Resistance Fitness Exercise
Another type of fitness exercises besides using used stationary bikes is resistance exercise. Resistance exercise is another name for exercising your muscles using an opposing force i.e. dumb bells or resistance bands. Formerly, it used to be called ‘weight exercise’, but this phrase invoked images of huge sweaty men with bulging biceps and wasn’t very popular with women.
Resistance exercise training require the use of resistance to increase muscle size and strength. The most well known equipment used for resistance exercise training is dumb bells or barbells. During resistance training exercise muscle fibers are broken down and in the days following the work-out the fibers repair and grow stronger to meet the demands that have been placed on it.
The Benefits of Resistance Exercise
Resistance exercise can be used to achieve a variety of beneficial results and most individuals would benefit from 1 – 3 resistance workouts a week in conjunction with regular aerobic exercise using stationary bikes.
1. Improve Body Shape
Firm, sculpted muscles are the highly sought after aim of men and women alike. Visible muscle tone is not only a sign of health and fitness; it has become recognized as an attractive attribute that we associate with the wealth and success of the rich and famous. Increased muscle tone is best achieved by completing a combination of resistance and aerobic workouts.
2. Increase muscle strength
As well as making your body look good, resistance exercise can be used to increase muscle strength for more functional reasons i.e. improved posture, digging the garden or carrying the shopping etc…
3. Increase muscle power
More advanced resistance exercise programs that include performing exercises with increased momentum will improve muscle power. i.e. for throwing a netball or kicking a football or swinging a golf club.
4. Increase metabolic rate
Muscle tissue is metabolically active and the more of it you have the more calories you will burn making losing and maintaining a healthy weight much easier.
5. Improve bone health
Regularly participating in resistance based exercise helps to maintain peak bone mass and avoid the onset of osteoporosis. From the age of 30, bone mass starts to decline. Women have a greater risk of developing osteoporosis and from the age of 40 can expect to lose approximately 0.5 – 1% of their bone mass per year. Post menopause this increases to a 2% reduction in bone density per year. Resistance exercise can help to maintain bone density and delay this degenerative process.
