Many women avoid lifting weights and other strength training exercises and focus on aerobics or flexibility training instead. One of the reasons is that some women fear they’ll build big bulky muscles. Another is they believe weightlifting is not feminine. Neither is correct. Strength training should be part of everyone’s exercise program, not just men’s fitness programs. Strength training is a valuable asset for weight loss and provides many other benefits.
Strength training builds muscle tissue as it burns calories.
When you use aerobic training as your primary form of fitness you’ll burn a lot of calories. The problem is the calories come from burning both muscle and fat tissue. When you burn calories doing strength training it causes the body to burn fat for energy as it builds muscle tissue. Muscle tissue requires more calories to maintain, so the more you have the more calories you burn 24/7 by boosting metabolism. Strength training makes weight loss and maintenance easier.
Weight-bearing exercises help prevent osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis occurs when calcium leaches from the bone and makes them weak and brittle. One cause is less muscle tugging on the bone. When muscle tugs on the bone, the body sends calcium to it to strengthen it. Young women are more protected from osteoporosis because of hormones but once menopause occurs, that protection disappears. Doing strength training builds stronger muscles that tug on the bone and replenish the bone calcium.
Strength training reduces the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and arthritis pain.
Doing any exercise helps burn calories. Strength training does that and boosts the metabolism to help prevent weight gain. It helps lower blood pressure and regulates blood sugar. When you work larger muscles, it causes the body to create nitric oxide that causes vessels to expand, lowering blood pressure. It burns excess glucose to help normalize blood glucose. It also strengthens the tendons and muscles around joints while stimulating the flow of synovial fluid that lubricates the joints. Both help relieve pain from arthritis.
- Exercise helps reduce menstrual cramps and can help reduce menopausal symptoms. One study found that strength training for 45 minutes three times weekly cuts the number of hot flashes in half.
- Studies on bone density and the effect of menopause and exercise found that inactive women lost 20% of their bone density during menopause, while active women only lost 10%.
- Exercising before and during pregnancy can help reduce the risk of childbirth and make delivery easier. It keeps both the mother and baby safer. Regular exercise can also make fertilization easier.
- Strength training can improve mental health and boost confidence. It improves posture, making you look and feel more self-assured. That makes a huge difference in all parts of your life.
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