BENEFITS OF STRENGTH TRAINING FOR WOMEN
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, only about 20 percent of women regularly lift weights despite all the benefits. Strength training is a crucial part of fitness from weight loss to endurance and every step in between; however, it is common for women to avoid or feel discouraged to pursue certain styles of workouts that seem more aggressive, especially in the beginning of their fitness journey. Here are 3 basic benefits to strength training for women to help encourage the next steps towards your goals.
1.Lowering Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes
Heart Disease is currently the number one cause of death for females in America (about 1 in every 5)[1], but how do we, as women, lower that? One of the biggest solutions is taking your health into your own hands and making healthy changes. Those who take part in regular strength training may see a 40% to 70% decrease in Cardiovascular Disease Risk, and women may see a 40% decrease in Diabetes Risk[2] because strength training helps improve metabolic efficiency, inflammation in the body, and insulin sensitivity. Lowering these risks can not only increase life span but also increase the quality of life. Let’s change the 1 in every 5!
2. Toning Muscles Without The Bulk
One of the top worries when women start lifting weights is the fear of getting big or bulky over time. But due to the lower levels of testosterone, which is about 10% of the testosterone that men typically have[3], weight lifting results in toning and shaping instead of gaining size. Bulking requires consuming more calories than your body needs while lifting heavy to increase muscle mass and faster growth. So with moderate weight lifting on a regular basis and a healthy diet that will fuel your body (based on RMR), strength training will not result in a bulk but healthy fat loss and muscle growth.
To know your RMR and understand how many calories you need to fuel your body for healthy weight lifting, talk to a personal trainer about our INBODY Scanner!
3. Strengthen Your Bones (Goodbye Osteoporosis)
Osteoporosis affects around 10 million Americans, 80% of which are females[4]. Lifting weights helps engage your muscles in turn, pulling your bones, which makes them stronger. Strength training can not only offset bone loss but also increase bone density in women who lift weights. Strengthening of bones can counteract the effects of osteoporosis and can help with day to day activities, such as carrying groceries with no fear of injury or pain.
[2]https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2019/03000/Associations_of_Resistance_Exercise_with.14.aspx#
[4]https://health.gov/healthypeople/about/workgroups/osteoporosis-workgroup
