Are you trying to lose weight? Are you interested in living a healthier lifestyle, but don’t know where to start? Weight training may be just what you need! Contrary to popular belief, weight training is not just for bodybuilders or people who want to get big and bulky.

In fact, weight training can help you lose weight, tone your body, and has many other health benefits, including reducing your risk of diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. If you're not currently weight training, now is the time to start!  Here are 6 reasons why you should start weight training today!

1.     Weight training can help you lose weight faster

Most people who are trying to lose weight focus on cardio exercises, such as jogging or biking. While these types of exercises are beneficial, most people fail to realize that by also weight training they can accelerate their weight loss even more! Generally, when you're doing an exercise, the muscle you're working on will use up calories. Since it takes more energy (i.e., calories) for your body to build muscle than it does to maintain muscle mass, putting on lean muscle tissue will help your metabolism work faster and increase the rate at which you burn calories. Therefore, weight training is the perfect complement to cardio exercises. By working your muscles, you will increase your caloric burn rate even further!

2.     Increase insulin sensitivity

Weight training can also help regulate your blood sugar levels. When certain people eat foods containing carbohydrates, their bodies are unable to process the sugars contained in these foods effectively. This leads to elevated blood sugar levels which can eventually lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a precursor for many serious diseases including diabetes and heart disease. However, weight training helps increase insulin sensitivity by improving muscle strength, which allows your body to use blood glucose more efficiently instead of storing it as fat cells.

3.     It will improve your posture and make you look more confident

Do you typically slouch when you're sitting in a chair? Do you often find yourself walking with your shoulders slumped forward and your head poking out in front? When your posture is poor, it can make you look tired, lazy, and even depressed. However, weight training has been shown to improve overall body strength which will allow you to hold yourself up straight. With good posture, not only will you feel more confident about how you look, but studies have also found that people who maintain good posture are seen as more attractive by others!

4.     You'll have more energy because it releases endorphins in the brain

The endorphin is a hormone that is naturally produced in the brain and has been found to increase one's mood, reduce the perception of pain, and even help fight fatigue. Weight training will cause your body to release these "feel-good" hormones into your bloodstream, thus elevating your mood and helping you feel less fatigued throughout the day.

5.     It's a great way to relieve stress and anxiety by focusing on something physical

When you're feeling stressed or anxious, often the best solution is to take your mind off whatever is causing you stress in the first place. This usually means turning on the TV, surfing the web, or listening to music. When you weight train, however, your mind will be focused on lifting weights and performing exercises correctly to increase muscle mass. Since you are intensely concentrating on physical activity, it will help keep your mind off things that may be worrying you. Stressful situations have been found to increase anxiety levels in inactive people which can lead to health problems such as heart disease. Weight training has also been shown to reduce stress levels because it releases endorphins into the bloodstream!

6.     It helps reduce joint pain and arthritis symptoms

Weight training helps build muscle mass which can act as "padding" around your joints to help reduce tenderness. If you suffer from an arthritic condition, weight training will help keep pressure off from your painful joints by strengthening surrounding muscles. It also helps improve bone strength and density which is a must for those who want to prevent diseases such as osteoporosis that can cause debilitating conditions!

          Are you still on the fence about weight training? Maybe you’re worried that it will make you bulky or that you don’t have time for it. Let us put your mind at ease. Weight training is a great way to tone your body, lose weight, and improve your health. It can be done in as little as 20 minutes per day, 3 times per week. And if that’s still too much for you, break it up into two 10-minute sessions each day. So, what are you waiting for? Start weight training today!