The idea of incorporating strength training into daily exercise can seem intimidating. There are quite a few common misconceptions about what, exactly strength training is:

** I don’t want to get bulky.

** I have injuries so I shouldn’t lift weights.

** Cardio is the best exercise

Some of these statements are outright false, but others just don’t capture what strength training is all about. All of these misconceptions can unfortunately keep women from realizing how beneficial strength training can be.

Definition: Strength training uses resistance to build muscle strength, increase endurance, and maintain flexibility.

We are so convinced of this fact that we want to spend some time laying out clear reasons why you should be strength training.

#1: Weight Lifting Can Help You Lose Weight

Despite what the diet pill commercials tell you, weight loss is not always an easy process. It’s not something that can be achieved overnight. Weight loss is a fantastic health goal, and it takes a lot of perseverance and determination.

Strength training can help you achieve both!

For starters, weight lifting and muscle training makes your metabolism more effective. Over time, strength exercises increase your resting metabolic rate. This is the rate that your body burns calories when you’re not engaging in any kind of exercise at all. It is also determined by your muscle mass.

When you increase your muscle mass, you increase your body’s ability to burn calories. When you pair that with a healthy diet and a good amount of cardio, resistance training actually makes you better able to lose weight.

Because having stronger muscles means a higher metabolism, it also helps you keep the weight off once you achieve your own personal fitness goals.

Strength exercises also have a secondary benefit to weight loss: they keep you motivated. We all know that hour-long runs or marathon Zumba sessions can get boring after awhile. By switching things up, resistance training lets you keep your personal fitness new and exciting. It’s a kind of mental change of scenery, increasing your performance and maintaining your motivation.

#2: Resistance Training Helps You Resist Chronic Conditions

Like many other forms of exercise, weight training can dramatically reduce stress. Stress is not just an annoying mood at the back of your brain. It can actually affect your entire body’s well being.

One study found that regular resistance training reduced oxidative stress – which lowers your risk of developing cancer.

People who performed 45 minutes of moderate-intense resistance exercise lowered their blood pressure by 20 percent.

Strength training has also been shown to improve heart health. You can dramatically lower your blood pressure with less than an hour of resistance exercise.

Muscle training and weight lifting can help you essentially slow the effects of arthritis, back pain, and even diabetes. These are all conditions that affect your muscle and joint strength. That’s right: strong muscles often lead to strong bones. Strength training can help you resist the deterioration of bone mass that comes with age.

One of the best ways to stop, prevent, and even reverse bone and muscle loss is to add strength training to your workouts.

The experts have spoken: cardio isn’t the only kind of exercise that’s good for your entire body. Think of strength training less as muscle training and more as bringing power to your entire body.

#3: Building Muscle Strength Does Not Mean You’ll Bulk Up

When we say resistance training is a great exercise option for everyone, we mean everyone. Unfortunately, many people assume that strength training is the same thing as bodybuilding. This makes many women want to stay away, since they’re not interested in bulking up their forearms.

But the truth is, strength training has enormous benefits for both men and women. The best weight workout does more than builds muscles.

Improvements are made in muscle tone, strength and endurance and not necessarily in size. As muscles become toned, the body begins to lose fat tissue and becomes more firm. When it comes to strength training, anything that is considered a healthy practice for men is also healthy for women.

Strength training workouts for women may focus more on toning, on endurance, and on firming up the muscles. They can also focus on core strength. In many cases, strength training workouts for men focus more on muscle size.

But these two approaches are not gender-specific, and are entirely dependent on your personal fitness goals.

#4: Using Weight Lifting as Cross Training Helps You Perform

We want to make one thing clear: we are not saying that strength training is the only form of exercise, or even the best form of exercise.

Instead, weight lifting is most beneficial when it is used alongside other aerobic and cardiovascular exercises. In fact, weight training can help you perform better in these forms of exercise. Running, swimming, and team sports – you can reach a new level with all of them by taking the time to build muscle strength.

The benefits of strength exercises to other forms of physical exercise go on and on:

Strength training gives you better flexibility.

Muscle strength improves joint strength, which helps avoid joint pain.

Strength exercises improve your balance and posture.

Muscle training actually gives you better running form.

Building muscle strength gives you more power as you run, helping you run faster.

Incorporating strength training as part of your workout routine will help you run better, get stronger, and build endurance for all kinds of physical activity.