We all know how hard it can be to keep your exercise routine going at the gym. One reason that many people do not use their gym membership is because they are not sure what to do when they are there. The gym can seem intimidating with muscular people utilizing the equipment, complicated looking machines you may not know how to use, uncertainty of your form and technique and feeling self-conscious that others are watching you.

Weight lifting is worth it! With benefits such as more muscle tone, increases in strength and better bone density, resistance training is recommended as a part of everyone’s routine.

Here is a list of additional benefits to weight lifting you may not know about.

1. A better metabolism: An increase in Type II muscle fibers can reduce body fat without additional changes like dieting.
2. Improved mood and confidence: The endorphins released can help us feel better but resistance training can also improve depression. Improved physical changes can also help us feel more confident in our body image and stronger in our daily activities.
3. Lower risk of diabetes: Study participants that did 150 minutes of weight lifting per week  lowered their risk of diabetes by 34 percent.
4. Heart health: Lifting weights can reduce your blood pressure by 20 percent and the effects can last up to 24 hours long. That is a similar benefit to taking a blood pressure medication each day.
5. Less back pain: Participants who lifted weights had much stronger cores and their core strength lowered their instances of low back pain.

If you cannot make it to the gym, no problem, we have you covered. There are many great free online workouts that are available to you. The OSU Health Plan created several workouts that you can do in the comfort of your home. Try one of the following videos: Deskercise, Resistance Bands, 8 Minute Ab Workout, Chair Yoga, and Core Strengthening Exercises.

To learn more about proper exercise form, check out a free exercise video guide and library here.

If you would like more tips and support to increase your gym confidence or are new to weight lifting, join me on April 4th from 12:00-12:30pm for the Group Health Coaching webinar series “Welcome to Weight Lifting”.  We will take a more in depth look at balancing your exercise routine by mastering resistance training. Click here to sign up today, click on ‘Group Health Coaching’ for the category and select a date range that includes April 4.