Why You Should Love Leg Day
By Donna Stark
There are a handful of them at the gym. Those few brave souls who embrace leg day with a passion that isn't often seen. They smile after lifting hundreds of pounds, they encourage those around them to keep at it ... if only their enthusiasm could be bottled up and sold, perhaps more of us could experience the same amount of enjoyment at the gym. Am I right? But as it stands right now, leg day is the most dreaded workout of the week for many people, and if you belong to that crowd, I am going to ask you to keep reading. You may be able to gain a better appreciation for leg day if you know how beneficial the exercises can be to your overall health and quality of life.
Loving Leg Day
If you are trying to sculpt your quads, hamstrings, and calves, you know that a decent leg workout is needed in your fitness routine, but let's not forget that there are so many other reasons to focus on those muscles too! Check some of them out below.
- It makes life easier - From walking to running to sitting to standing, strong muscles in your legs are a necessity if you want to move with ease. When you focus on strengthening your leg muscles, you can look forward to increased mobility, stability, and coordination.
- It burns more calories - Squats, lunges ... there's a lot of movement going on when you are working out some of the biggest muscles in your body so of course, your heart rate is going to increase! And when your heart rate increases, your body will burn more calories.
- It helps undo the damage from excessive sitting - Excessive sitting at work can lead to weak muscles and stiff joints. Fortunately, there are plenty of leg exercises you can do to counteract that damage! Moves like hip extensions, kickbacks, and lunges are perfect for this.
- It increases your speed - Is your new goal to increase your pace while running or cycling? Leg day can help! In addition to increasing your speed, strengthening the muscles in your legs will also help you exercise for a longer amount of time!
- It reduces the risk of injury - Let's face it. If you are an active person, there always seems to be a risk of injury right around the corner. That's why strength training is so important. Working on your lower half helps maintain balance and reduces the risk of injury from overcompensation.
Getting Strong
When it comes to your fitness routine, it is important that you are working out every part of your body, and no matter how tempting it is, don't skip leg day! As you can see, there are so many reasons to embrace the little bit of struggle that comes with it.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Farmington, Utah.