Hello!
Did you know that we offer Personal and Small Group Training at Fuel to Thrive??! Well, we do!! We believe in strength training so much, that we have worked hard to create a space and staff to be able to offer it as a service!!
And here’s the deal…we think strength training is important for EVERYONE! Whether you’re an athlete, a desk jockey or a grandparent, you should be strength training!!
But first, what is “strength training”?
Strength training is an exercise program designed to target muscles to improve or maintain muscular strength, size, power, and endurance. It includes bodyweight exercises - like squats and push-ups, weight bearing exercises - like the chest press, yoga, plyometrics, and more. Now let’s get into a few of the benefits of it.
Here’s why we think it is so important:
Injury Prevention:
This is SO important!!!
As we add resistance (or weight) and put small amounts of physical stress on our bodies, our bodies rebuild stronger and become more resilient to future stress. Our bones become more dense, which can prevent stress fractures and breaks, which could happen both in sports and general slip-and-falls! Additionally, you’ll increase the overall balance, stability, and strength of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your body. You’ll have more efficient movements and be better protected if you do something like accidentally step off the curb wrong.
Better Aging:
As we get older we tend to slowly lose muscle due to various exercise, nutrition, and physical factors. This is called sarcopenia, and is one of the main reasons why many lose their independence in their elder years. By building and maintaining muscle as we age, we are able to continue doing regular daily activities, such as walking up stairs and getting off the ground, as well as the things that bring us joy, like playing tag with your kids and going on a bike ride.
Fat Loss:
When you are losing weight, you are going to be using more energy than you eat - but that doesn’t automatically mean you are losing 100% fat. A small percentage of the energy you burn will also come from the breakdown of protein in your muscles, which is not ideal. However, we can minimize this by regularly stimulating our muscles through some form of weight bearing exercise. So, by strength training during a weight loss phase, you can actually target fat loss!
Burn More Calories:
Maintaining muscle requires more energy (calories) than fat - a.k.a. it’s more “metabolically active”. So people that have more muscle mass tend to actually burn more calories throughout the day. Just another reason strength training can help some lose weight and help others maintain a healthy weight.
Okay… that was a lot! Here’s a summary!!
The Key Points:
Strength training isn’t only for athletes and bodybuilders
You can become stronger using only your bodyweight
Stronger bodies are better protected from injuries and age better
Training your muscles helps with both maintaining weight and fat loss
So now what?!
If you feel like you want to get started and don’t know how, we can help!! We want to help you by creating a plan that fits your ability, past injuries, goals, and weaknesses and take you through that plan in a safe and effective way!
Please reach out if of click here to find out more about our training services!!
