You will achieve a sleek, fit tone and other health benefits. Here’s why women shouldn’t be afraid of weight training.
Fights the Aging Process
Getting older happens to everyone, but there’s nothing wrong with delaying the process as long as you feel like it. Weight training can help women fight the aging process by assisting them in replenishing lost muscle tissue.
Your myocytes are muscle cells that lose their ability to repair damaged fibers, which can create a ripple effect. As you lose strength and muscle fiber, your gait changes, making you more prone to falls and broken bones.
Furthermore, you may lose appetite with muscle mass, leaving you deficient in crucial vitamins and minerals. You lose 50% of your peak mass by age 80 if you don’t take proactive steps.
Weight training improves your body’s ability to regrow lost muscle fibers. When you lift, you create microscopic tears in these fibers, which your body strives to repair during rest. Your cells operate much like the human possessing them — they get better with practice. Regular weight training with adequate rest for stretching and nutrition can slow the aging process by keeping your muscles strong.
Helps You Burn Calories — Even at Rest
Weight training can help you lose weight and keep it off because muscle is a metabolically active tissue compared to fat. You continue burning calories even while at rest. Estimates vary on how much you can burn, but the metabolic rate of your muscles is about 4.5 to 7 calories per pound. Over time, the difference adds up.
Any form of physical activity will increase your percentage of overall muscle mass compared to fat. However, strength training means you continue burning more calories up to 72 hours after exercise.
It Doesn’t Have to Take Much Time
According to the World Health Organization, adults need 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week to maintain optimal health. However, you don’t have to spend all it on weight training. Doing so could be counterproductive unless you take careful steps to work opposing muscle groups on different days to avoid overtraining.
According to research, you need a minimum of two days of strength training per week to maintain muscle mass and you should do three or more to sculpt sleek muscles. However, you don’t have to hit the gym. A quality set of resistance bands or hand weights slide under your couch and let you work out in your living room while you stream your favorite shows.
However, some people prefer the formality of going to the gym to keep them on track with their regimen. They enjoy the atmosphere and encouragement of others.
Should you use free weights or machines? Both have their perks. Machines hold your body in precise alignment and prevent injury, but free weights incorporate more muscle groups as you stabilize yourself while working through your sets.
Sculpts Your Curves
Do you want to change your body shape? Little things can make a marked difference. For example, broader shoulders can make your waistline look smaller, creating a lovely hourglass shape if you have wide hips.
Women lack the necessary free testosterone to build bulky muscles. Therefore, you won’t get big thighs or biceps from hitting the weight room. However, you will add some lovely tone to your muscles.
For example, are you interested in defining your lower arm muscles and reducing fat? Performing exercises like tricep kickbacks and pushdowns will tone the back of your arms, leaving you feeling confident and sexy in your sleeveless tops.
It’s an Essential Fitness Component
Complete fitness consists of three components — strength training, cardiovascular activity and flexibility. You can build strength by lifting weights.
Are you in a hurry? You can combine different aspects of fitness in workouts such as HIIT. For example, moves like thrusters combine cardiovascular activity and weight training activities. Squatting low, then pressing a set of dumbbells over your head will get your heart racing like a sprinter’s without lacing up your running shoes.
However, you should always wear closed-toed shoes while lifting — even a 3-pound weight can shatter a toe when dropped from the right height.
Achieve Your Workout Goals with Weight Training
Many women shy away from the weight room. However, resistance means missing out on all the glorious perks. Consider the five above reasons why women shouldn’t be afraid of weight training and get started on the road to better fitness today.
About The Author
Ava Roman (she/her) is the Managing Editor of Revivalist, a women’s lifestyle magazine that empowers women to live their most authentic life. When Ava is not writing you’ll find her in a yoga class, advocating for body positivity, whipping up something delicious in the kitchen, or smashing the patriarchy.
