Bodybuilding, Is It Unhealthy?
This is a very common question in today's society
that has been sensitized to the illegal use of
performance enhancing drugs in sports and from
many of the health warnings that go along with
the supplements that bodybuilders use. So is bodybuilding
healthy? Or better yet, can it be healthy? Well
lets take a few moments to try to answer that
question.First of all you have to evaluate your
goals. Are you considering bodybuilding for the
purpose of competition or looking good? Or do
you just want to be stronger, more fit, better
at a sport? These are very different options and
can be attained at very different levels of dedication.
The first is much harder to achieve and because
of this there is a greater temptation to push
the limit and try things that are unnatural and
potentially unhealthy.
The second is just like anything that you do
in moderation, a good and very healthy thing.
It doesn't require as much dedication or specialty
training and isn't nearly as hard to achieve.
So let's hope and assume you are choosing the
second of the two options what are the benefits?The
first and major benefit is that you gain strength
through bodybuilding. Strength is very important
because it protects your joints and bones from
damage due to trauma or repetitive type injuries.
Lifting weights has also been shown to increase
and maintain bone density, an especially important
thing for older women who have to pay a lot of
attention to preventing osteoporosis and all of
the pain and risk involved with that disease.
Increased strength also means increased muscle
mass which is good for several reasons.First muscle
is the great regular of glucose metabolism. It
is very sensitive to the effects of insulin and
helps the body to maintain normal glucose levels
and decreases the risks of diabetes mellitus.
Muscle also has a very high rate of metabolism
and is a very efficient consumer of calories that
are stored up in fat cells.
This makes it easier to maintain your weight
and to avoid all of the harmful effects of obesity
and high body fat.So if you were considering bodybuilding s
please save yourselves a lot of trouble while
at the same time squeezing the maximum potential
for enjoyment of this life by doing it in a healthy
fashion.
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