work 8 different strength training exercises that you may have never tried before into your routine. Our staff provides supplemental materials for you to maximize your summer gains, including equipment demonstration videos, weekly workout guides using these exercises, and weekly trainer tips! This 8-week challenge is designed to teach you how to use different equipment, including kettlebells, medicine balls, battle ropes, foam rollers, and more. If you’re interested in joining us for our free Summer of Strength Challenge, the sign-up sheet is located outside of the main office!

Getting into summer shape is a great motivator for everyone, and strength training is a great tool to improve your chances of doing so! But where do you start? What will give you the best results? Well, here at Anytime Fitness Lake Geneva we have the added benefit of our amazing personal trainers. Their job is to help teach you how to get to your healthiest self. For more tips and workout advice, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Be sure to check back next month for our next blog post, The Advantages of Having a Personal Trainer!