Benefits of Strength Training to Become Your Best Self

You may have heard me talk about ‘meeting yourself at 110%’. My belief is that everybody owes it to themselves to show up for themselves way beyond what they may have believed is possible! That extra 10% is the breakthrough past your own self-perceived limitations.

If you have set yourself the goal to become your ‘best self’or to ‘reach optimum potential’ it is a highly individual, ongoing and personal journey.  Whatever this looks like to you, I want to focus on why it is important to include strength training onthis mission.  There is also no one-size-fits-all way of including strength training in your busy life, so today, we will just focus onthe benefits.  If this provides the will, then you will find a way!

Becoming your best is not about comparing yourself to others or conforming to external expectations.  It’s about tapping into your unique abilities, passions, and values to create fulfilling and purpose-driven life that resonates with you.  Let’s now call it reaching optimal potential, and define it asthe ability to get the most out of yourself in every situation now, while keeping the ongoing journey in mind.

Strength training is one component of overall personal development and reachingyour optimum potential.  Other aspects such as education, skill development, emotional intelligence and cultivating meaningful relationships are also vital.  Nurturing all areas is the key, if being strong is not your primary goal, I still recommend to develop your strength for its unique results which I will explain.Achieving your optimum potential is a holistic process that involves a combination of physical, mental, emotional and social growthacross all aspects above.

The great news is strength training is a stimulus for changing our physical, mental and emotional health and indirectly has an impact on our social health.

Physical Health

Regular strength training promotes better overall health, being ‘healthy’ is the optimal state to operate from. Building muscle strength can improve posture, reduces body imbalances and aches and pains, provides resilience to injury, counteracts the natural breakdown of bone and muscles which starts from the 30’s and can lead to diseases, and reduces the risk of chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity and heart disease.  Prevention is more efficient than having to find the cure later.

-With regular strength training, your overall functional health will be improved, making daily activities easier for life.  Performing every-day tasks with ease as a result of being physically stronger is so underrated, mainly because we take it for granted now- Have you ever hear the saying use it or lose it? Well this applies. Functioning optimally is about continuous improvement, not regression.

-Aweight loss or muscle gain program including strength training is most successful, the Body Mass Index determines the range of optimal bodyweight.For weight loss, strength training burns calories, yet preserves muscle, relying on justcaloriedeficit or cardio puts you at risk of losing muscle mass not only fat mass.  This musclemassretention, amongst the benefits in the first point, manages metabolic slowdown.  Increasing muscle mass requires strength training, which speeds up the metabolism, in both cases, muscle tissue requires more energy in calories to sustain itself so you ‘burn more’ even at rest.

-Weight training can help reshape your body and improve your overall body composition which you desire for your version of the optimal body image.  While the number on the scale may not change drastically, with strength training, you can experience reductions in body fat percentage and in visible inches as you lose fat and gain muscle. This can result in a more toned and sculpted physique.

Mental Health

-Strength training increases the production of key neurotransmitters including serotonin which regulates mood, sleep, cognition, memory and learning.  Increased cognitive function will help you reach your optimal performance efficiently.

-Building physical strength can foster mental resilience, discipline and determination which also translates into the other aspect of reaching your optimum potential which I listed in the intro.

Emotional Health

-Achieving strength and fitness goals can significantly enhance confidence and self-esteem.  The sense of accomplishment that comes from progressing in strength training can spill over into over areas of life such as career, relationships and personal growth.  Increased confidence can lead to taking on new challenges, pursuing ambitious goals and pushing beyond perceived limitations.

-Strength training has been shown to have positive effects on mental health and emotional well-being.  It can help to reduce anxiety and symptoms of depression, one of the ways being through the release of endorphins which are natural mood-boosting hormones.

–Optimum potential is not just about achievement, it involves taking care of your well-being along the journey. Our work, and even our strength training can be taken to burnout level.  Understanding your own ‘sweet spot’ can contribute to the best mental and emotional state.Regular strength training can provide an outlet for stress and tension, alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression. As mentionedabove, strength training has a positive impact on hormones and mood, but please note that strength training also releases the ‘stress hormone’ cortisol.   There are strength training variations and other types of stress management you can implement if stress or fatigue are slowing down your progress.

Social Health

-The added confidence gained as a result of getting stronger and becoming more capable and successful or through an aesthetic transformation can have a positive impact on social health.  We can overcome self-made social barriers which may have been holding back our potential.  Therefore, strength training can have an indirect positive impact on the quality and quantity of our relationships.

-It is said that a contributor of our own success are the circles we move in.  Finding like-minded people who also keepfit means they will experiencethe same benefits we are discussing.  A healthy, happy tribe around you can provide motivation, ideas, opportunities and positive social influence for you to reach your optimum potential.

If we know, by taking certain actions now that our immediate general health and in the future can be improved then let’s act!  Incorporating strength training into our lives is a powerful tool for unlocking our optimum potential.  By engaging in regular strength training, we unlock a multitude of physical and mental benefits that positively impact various aspects of our lives.

Strength training promotes overall health and longevity, providing us with the physical foundation necessary to fully embrace life’s opportunities.

The mood-boosting effects of strength training contribute to overall mental wellbeing empowering us to navigate life’s ups and downs with greater ease.

Strength training serves as a catalyst propelling us forward on this journey of self-discovery and self-improvement. So, let is embrace the barbells, dumbells and resistance bands as more than just tools for physical transformation.  Let us recognize strength training as the gateway to unlocking our true potential- physically strong, mentally resilient and ready to seize the limitless opportunities that life presents.  By embracing the challenge of building physical strength, we embark on a path that leads to breakdown existing limitations, towards the fulfilment of our highest aspirations and the realization of our optimum potential.