13 Health Conditions That Strength Training Can Improve

Strength training — also known as resistance training — is a form of exercise that builds and strengthens muscles. You're participating in strength training when you lift weights or complete exercises that use your body for resistance (via Better Health Channel). 

Strength training is so much more than building muscle to show off. Strong muscles are necessary for practically every bodily function and system. For instance, walking the dog, getting out of bed, and chewing your food all require muscle. Muscles also keep your digestive tract moving and your heart pumping blood throughout your body (via the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases).

In fact, you might be surprised at everything strength training can do for your body, mind, and health, including improving your cardiovascular health and potentially helping you live longer (via the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health). Continue reading to learn about several health conditions that a regular resistance training regimen could help you overcome or improve.

As you might imagine from its name, cardiovascular exercise is key to cardiovascular health. But if you're skipping all forms of strength training in favor of only getting exercise by way of cardio, you're doing your heart a disservice. In fact, some research suggests that strength training could be even more important for your heart than cardio.

Research presented in the 2018 American College of Cardiology Latin America Conference found that static exercise (like strength training) more effectively reduced cardiovascular risk symptoms such as high cholesterol and being overweight than dynamic exercise (like cardio) did. As statistical epidemiologist and lead researcher Maia P. Smith explains, "Both strength training and aerobic activity appeared to be heart healthy, even in small amounts, at the population level. However, static activity appeared more beneficial than dynamic, and patients who did both types of physical activity fared better than patients who simply increased the level of one type of activity." 

In summary, getting both cardio and strength training into your routine is your best bet for heart health, but don't underestimate the importance of building muscle.

Regular back pain sufferers could find relief when they add strength training to their usual exercise routine. In a story for Women's Health, a young woman named Cali Shadburn recounted a severe back injury she experienced after falling down the stairs in her home. In lieu of surgery, Shadburn decided to try strength and balance training with a trainer named Joel. After training weekly using exercises to strengthen her core and back, Shadburn found some relief relatively quickly. A few weeks later, her "pain had drastically improved," and over time, the pain was gone. Shadburn credits her consistent strength training routine with Joel for her ability to forego surgery in favor of a more natural healing method.

Research supports strength training's benefits for the back. A 2016 study in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation explored the effects of strength training on patients with chronic back pain. The participants completed a 12-week exercise program with 50-minute strength training exercises twice weekly. Using various questionnaires, scales, and evaluations, the researchers found that strength training significantly improved lumbar function and pain. Interestingly, a group that combined strength training with walking had the most improved pain levels.

Healthy bones are protectors of our bodies. They secure important organs like the heart and brain, and allow us to move in ways that keep us healthy. The NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center lists several potential risk factors for bone disease, including a poor diet, being underweight, and smoking. Another possible cause of bone loss is not getting enough physical activity, as exercise keeps bones strong.

Harvard Health Publishing says that strength training can slow bone loss and, sometimes, improve bone density as it encourages the stimulation of bone cells. Also, strength training targets bones that are most likely to break, like those in the back and arms, while building coordination and balance to prevent future falls.

A 2018 article in Endocrinology and Metabolism pulled together strong evidence supporting the link between strength training and bone health. For instance, some research shows that the mechanical load placed on bones during resistance training results in stronger bones over time, with the best results seen in youth who participate in weight training. Additionally, researchers write that resistance training, "either alone or in combination with other interventions, may be the most optimal strategy to improve the muscle and bone mass in postmenopausal women, middle-aged men, or even the older population. "

Parkinson's disease is a brain-affecting disorder characterized by limb stiffness, tremors, and balance problems (via Parkinson's Foundation). Several types of physical activity may be able to help people with Parkinson's disease see an improvement in symptoms or slow the progression of the disease. For instance, exercising using left and right patterns, like lifting the left arm while lifting the right knee, can help patients make important brain-nerve connections to keep both sides of their brains working together. Strength training is also recommended as part of a regular exercise routine to keep muscles strong and coordinated. Swimming can be an excellent form of resistance training to improve strength without causing pain (via Johns Hopkins Medicine).

An author manuscript published in a 2021 edition of Seminars in Neurology explores the many benefits of physical therapy and strength training for patients with Parkinson's disease. Reviewed evidence shows improved mobility, enlarged muscle fibers and muscles, and improved muscle stimulation following resistance training. The author points out that, based on evidence, some people may see better results from exercise than others, but research supports the idea that strength training could improve early signs of Parkinson's disease.

A 68-year-old woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) asked Harvard Health experts if weight training is a good exercise for her to use to lose weight, as she was finding herself short of breath quickly when using an exercise bike. The answer? "Getting in shape involves working both your heart (cardiovascular exercise) and your muscles (strength training). One of the important benefits of strength training is that it makes your muscles more efficient at extracting oxygen from your blood."

When oxygen can more easily come from your blood, you could improve breathing problems you have, including COPD, a condition that affects the airways and makes it more difficult to breath (via the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute). In a 2017 study published in the Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis, researchers studied how resistance training affected patients with COPD. They found "significant improvements" in the patients' shortness of breath and health-related quality of life.

Flexibility is crucial to reduce the potential of injuries during and outside periods of exercise. It can also improve your posture. Flexibility can decrease if you're not physically active enough, putting you at a potentially higher risk of injury and falls as you age (via Ace Fitness).

Some exercises target flexibility, like yoga and pilates. However, these exercises may not interest you enough to add them to your exercise routines. Fortunately, strength training can also improve flexibility. Dr. Lem Taylor tells Men's Journal, "It's a common myth that if you lift weights, your muscles, and range of motion, start to shorten. That can happen, and it's purposeful for some people, but the muscle has no desire to get shorter, so if you're training correctly, it's unlikely that flexibility will decrease, and it may actually improve." Taylor adds that when you use proper form during strength exercise, you work through a full range of motion, which keeps your flexibility intact and could boost joint flexibility.