This article originally appeared in On Health, the Methodist Hospital blog.
Some types of exercise just come naturally. For instance, as soon as your feet hit the pavement, you know exactly what to do.
Other types of exercise, like strength training, can seem daunting. You might think of muscles and the heavy barbells and the weird weightlifting maneuvers it takes to get them.
So instead, you stick to cardio. Which is fine since, when it comes to getting your physical activity in for the week, exercise is exercise…right?
Well, not exactly.
"Any physical activity is better than none. But to reap the full health benefits of exercise, it's best if your workout routine includes a mix of exercise formats, including both cardio and strength training," says Lauren Murray, health fitness coordinator and personal trainer at Houston Methodist. "Most people fit cardio into their routine, but strength training is the type of exercise that's often left out."
Murray is here to share four convincing reasons to add strength training into your exercise routine, as well as help you get over your fear of the weights section at the gym.