I recently looked at an infographic published by the American College of Sports Medicine on the benefits of resistance training. It got me thinking about my undergraduate exercise physiology class and how far science has progressed in recent decades in understanding the relationship between strength training and health. The professor, who was excellent, by the way, stated that there was no health benefit to strength training. He was simply repeating what he had learned. Even though I was still in my teens, I knew this could not possibly be correct. Everyone knew that weight-training built muscle and strength, but scientific evidence was beginning to pop up here and there that supported my belief that strength training was good for more than just athletics and sports performance.

Soon after graduation, this idea was further supported by work I was involved with at one of my first professional positions working as the assistant director of a medical school fitness center in North Carolina. My supervisor had partnered with the diabetes treatment department and the adjoining medical center. My job was to take the program participants through a specially designed weight-training circuit to help lower their A1c (blood sugar). Not only did the participants gain muscle and strength over the course of the program, but many also lost considerable weight. In addition, many participants saw a significant decrease in A1c. Most were able to reduce their medication, and some were even able to stop taking medication altogether and manage their type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise alone.

Over the years, I managed to stay current with strength training research and felt validated when study after study confirmed my belief that regular strength training was extremely beneficial in preventing or treating a whole host of health conditions. Most people wouldn’t even consider that strength training helped the brain and muscles to communicate properly or that strength training is a major part of balance. Additionally, strength training is outstanding for increasing bone density and the strength of connective tissue.

In a 2017 article published in the Journal of Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, researchers Shiroma et al., examined the link between type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and strength training. They followed the data from over 35,000 women, each of whom had responded to a questionnaire annually from 2000-2014 that included physical activity questions. The researchers assessed their health outcomes and found that compared with women who did not participate in a strength training program, women who strength-trained experienced a 30% decrease in the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Additionally, a risk reduction of 17% in cardiovascular disease was shown in women that strength-trained. Participation in both cardiovascular training and strength training also showed a greater benefit than cardiovascular training alone. The researchers concluded that strength training programs have the potential to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease independent of aerobic exercise.

Though science is still working out the specific exercises, intensity, and duration of strength training programs used to treat various conditions, the evidence clearly supports strength training as part of a health care plan. Also, strength training is an integral part of preventative medicine and should be performed regularly by most people.

I have been teaching my clients for years that weights are just tools and that, with professional guidance, they can be used for just about anything, including a cardiovascular workout. Arthritis, cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, hypertension, insomnia, osteoarthritis, pulmonary vascular disease, and stroke treatment are just a few conditions that research has shown to benefit from resistance training. I have said this before, and I will say it again, strength training is a fundamental part of health. If you are unsure where to start, talk to your primary care physician and certainly include a professional trainer in the conversation.

Dave Bellomo is a fitness trainer and wellness professional and can be reached at dave.bellomo@gmail.com or messaged through Bellomo Fitness on Facebook.