Pump that iron! Why lifting weights is great for your health and fitness.

I know what you're thinking, "I don't want to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger." Well, contrary to what you might perceive, weight training is a vital part of any healthy workout routine, and can help you maintain weight loss, improve muscle tone, and importantly, contribute to a healthy body and healthy mind. Here's a few reasons why including weights in your regular workouts will make you feel fantastic.

It helps with weight loss.

Yep, lifting weights improves your weight loss. Adam Campbell from Women's Health says "If you think cardio is the key to blasting belly fat, keep reading: When Penn State researchers put dieters into three groups—no exercise, aerobic exercise only, or aerobic exercise and weight training—they all lost around 21 pounds, but the lifters shed six more pounds of fat than those who didn't pump iron. Why? The lifters' loss was almost pure fat; the others lost fat and muscle.Other research on dieters who don't lift shows that, on average, 75 percent of their weight loss is from fat, while 25 percent is from muscle. Muscle loss may drop your scale weight, but it doesn't improve your reflection in the mirror and it makes you more likely to gain back the flab you lost. However, if you weight train as you diet, you'll protect your hard-earned muscle and burn more fat."

You'll be around on planet earth for longer.

Research shows that regular weight training improves your longevity. As we get older, the more muscle mass we have, the less likely we are to die prematurely, according to 2014 research from UCLA. "In other words, the greater your muscle mass, the lower your risk of death," study co-author Arun Karlamangla, M.D., said in a statement. "Thus, rather than worrying about weight or body mass index, we should be trying to maximize and maintain muscle mass."

It helps combat chronic health issues.

By incorporating weights into your regular routine, you can help to ward off all sorts of health concerns. Weight training car reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and there is even some promising research to suggest it help in the fight against, and recovery from, cancer.

It makes you feel great!

Lifting weights releases more endorphins (happy hormones) than cardio exercises, making you feel great after a workout. Studies also show that weightlifting helps with body image perception, confidence, and mental focus.