2 Reasons to Start Weightlifting for Weight Loss this Winter
February 13, 2023
Let’s face it. Winter is a tough season. Winter challenges us. It is too cold to leave the house, our energy levels are naturally lower from the lack of sun, and we often go to hibernation mode waiting for the summer months. If your winters aren’t bad, you not live in the midwest, mountain west, or north!
Often, we try to cheat winter by looking for hacks to avoid the holiday weight gain. However, instead of dreading to sweat and cold outside air combination or if you are struggling to make it into the gym, a new approach could be helpful.
Does weightlifting to slim down make sense? Is it possible? Let’s dive in. Weightlifting or strength training offers multiple benefits that supports weight-loss efforts. Here are 2 reasons how.
The weights will crank up your metabolism. With all of holiday eating, many turn to cardio to lose fat since it burns calories fast. But weightlifting supports greater calorie burn long after your workout is over. Resistance training helps develop muscles that, in turn, help you burn more calories. This is because more muscle means a higher basal metabolic rate (BMR), or how many calories your body burns at rest — which is responsible for 60–75% of your overall daily calorie burn.
Working out, but specifically weight training releases endorphins. These are the hormones that promote good feelings and energy. For many of us, winter marks the arrival of seasonal depression and upticks in anxiety and stress due to increased demands at work and home. This can lead to comfort eating to cope, which increases the potential for weight gain. Although it’s no cure-all, lifting may help keep your mood and weight in check. In fact, resistance training seems to help reduce symptoms of depression, regardless of how intense or long the workout is, according to a 2018 metanalysis of 33 clinical trials published in JAMA Psychiatry.
Here is the link to the published article: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2680311
If you need extra guidance in exercise to raise your energy levels, please reach out to KB Fitness Solutions. Our team of certified fitness professionals will be glad to help you achieve what you are meant to achieve!
