How Can Strength Training Help You Lose Weight?

Exercise can be extremely beneficial to any weight management program. During a low-calorie diet, it is common that muscle is lost causing one’s basal metabolic rate to decrease. In general, strength training helps you retain the muscle that is present while eating a calorie deficit diet to lose weight. By retaining or increasing muscle mass the metabolism stays active and helps with weight loss. Strength training can also be an effective method for burning off calories without stressing the heart as much as aerobic exercises do. Along with increased metabolic activity, after lifting weights at a moderate to high intensity there is an excess post-exercise oxygen consumption effect. This effect causes additional calorie consumption to help return the body to a normal state as it was prior to exercising. While strength straining helps with weight-loss, aerobic exercises do offer their own unique benefits. Both types of exercise should be included in your weight-loss journey.