This is Part 2 of a series of blogs/videos from Cari Ham -  Part 3  Part 1

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, getting a great strength training workout doesn't mean you need a lot of fancy equipment to get the job done.  You already have a great tool and it cost nothing at all...your own body weight.  So I just finished shooting another video on effective exercises you can do using no equipment at all and I thought this would be a good time to take a step back and remind you why strength training is so important to maintaining optimum health.  Here are just a few of the benefits of strength training that I think are the most important ones for you to know!

1. Increases Metabolism- Your metabolism consists of the all the chemical processes that occur in your body, that are necessary to keep you alive.  Each individual has their own rate at which their body burns energy/calories known as their Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).  As we get older, we lose muscle mass.  This is a natural process of aging, and if you do not make an effort to maintain lean muscle mass through strength training, your BMR will drop, resulting in your body using the food you consume less efficiently.  The result of that reduced efficiency is that unused food gets stored as fat.   So why does an effective strength training program that increases lean muscle mass increase your metabolism?  The answer is that your muscle have very high energy (calorie) needs.  The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn while you are at rest or during activity.   
2. Injury Prevention-  A well balanced strength training program will decrease your risk of injury for many reasons.  Due to habits in our daily lives, most people develop muscular imbalances where certain muscles are overused, while other are neglected.  Strength training reduces imbalances between opposing muscle groups making you less likely to suffer muscle, bone, or joint injuries during activity because the body is working as a balanced unit.  Also, maintaining good muscle strength throughout the body will lessen the impact you joints must absorb during activity.  During a high impact sport such as running, a runner that participates in a regular strength training program will have knees and hips that fare much better then someone who only runs and neglects strength training.  Finally, strength training improves balance and stability.  Feeling stable on one feet and being able to move comfortably in all planes of motion make you less likely suffer and injury from a fall. 
3. Improves Posture-  Many chronic aches and pains of the back, neck, and shoulders are due to postural problems that have developed slowly over time.  We are a culture that works too much, spends too many hours hunched over a computer, and have made the term "couch potato" an appropriate way to define how we spend our free time.  These are the types of behaviors that lead to problems with posture.  By participating in a strength program that will strengthen weak muscles and stretch those that are overused, many chronic aches and pain will be greatly reduced if not completely eliminated.

I hope some of this information inspires you to begin a strength training program if you are not currently taking part in one or just reinforces why you had made it a priority if you are currently making strength training a part of your fitness routine. 

If you need some more ideas of how to get started, here is the second video in our series.  Again, we are still using no equipment to perform this circuit of 5 exercises.  The exercises in this workout primarily focus on the core and legs.  Good luck with the following exercises:

1.  Plank- Hold for as longs as it takes for you to collapse!

2.  Side Plank- Hold 30 seconds- 1 minute

3.  Superman- Hold 30 seconds

4.  Squats- 15 repetitions

5.  Walking lunges-  passes that reach 20 repetitions

The same guidelines apply as the last video workout.  They are as follows:

1.  Complete 2-3 sets of each exercise

2.  Move through the exercises in a circuit training format (one right after the other with no rest in between)

3.  Make sure you are breathing.  Exhale through the exertion (or the hardest part of the exercise)

4.  Control is important.  Use a 2:2 count to ensure you are not rushing through your exercises.  That means you should count 2 seconds on both the concentric and eccentric portion of the exercise.

5.  Have water readily available so you continue to hydrate during your workout.

6.  If you begin to feel faint, lightheaded, dizzy or nauseous, discontinue the workout and consult a physician.

7.  If you are new to exercise and are under the care of a physician for a condition that requires continual medical care, please consult your doctor prior to beginning this program. 

8.  HAVE FUN!!!

*  Once again, I would like to give a special thanks to Julieanna Hever for helping me to create this video.  She is always a great resource and up for anything that will bring important information to the public in the field of health and fitness.  Check out Julieanna Hever, The Plant Based Dietician!