Thag Lift Stuff!

So I went to the gym yesterday, as I do when the weather is bad. As I was working out, I became aware of a big problem: there were scads of people using the cardio machines. Now don't get me wrong, I think it is a great idea for people to exercise and become fitter, but most of us go about it in totally the wrong way.

It's not the fault of the general public. "Experts" have been leading us astray for decades. Go back to the 80's, and most people, especially women, were told to avoid weights in favor of aerobic or cardio training. "Experts" noted two reasons for this:

1. It burned more calories in the allotted time for exercise
2. It made your heart stronger and reduced your chances of heart attack

not to mention, they would say, lifting weights would make you bulky and muscular, like one of those body builders, and what normal person wants to look like that (because body builders totally use NO performance enhancing steroids whatsoever ;) )

As usual, the "experts" did not know what they were talking about. Recent studies have shown that weight training burns as many calories as cardio training, as well as adds lean muscle mass, which increases your basal metabolic rate, so that you burn more calories just sitting and reading the paper. There is also evidence to show that weight training increases your resistance to injury. Finally, resistance training increases bone density. Since osteoporosis is such a big problem in America, particularly among women, the "experts" should not be telling women to avoid weight training.

Now hear me right: I am NOT telling you to avoid doing cardio! Cardiovascular exercise has many benefits, some of which weight training does not confer, such as the aforementioned lowering of heart attack risk. There is still plenty of reason to run, row, or swim. I merely want to encourage you to add resistance training to your usual regimen to gain those additional benefits.

My next post will have a few sample workouts, or consult your personal trainer for ideas on how to add resistance training to your exercise routine.

M. Jacob Ott, MD