When most people think about power training, they think of massive overinflated body builders glistening with fake tan shaping up in front of a mirror. However power training is about a lot more than that, and is important for people of all ages.
Of course power is really important in terms of athletic performance but it is really important in terms of injury prevention and everyday wellness as well. For starters, power training is vital for injury prevention. The sorts of movements that regularly cause injury are often fast unexpected movements (like catching yourself when you fall). This sort of scenario requires a quick and powerful response from your muscles, and if you don't have sufficient power, will result in injury. By doing power training, you help prepare your muscles for just such a scenario.
Power training is also really important for general wellness. It enables you to do resistance exercise and build up your cardiovascular base at the same time by lifting weights repeatedly and quickly. This enables you to build up your endurance base without losing muscle mass.
But I don't want to be a body builder, you say. Is muscle mass really that important?
Well as it turns out, yes. Muscle tissue is important for your health, not just your looks. It helps you maintain your weight (muscle tissue burns as much as 15 times as many calories as fat tissue does, even at rest) and the American Heart Association has now gone away from the standard half hour cardio a day to recommend strength training at least twice a week to maintain the health of your heart.
So rather than just plodding along doing your resistance exercise at a leisurely pace, why not add some speed to it? Increase your power and you will increase your health.
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