Every health magazine or exercise facility touts the benefits of a strength training program. But you may be unaware of why strength training is important or the benefits one receives from strength training exercises.

As the name implies, strength training keeps your muscles strong. Many Americans don't get sufficient exercise. Strength training is an important part of exercise that helps keep our bodies strong and vital. You'll realize the following benefits by adding strength training exercises to your routine:

- Reduce risk of disease - Strength training exercises help prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, some forms of cancer, obesity and problematic lower back injuries.

- Builds immunity - Strength training prevents disease and improves your immune system. With strength training you'll have fewer colds and incidents of flu.

- Builds strong bones - Osteoporosis (soft and brittle bones) is a disease that affects both men and women as they age. Weight bearing exercises such as strength training, increases strength and bone density. Even if you've already lost some bone density, strength training will increase some of your bone loss.

- Changes body shape - Strength training exercises have an impressive affect on body shape and your appearance. Consistent strength training helps you lose body fat by building muscle mass. With more muscle mass, your metabolism is more efficient, you burn more calories and more body fat. It results in a leaner, trimmer body shape.

It's easy to add strength training exercises to your exercise routine. Any exercise that uses resistance to contract your muscles is considered a strength building exercise. As an example, exercises such as push-ups or squats use gravity and your own body weight to begin muscle contractions. Repeating the exercises will over time resulting in increased muscle mass.

Using free weights, such as dumb bells, is a great way to add strength training to your routine. Simple arm curls using weight adds resistance training, which builds muscles. You can even also use weights when performing exercises such as squats, to make them more challenging.

When you decide to add strength training to your regime, it's important to take it nice and easy. Many people make the mistake of using too much weight, performing too many repetitions of the exercise, or not stretching properly before or after exercising. When you take a slow approach you prevent injury or strain and gain sleek, strong muscles. Strength training adds great flexibility and good health into your life.

Copyright (c) 2008 Nancy Rishworth