For most people, weight lifting is all about gaining muscle mass, getting in top shape and looking great. While all of these things come with a great body, there are other great benefits of weight lifting which people either don’t think about or don’t know. If you are lifting weights or planning to, here are 4 benefits that are guaranteed to motivate you even further.

Fight Depression

While most studies about exercise and its effect on depression are focused on aerobic exercises, one study says that both aerobic and anaerobic exercises are equally effective. Working out, be it running or lifting weights, does wonders for your mental health, whether you are suffering from depression or not. Moreover, exercise releases ‘feel good’ hormones which relax you and contribute to your wellbeing. According to a study in The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (2004), two groups – men who ran and men who lifted weights over a period of eight weeks, remained depression free.

Avoid Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a bone condition which often comes with age. As people get older, they lose muscle as well as bone mass due to natural wear and tear and reduction in the body’s capability to repair and regenerate tissues. While this ailment concerns both men and women, the latter sex is more prone to risk due to naturally smaller and less dense bones. Weight lifting on the other hand, does not only strengthen your muscles but also your bones, which have to adapt to accommodate the additional work the body has to do. This leads to stronger, more dense bones, which are not as prone to wear and tear during later stages of life.

Improved Mobility

Mobility depends on your body’s self-awareness and ability to use the right muscles in the required sequence. If you pay attention to your daily movements, you will realize that muscles work in a pattern, allowing you to carry out complex movements like getting out of a car. Weight lifting not only results in stronger muscles but more practice in terms of muscle patterns, most of which are then used in your daily life, giving you better and safer mobility.

Reduce risk of diabetes

According to the WHO, around 350 million people in the world suffer from diabetes and according to its estimates, in about 15 years or so, diabetes will be the seventh most death causing disease. While most people are aware of the benefits of modifying their lifestyle to reduce the risk of diabetes, nearly all of them focus on the dietary precautions as opposed to exercise. According to a study in The Archives of Internal Medicine, men who lifted weights for around 2 ½ hour every week had an over 30 percent lower risk of contracting diabetes.

So now when you are not feeling up to lifting those weights, think about the considerable health benefits you are gaining apart from a great body!