If you were to ask most people why they first got into fitness, I bet many would say to lose weight and get toned. I know that is the reason I began back in the day. I wanted to lose fat and get better arms to improve my self esteem and attract girls! And following a sound exercise routine combined with good nutrition will definitely get you that effect, if you are on the right routine that is (and if not, hit me up to get on the right one for you). Looking better naked isn’t the only benefit to resistance training though. In fact, possibly the best benefit is getting stronger. There are 3 excellent reasons I can think of as to why everyone, including 12 year old kids and 80 year old grandmas and everyone in between should want to be strong.

You will be harder to kill

Stronger people are harder to kill. If a robber shows up at your door ready to attack, would you rather be strong, athletic, in shape, and possibly know how to fight or weak, fat, slow, and scared. What about if you are out in public and some punk steals your girl’s purse? You going to let that fly? How about when the grid collapses and you have to go without food and water for a few days. Oh yeah, and the whole city is going crazy looting people looking for supplies for their family. In every single situation above and many others I have not listed, the strong survive. So get strong.

Slow the Aging Process

It is funny yet kind of sad that so many people always try to diminish the effects of aging through surgery and gimmicky products you see on infomercials without sticking to the tried and true methods that actually produce results. Ah well, I guess that is the society we live in. But if you want to actually slow down aging, or rather, be active and healthy well into old age, then lift! I have had the pleasure recently of working with a woman who is 73 years old. She has been hitting the gym, learning how to kettlebell swing and deadlift! Another woman I worked with in the past was in her mid 90’s and still doing dumbbell curls and working with resistance bands. Lots of things that happen to people later in life get blamed on the aging process. But I’m here to tell you from people I have worked with that is a myth. Get active and stay active into your elder years, it’s what humans are meant to do. Age is just a number.

Everyday Life Will Be Easier

Lastly, every aspect of life will be easier if you are strong. You won’t be a wimp anymore because you can carry all your groceries from the car to the house in one trip. You will be able to keep up with the neighborhood kids on the basketball court and maintain bragging rights. Taking the stairs won’t leave you sucking air. Let me tell you about an experience I had recently. I had to get a tree cut down at my new house. I had the lumberjack lay the tree and decided to cut up and haul the wood to my grandparents myself  since they have a wood burner. That job was tough, and I consider myself in good physical shape and am decently strong for my size. Imagine how difficult that would be if I were sedentary! I was lifting logs that were easily 100 pounds or more. This example and many others show the importance of being strong in everyday life.

I could go on and on with this but hopefully you get the point. Strength is an important aspect of being human. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Be sure to keep up with the resistance training well into old age if you are currently doing so. If not, send me a message on my site dittmanhealthandfitness.com or check out souliftfitness.com to see how myself or David may be able to help you get stronger than ever and achieve your fitness goals.