In addition to aerobic exercise, activities that strengthen muscle strength are also very important. More and more research shows that regular muscle strengthening training—including moderate or higher intensity resistance training involving all major muscle groups—not only benefits the body but also significantly enhances cognitive function, with many benefits that aerobic exercise alone cannot achieve.
According to the “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans” and the recommendations of the World Health Organization, it is ideal to engage in muscle strengthening training at least twice a week, in addition to 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to high-intensity aerobic exercise. These trainings include weightlifting, push-ups, and squats. However, data shows that at least three-quarters of people in the United States fail to meet these recommended exercise goals, especially when it comes to completing muscle strengthening training.
All types of exercise are essentially a form of physical stress. If the training method is appropriate, the body will respond adaptively to this stress, becoming stronger and healthier. Muscle strengthening training, especially resistance training, not only increases the heart rate and lung workload but also increases the body’s blood flow, thereby delivering sufficient oxygen to the body.
However, the main benefit of muscle strengthening activity lies in the way it forces muscles to bear weight: the push and pull actions needed to resist forces cause micro-tears in muscle tissues. These tears do not cause real damage; on the contrary, they promote the self-repair process of muscles and build more muscle fibers, making muscles stronger.
A study analysis from 2022 indicated that people who regularly engage in muscle strengthening training have a 10% to 17% lower all-cause mortality rate compared to those who do not. In the same year, epidemiologists and exercise scientists from the University of Iowa used data from nearly 100,000 elderly Americans to find that those who engaged in both aerobic and resistance training had the lowest risk of death. Even just engaging in weightlifting training can significantly reduce the risk of death, especially from cardiovascular diseases.
Muscle strengthening training also helps us resist the aging process and increases lean body mass. This further promotes metabolic health and improves our ability to lift luggage and move goods in daily life. In addition, resistance training strengthens bone density: the tensile force of muscles on bones causes new bone cells to form and become stronger, which is particularly important for aging women.
Research has also shown that muscle strengthening training can significantly improve fatigue and quality of life in cancer survivors. Resistance training also helps prevent and control diabetes, partly because it improves the storage and regulation of blood sugar. Moreover, studies have found that resistance training is associated with a reduction in anxiety and depression. These findings highlight the more complex health benefits of resistance training compared to aerobic exercise.
When engaging in aerobic exercise, whether walking, jogging, running, or hiking, every step is tangible and easy to record. By contrast, muscle strengthening exercises involve many more variables. During muscle exercises, decisions must be made about which body parts to train, the order of exercises, the equipment used, the intensity of the exercise, and how long the rest periods between each workout are. Experts recommend starting with larger muscle groups before smaller ones and ensuring sufficient rest time between each set of exercises, which is crucial because rest triggers the vital muscle repair process.
Resistance training exists in various forms, including but not limited to using resistance bands, push-ups, free weights, or machines for fitness; most importantly, they all apply stress to the muscles. It’s recommended to start with low-intensity training to reduce the risk of injury and strive to achieve at least two workout sessions per week. However, for some people, more frequent and shorter workouts may be more sustainable.
Anne Brady, a clinical exercise physiologist, suggests that for those who are daunted by the high prices of gyms or other reasons, buying a pair of dumbbells or resistance bands to exercise at home is a good choice. She points out that while professional coaching can be very beneficial, especially for beginners, free online videos can also be a good starting point. When searching for workout videos online, one should look for content that has professional certification or is endorsed by reputable organizations.
Over time, it is very important to gradually increase the load and intensity of exercise—this process is known as “progressive resistance”—for beginners, training with 2 kg dumbbells for three sets may be quite challenging, but for regular gym-goers, such a workout may not be stimulating enough. If the same exercises are repeated, muscles will not undergo adaptive development. This principle applies to every aspect of strength training. As long as strength training is incorporated into daily life, most people will be able to improve their health level.
