Muscle strengthening: find out what it is and how to improve it!

Muscle strengthening

It is common knowledge that regular exercise contributes to health and well-being. And a complementary part of physical activity is muscle strengthening. Therefore, if you have or want to have an active lifestyle, you need to be informed on the subject.

Having good muscle strength helps relieve pain and provides greater flexibility for people at different stages of life. It is also a great ally in preventing injuries. To learn more about the practice, its benefits and tips on how to strengthen your muscles, continue reading!

What is muscle strengthening?

Muscle strengthening is a process that involves increasing strength, endurance and muscle mass through specific exercises. This is something that will be developed through practice and repetition. Muscle strengthening workouts are very versatile and can involve everything from body weight exercises to the use of other equipment such as bands and weights.

This type of exercise is recommended for everyone, when accompanied by a professional specialized in the area. This monitoring is essential for a personalized physical assessment and training.

Benefits of muscle strengthening

There is a long list of benefits related to muscle strengthening, which can contribute to both physical and mental health, improving sleep quality, reducing stress and increasing self-confidence. In addition to these, some of the main physical benefits of the practice include:

  • Improved performance : increased physical strength makes it easier to perform daily tasks and improves performance in sports and other physical activities;
  • Injury prevention: having strong muscles will help stabilize your joints and, in the long run, help prevent injuries;
  • Increased bone health and density: training muscle strength stimulates bone formation, helping to prevent fractures and problems such as osteoporosis;
  • Increased muscle mass: strengthening muscles helps to increase muscles, providing a more resistant, toned and defined body;
  • Improved posture and mobility: in addition to improving flexibility and balance, reducing the risk of falls, having stronger muscles helps maintain correct posture.

How to strengthen muscles?

Contrary to what many people think, weight training is not the only way to do this. Functional training exercises, yoga and Pilates can also contribute to strengthening, especially for the elderly. In fact, we published a list of 9 low-impact exercises

here on the blog that can contribute to the goal of muscle strengthening. Read it and learn more about the subject.

Check out more tips on how to achieve muscle strengthening below:

1. Do functional training

Functional training is a good option for those who want to break free from a sedentary lifestyle without leaving home. These are simple workouts that offer good results for the body. Not only in terms of muscle strengthening, but also in terms of overall well-being.

Some examples of exercises for functional training include: squats, jumping rope, running between cones, jumping on boxes or benches, lunges, abductions and adductions.

2. Have a balanced diet

There is no point in training as often as you should if your diet doesn’t follow suit.

You don’t need to stop eating your everyday foods and drown yourself in salads, but rather follow the concept of mindful eating , that is, having a conscious diet and eating what is good for your body , making the best choices.

Certain foods help to maintain regular calcium levels, which is an essential mineral for strengthening bones. If this is one of your goals with muscle strengthening, remember that vegetables, milk and fish are foods that help with this recovery.

3. Try to exercise in the water

This tip is super valuable for older people, but it shouldn’t be ignored by younger people. Swimming and water aerobics are activities that work all muscle exercises well and don’t cause as much impact on the joints.

Exercising in water provides gentle, steady resistance , which is great for strengthening muscles without the risk of injury. Plus, the buoyancy of the water reduces pressure on joints, which is great for seniors or adults suffering from arthritis and other joint conditions.

4. Get adequate rest

Important, but often neglected, rest is an important part of the muscle strengthening process. During activities, muscles suffer micro injuries, which will be repaired during rest, providing hypertrophy.

With a good night’s rest, you can prevent injuries, gain strength and achieve the muscle mass you’ve always dreamed of. After training, it is recommended that the stimulated muscles rest for at least 48 hours before the next workout . If you want to move around in some way, you can exercise different muscles or do aerobic activities.

Does muscle strengthening prevent injuries?

Muscle strengthening can help prevent possible injuries, but it is essential that the exercises are done regularly and with the appropriate load, in addition to professional supervision.

We can’t say that maintaining a muscle-strengthening exercise routine will completely eliminate the chances of muscle injury, because this depends on several factors. For example, if you perform a movement incorrectly with an excessive load, injuries can still occur. But, without a doubt, it is a great way to prevent and treat muscle injuries in advance .

In other words, in addition to strengthening your muscles, you need to be careful, learn how to execute the movements correctly and progress gradually. Don’t take a step too far.

So, now that you know the benefits and the different types of training that can provide muscle strengthening, just take the next step!

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