Summer 2022 11 Strength training: Worth the weight Say the word exercise, and a lot of us automatically think of heart-pumping cardio workouts. But strength training also has major benefits you don’t want to miss out on. Just two or three quick muscle-building sessions every week can help you stay stronger, leaner and healthier. They can help: ● Slow the natural muscle loss that occurs with age. ● Speed up your metabolism. Added muscle makes it easier for your body to burn calories, even at rest. ● Strengthen your bones and help protect you from fractures. ● Boost your balance and reduce your risk of dangerous falls. ● Keep your joints flexible and ease arthritis pain. You can get these benefits at home or in the gym—with resistance bands, free weights or weight machines. Or just use your own body weight with moves like pushups, squats and lunges. Any exercise that makes your muscles work harder than usual counts. If you haven’t exercised in a while, get a doctor’s OK before you start. Sources: American Cancer Society; American Heart Association 3 Give yourself some grace. Missing one workout will not make or break your fitness routine. Leading a healthy lifestyle is part of a lifelong journey, and along the way you will face setbacks or unexpected events. Your fitness routine should have room for life too. “One misconception people have is that they think when they miss a workout or mess up, they can’t get back on track, but that’s not the case,” Grossman says. 4 Be proud of small accomplishments. Even the small goals are worth celebrating, so be proud of yourself for reaching milestones—and don’t forget to look back to see how far you’ve come. 5 Don’t be afraid to reach out for support. If you are able to, meeting with a personal trainer is a great option to make sure you are doing exercises correctly and in a way that you won’t injure yourself. “Meeting with a personal trainer is a great step in building personal confidence when working out,” Grossman says. Boost your fitness Interested in personal training? To find out more about Riverside’s medically centered services, visit RHFC.me or call (888) 901-3066.
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