The reasons for building muscle can vary from wanting to improve health, fitness and strength, to improving physical appearance.
If you are thinking about starting a muscle-building plan or need some inspiration, our guide contains useful information about why it’s important and the benefits that can come with it.
Topics covered in this guide:
- Physical Benefits
- Mental Benefits
The Physical Benefits of Building Muscle
Building muscle is a great way to improve and stay on top of your physical health. It helps to keep your body strong and reduce the risk of injury. It’s also important as it can help you tackle daily physical challenges, especially if your job requires a lot of manual work.
1. Muscle Helps To Burn Fat
The tissues in your muscles are more effective than body fat at burning calories. Essentially the more muscle you have the more your body is capable of burning fat.
As you build muscle you will also notice an increase in strength levels. This is important because as your strength increases, so does your ability to push yourself harder. This can result in further muscle growth, thus leading to a better rate of burning fat.
2. Muscle Strengthens Your Bones And Joints
Your muscles are essentially the power blocks that keep your body together and they are important for your bone and joint health. Muscles support your joints by handling the stress put on them. This helps to keep your joints flexible, leading to less risk of injury. Your bones become stronger as they adapt to stresses which they are placed under. They become more dense and grow in order to support your muscles.
Photo Credit: Victor Frietas
3. Muscle Improves Your Strength and Stamina
As you build muscle, your strength and stamina will develop. Your strength increase means you will be able to lift heavier weights and push for longer. The reason for this is due to your muscle fibres breaking down from the exercise which then builds back thicker and stronger, leading to an increase in size.
4. Building Muscle Helps In The Long Run
Muscle memory is the process where muscles remember the stresses they’ve been placed under. Even if you take some time away from training, when you return your muscles will already be familiar with the stresses, allowing them to re-activate quicker.
As you hit your 40’s and 50’s it’s natural for the body to start producing lower levels of testosterone, which is the male hormone responsible for the body’s ability to grow muscle and burn fat. This does not mean you won’t benefit from muscle building, it just means you may need more time to recover. It’s also important to focus on getting the right nutrition as this will help to speed up recovery.
The Mental Health Benefits Of Muscle Building
1. Increased Self-Confidence
Having well-developed muscles is a sign of strength and discipline. It can make you feel confident in your physical capability and body image. You may also feel on a personal level that you have accomplished a goal in which you have invested your time and energy, which can be very encouraging and rewarding.
2. Healthy Body = Healthy Mind
The health benefits that you get from exercising and building muscle naturally contribute to your mental wellbeing. If you are out of shape, feeling tired or weak, you might struggle with the daily challenges that life throws at you, for example concentrating at work. Being in shape can help you to tackle these challenges as you will feel mentally more resilient and energised.
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3. Increased Positive Mood
Generally, weightlifting can have a positive impact on your mood. The reason for this is because of the hormones released during exercise known as endorphins. Endorphins are known to improve your mood and make you feel happy. They are helpful in tackling depression and anxiety.
Summary
To summarise, there are plenty of benefits that you get from building muscle which can positively impact your lifestyle. Muscle building may not be the choice for everyone, but any physical activity involves the use of your muscles. This why it’s so important to keep them active and healthy.
