Did you know that you don't need a gym to enjoy the benefits of resistance training? You can do it right in the comfort of your home with no gym equipment, and it's fantastic for your overall health and heart health. Regular resistance training can improve your blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids, and body composition. It's especially helpful for older adults and those with a higher risk of heart problems (e.g., high blood pressure or cholesterol, diabetes, excess weight, current or former smokers, or a family history of heart disease).

In this podcast, we’ll discuss simple home workouts that you can do to help your overall health.

What is resistance training?

Resistance training, also known as strength training, involves exercises that improve muscular strength and endurance. This form of exercise typically uses resistance in the form of weights, resistance bands, or body weight to work specific muscle groups. By repeatedly challenging muscles, resistance training enhances their ability to generate force and sustain physical activity.

Benefits of Resistance Training Cardiovascular and Overall Health

While resistance training primarily targets muscle strength and endurance, it also offers substantial cardiovascular benefits. Regular resistance training can:

• Improve heart health by reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

• Help keep your arteries flexible and improves blood vessel function while lowering inflammation levels that typically lead to atherosclerosis (clogged arteries).

Keep in mind that while you may not notice these cardiovascular effects, you may experience noticeable improvements in your sleep and mood. 

Weight Loss and Muscle Mass

Resistance training is a powerful tool for weight loss and muscle mass maintenance. But how?

• Increased Metabolism: Building muscle boosts your resting metabolic rate, meaning you burn more calories even at rest.

• Fat Loss: While you may not see immediate weight loss, resistance training can help you lose fat and gain lean muscle, leading to a healthier body composition. 

• Muscle Preservation: During weight loss, preserving muscle mass is crucial. When people lose weight, they usually lose fat along with muscle mass. Given the popularity of GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound), it’s important to know that muscle wasting is a possible side effect of these medications. Resistance training ensures that most of the weight lost comes from fat, not muscle.

Keep in mind: Resistance training also promotes better body mechanics and posture, reducing the risk of injury and improving balance and coordination.

How to Get Started with Resistance Training

Getting started with resistance training can be intimidating, especially if you already don’t exercise or have mobility limitations due to arthritis, neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis, or obesity. 

You can always join a gym and meet with a personal trainer but we all know this is both costly and time-consuming. While in-person classes or training sessions might be motivating and fun, there is always the option of trying resistance training at home, on your own. You can find free exercise videos on YouTube or personal fitness blogs. 

1. Set Clear Goals: Determine what you want to achieve, whether it’s building muscle, losing or maintaining weight, or improving overall health.

2. Start with a Plan: Create a balanced workout plan that includes all major muscle groups (e.g., chest, shoulders, upper back, back and front of arms and legs, stomach, and lower back).

3. Learn Proper Technique: Proper form is important to prevent injuries. Consider working with a trainer initially or using reputable online resources. 

4. Start Light: To master the exercises, begin with lighter weights, then gradually increase the resistance as you become more comfortable and stronger. Start with shorter, lower-intensity sessions to help your body readjust and minimize the risk of injury.

5. Consistency: Consistency is key. Aim for at least two resistance training sessions per week. Each session should last 15 to 20 minutes and focus on 8 to 10 different exercises. 

Examples of Resistance Training Exercises

Here are some common resistance training exercises:

• Air squats, wall squats, and lunges: Target the legs and glutes. Specifically the front and back thigh and buttocks. No equipment is needed. 

• Deadlifts or upright rows engage the upper back muscles. Both can be done using long resistance bands instead of weights.

• Chest Press: This exercise works the chest, shoulders, and triceps. It can also be done without weights by doing push-ups, incline push-ups, or decline push-ups.

• Planks or abdominal crunch: Improve core strength and stability. No equipment is needed.

• Bicep Curls: Target the front upper arm. Again, if you don’t have weights at home, you can perform bicep curls using resistance bands.

• Calf raises: These target the calf muscle, and no gym equipment is needed. They can be done using stairs or a chair.

Remember to adjust the intensity and frequency of workouts based on your progress and fitness goals to ensure a safe and effective resistance training regimen.

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