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Weight training, pumping iron as it's often put in popular media, is one of the healthiest and best exercise routines you can do for your body. The image of buffed up men pushing their bodies to the absolute limits was never the truth of weight training. A regular routine with weight training machines or free weights can serve as an exercise program alone, or can supplement an already established fitness routine such as regular aerobic exercise for added benefits.
Weight training very directly puts stress on your body, but it is a good stress. While aerobic routines will get your body limber and get your heart racing, weight training, which is an anaerobic exercise, that is not utilizing oxygen, causes your muscles to build mass and provide greater performance in short duration activities. This may seem to be unhelpful for activities like swimming and bicycling, but weight training helps reduce oxygen consumption in aerobic activities leading to greater performance in these areas as well.
This endurance building will support your daily activities which become easier as your strength and stamina increases. Muscular development, especially that found when using free weights, will build strength in smaller muscles that can provide for better posture, lowering your chances of consistent back pain. Furthermore, the resistance found in weight training toughens the connective tissue in your joints. This will lessen your chance of injury and improve already weak or previously injured joints.
Beyond these immediately practical results, weight training triggers certain responses from your body that are great for your health. Regular training will reduce your resting blood pressure and resting heart rate. It also increases the amount of the "good" HDL cholesterol in your blood stream. The intense use of body energy required in weight training will also boost your metabolism as well, burning more calories than you would regularly. All of these improvements lead to a decrease in the chances of colon cancer, osteoporosis, adult onset diabetes, and a boost to your immune system.
If these weren't enough benefits, better posture, bigger muscles, less fat, and better coordination make you just simply look better. No reason to feel superficial, because the results run deep. These in combination with the added health benefits will make you feel better in general and have a much more level and elevated mood.
It's a recursive process as well. As you feel better and build more confidence with training, you'll exercise more and gain more results as you go.
