Lifting Weights Gives You The Edge #2

Lifting Weights Gives You an Edge
#1 You’ll Build Stronger Bones
You lose bone mass as you age, which increases the likelihood that you’ll one day suffer a debilitating fracture in your hips or vertebrae. That’s even worse than it sounds, since Mayo Clinic researchers found that among men who break a hip, 30% die within one year of the injury. In addition, significant bone loss in your spine can result in the “dowager’s hump” or hunch-back. The good news: a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that 16 weeks of resistance training increased hip bone density and elevated blood levels of osteocalcin- a marker of bone growth- by 19 percent!
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#2 You’ll be More Flexible
Over time, your flexibility can decrease by up to 50 percent. This makes it harder to squat down, bend over and reach behind you. But in a study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, scientists found that three weeks of full-body workouts a week for 16 weeks increased flexibility of the hips and shoulders, while improving sit-and-reach test scores by 11 percent. Not convinced that weight training won’t leave you “muscle-bound”? Research shows that Olympic Weightlifters rate second only to Gymnasts in overall flexibility!

 

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