13 health benefits of strength training

Strength training is about more than just building bigger biceps or achieving that “toned” look. It plays a critical role in your overall health and wellbeing and even helps reduce your risk of injuries and falls.

Whether you use weights, resistance bands, or just your body weight, if you haven't already included strength training in your routine, we’re here to convince you with 13 reasons why you should start.

Strength training, also known as weight or resistance training, is any exercise that involves your body moving against a form of resistance, such as resistance bands, free weights, exercise machines, or even your own body weight.

Strength training is one of the most popular methods of exercise and can help you build muscle, burn fat, and improve endurance.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be mega strong to get an effective resistance workout, but it won’t be long before you notice improvements in strength if you work out consistently.

It’s recommended to perform strength-based exercises targeting all the major muscle groups two times per week.¹ Regular resistance training reduces the risk of many chronic diseases and improves overall quality of life.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), you should:

• Use free weights, machines, and resistance bands
• Perform a total of 8 to 10 multi-joint exercises across all training sessions of your week to work out the major muscle groups
• Perform 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions per exercise
• Lift and lower weights in a controlled manner, taking 2 seconds to lift and 2 seconds to lower
• The last rep should feel difficult to complete
• Complete strength exercises 2 to 3 times a week
• Increase the weight you lift over time²

Here are 13 of the best science-backed reasons why strength training is good for you and should be an integral part of your routine.

1. Makes you stronger

Resistance training builds strength by increasing muscle mass and improving muscular endurance, making daily activities easier and also boosting your overall athletic performance.

By progressively increasing resistance over time, your muscles will adapt and grow, leading to greater strength and power.

2. Burn more calories

Is weight loss your goal? Strength training can help by boosting your metabolism. For example, it increases your resting metabolic rate by 7%,³ so your body will continue to burn calories even after you’ve finished working out.

Plus, the more muscle mass you have, the more energy it takes to maintain, which also increases your energy expenditure – and ultimately, helps you lose weight.

3. Less abdominal fat

Research shows that resistance training is especially effective at reducing visceral fat (the harmful type that accumulates around your organs), body fat percentage, and body fat mass.⁴

Visceral fat increases the risk of:

• Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease, and some cancers⁵

Use strength training to reduce the visceral fat around your organs, particularly around your stomach. This can improve your overall health and reduce the risk of chronic metabolic disease.

4. A more athletic and lean appearance

Increasing muscle definition and reducing fat through strength training promotes a more toned and athletic appearance.

Unlike excessive cardio exercises, which can sometimes lead to muscle loss, resistance training preserves lean muscle while shedding fat. This results in a stronger, more sculpted physique.

5. Greater mobility and flexibility

Strength training can improve flexibility by enhancing muscle control and improving joint stability. Research shows that strength training can be as effective as stretching at improving range of motion.⁶

6. Strengthen your bones

Weight-bearing exercise and strength training are considered to be effective for preventing fragile bones and osteoporosis.⁷

Studies involving postmenopausal women have found that weight training improves bone mineral density (BMD) and increases BMD in the spine and hips of women diagnosed with osteopenia and osteoporosis.⁸

Weight-bearing exercise is important because it temporarily stresses your bones, stimulates bone formation, and slows bone loss. Inevitably, this reduces the risk of fractures and weakened bones.

7. Lower your risk of injury

A stronger body is a more resilient body. Research suggests that strength training lowers your risk of injury by improving the range of motion at your joints and increasing mobility.⁹

Strength training also improves balance and endurance. This is important for preventing injuries from falls, overuse, and other strenuous activities.

8. Improves heart health

Resistance training is not only useful for improving or maintaining muscle mass and strength but also has benefits for your heart health.

Research shows that adults who regularly participate in resistance training have a 17% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to those who do no resistance exercise.

To achieve the maximum benefit for your heart, you only need to complete 30 to 60 minutes per week of resistance training.¹⁰

9. Helps manage blood sugar levels

Strength training improves insulin sensitivity, encouraging your muscles to absorb glucose from the bloodstream more efficiently, particularly if you have type 2 diabetes.¹¹

A meta-analysis conducted in 2022 confirmed that regular resistance training can reduce HbA1c levels in people with type 2 diabetes.¹² Further research suggests that participating in 60 to 150 minutes of muscle-strengthening exercises each week reduces your overall risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 30%.¹³

10. Improve mental health

Strength training can boost self-esteem, physical strength, and self-worth, all of which play a big role in our overall mental health and well-being.

In adults, there is also evidence that regular resistance training is linked with:

• lower rates of anxiety
• reduced pain levels
• improved cognition
• reduced rates of depression
• better sleep quality and lower rates of fatigue¹⁴

11. Boost your mood

When you exercise, including strength-based training, it releases neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin that regulate your mood and lower stress.¹⁵

Together, these can help combat depressive mood states, increase your energy levels, and improve alertness in a similar way to medication.

Research published in 2014 found that low-to-moderate intensity resistance training (<70% 1 repetition maximum) had the best outcome for reducing anxiety.¹⁶

12. Improves brain health

Strength training isn’t just for your body, it has benefits for your brain, too. Exercise in general reduces your risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s by 20%,¹⁷ but resistance training may also protect brain structures affected by these conditions.¹⁸

Resistance exercise in general can improve cognitive function, physical function, and muscle strength in older adults with cognitive frailty.¹⁹

13. A better quality of life

By making you stronger, healthier, and more mobile, strength training improves your overall quality of life.²⁰ It enhances independence as you age, making daily tasks easier and reducing the risk of falls.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced athlete, strength training will benefit both your physical and mental health.

It‘s easy to get fixated on cardiovascular or endurance-based training – who doesn’t love a good Zone 2 training session? But don’t skip the strength. Just two sessions a week can make you stronger, happier, and healthier while also improving your overall athletic performance.

So, grab those weights, resistance bands, or simply use your own body weight – your body (and mind!) will thank you for it!