Add some lifting to your routine!

Greetings Wells PT friends and family! As our long, cold winter continues it can begin to get tough to keep up our exercise schedules or to rally and begin a new routine.

One option to keep in shape while stuck indoors is to take up weight lifting! You can get a great workout from just a couple of hand weights. You can incorporate a weekly routine or add lifting to your current schedule. Some of the perks of lifting weights are:

* You can lose 40% more fat by adding lifting to your routine rather than doing just cardio alone. A recent study conducted by Penn State compared results of people doing aerobic exercise vs. aerobic exercise AND weight training. The lifters' loss was almost pure fat; the others lost fat and muscle.

*Lifting raises your metabolism. Did you know that doing a total body workout with just three big-muscle moves can raise your metabolism for up to 39 hours after your workout? That's right... you'll still be burning calories a day after your workout!

*It's good for your heart! The University of Michigan found that people who did three total-body workouts a week for 2 months decreased their diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by an average of eight points. That's enough to reduce the risk of a stroke by 40 percent and the chance of a heart attack by 15 percent. Woohoo!

*Lifting weights can help reduce stress. Reducing stress in our lives can have a multitude of positive effects. Lifting can be an excellent outlet for anger, a tool for helping depression and can improve your overall mood.

*Not so fally downy! The #1 predictor of falls is loss of strength. Increases in strength can reduce your risk of falling, enable your function to lift everyday items with greater ease and improve confidence.

There are too many benefits of weight lifting to list them here. As we continue through our Vermont winter, consider adding something to your life that will have positive results on your mind, body and attitude. As always, we are always here to answer any questions you might have and to help put you on the right track to the healthiest and happiest you!