Fitness professionals have been touting the benefits of strength training for years. Science knows it works, and exercise enthusiasts can attest to the fact that lifting weights is beneficial in a number of ways.

Here are Three Reasons to Start Lifting

1. Anybody can lift and receive benefits, from teens to seniors.

In younger exercisers, lifting will build confidence, improve focus, and keep them in the gym, and out of trouble!

In seniors, weight lifting will help to maintain independence by preventing injuries. Strength training will also build back decreased muscle mass, improve balance, and strengthen and build bones and ligaments.

2. Weights are great for beginners, injury recovery, and other "special populations."

The great thing about weight lifting is there is a lot of rest involved. Ahhhh, rest. Now that's a word you don't hear too often when we're talking about exercise. Some people simply cannot sustain thirty minutes of continuous exercise. Or find that other activities place too much impact on their muscles and joints.

Others, such as rehabilitative patients, require strength training to recover.

3. It's an exercise that will tone, speed metabolism, while at the same time prevent injury.

Most activities will get you into great shape but they are also tough on the body. Even yoga is known to cause injuries in the most practiced students. However, with refined technique, and spotting weight training is very safe. Building muscle mass increases long term metabolism, so you will lose more weight while building tone and definition.

Not to mention lifting weights will build, stabilize and strengthen the body to prevent injury and in some cases, even heal injuries.

I have a lot of fitness interests that keep me busy throughout the week. Between my runs, dancing, yoga, walking and cycling I sometimes have to fit lifting in whenever I can. Last week it was in between choreography practice. I ran through my routine, worked my chest, went through it again, worked my glutes. I did this until I had a pretty darn decent full body training session under my belt. I find the time not only because I enjoy it, but because as an athlete, and a very active person, it's one of the only exercises that is reconstructive. Unlike many activities with impact, that cause wear and tear on the body, lifting builds and supports. I see weight lifting as a supplement. If I'm going to run, dance, cycle etc then I better be preventative, to continue my active interests for the years ahead.