Physical Benefits of Weight Training for Women

There are only positive reasons why women should get involved with weight training! Today I will discuss the physiological reasons.

First, in case you missed my other post on the Biggest Weight Training for Women Myth, let’s dispel the ugly thought/fear that keeps so many women from participating in weight training. Most women do not want to end up looking like like “muscle-bound body builders”. Understand that without doing all the things that heavily muscled female body builders do (like hours, and hours of gym time, extreme diet manipulation, and sometimes even steroid or steroid-like substance) you cannot become of those overly muscled female body builders. It basically all comes down to the fact that women do not have enough testosterone (a male hormone) to achieve such a “look”.

Let’s talk about some of these physiological beneficial reasons why women definitely should get started (and stay with) a long term, well planned weight training program.  If you don’t know where to start, then check out reviews of some popular strength training programs. But the physical benefits, in no particular order, might include:

Strength Training Helps Burn Body Fat

With America leading the world in overweight individuals (including women) I don’t understand why everyone isn’t getting involved in weight training of some sort. Weight training has been proven to serve as a key component of burning excess body fat. Ever notice how it becomes more difficult to lose those pounds as we age?  A big factor there is that we lose muscle mass as we get older, so our metabolisms go down since we don’t need to eat as many calories any more.  Of course, we often forget to reduce our food intake proportionately!  So the best thing to do to rev our metabolisms back up is to lift weights.  Adding a little lean muscle to our bodies is often the fastest way to see yourself slim down as muscle burns more calories than fat even when you are just sitting around.  Again, don’t worry about getting bulky.  Remember that muscle is also more dense than fat… so while your weight (a rather useless gauge of progress actually) might stay the same or even “gasp” go up a pound, you will lose inches and get smaller.  Would you trade a 2lb gain for a smaller pant size?  I would.

And if that wasn’t enough, a high intensity strength training session continues to burn body fat even after the workout has been completed where other activities such as jogging and walking only burn fat during the workout.

Weight Lifting For A Healthy Heart

“Weight training increases lean muscle mass and maintains body strength, so you’re able to do more or higher levels of aerobic activity,” says Randy W. Braith, Ph.D., director of the Clinical Exercise Physiology Laboratory at the University of Florida in Gainesville^[1].

Most people looking to improve their conditioning and the health and function of their cardiovascular system (hearts and lungs) are told to get involved with biking, swimming, aerobics, walking, etc.  Oh, and these activities are often, mistakenly, advised as the first line of attack to anyone looking to lose body fat, because they supposedly put you in a “fat-burning” zone.  Lift some weights and you can be in a fat-burning “zone” all day!  But since the heart is a muscle it too will get stronger in response to strength training just like all your other muscles.  Even The American Heart Association now recommends strength training^[2] as beneficial to certain heart patients.  You should absolutely get your doctor’s OK before starting any sort of strength training program.  Not only does the heart itself get stronger, but lifting can also help lower blood pressure, lowering your body fat helps reduce your risk of heart disease.

And if you still think you need more cardio, then Weight training programs can be modified to give you every bit as much of a cardio workout as any of the above mentioned activities.

Assists in All Types of Sports and Activites

If you are participating in athletic endeavors you will find that weight training will help you to move more swiftly and with greater precision, as your stronger muscles will be able to better propel you forward and control your other movement. You will be able to hit the golf ball a little further and the volleyball or tennis ball with a little more force as well while not getting so jostled around in physical contact games like basketball or soccer. Needless to say you will perform better (including running faster) if you are stronger.

If you are not participating in any competitive sport, don’t think you won’t be able to see some benefits in your everyday life.  The strength and cardio benefits of lifting will help you to participate in work situations more efficiently and for a longer period of time each day. The boxes that you once had to have someone move for you will become easier and easier to handle by yourself. The trips up and down stairs will no longer be so dreaded. You’ll be able to chase after your kids longer.  Now that I am no longer an athlete people often ask me what I am training for now.  And I tell them “I’m training for LIFE!”

Reduced Risk of Physical Injuries

Weight training will also help you to better avoid injuries while at work, at play or just during your daily routines as not only will your muscles get stronger while taking part in a good weight training program so will your tendons and ligaments. With all three of these body tissues getting stronger and more flexible you will much better protect all of your joints.  Not to mention the benefits you will will see in your “body awareness”.  After you have been lifting a while you will really start to feel more atuned to how your body is moving and this sense can help keep you from falling.  Weak bones are not the reason bones break in older women, falling is.

Increases Bone Density

Peak bone density for women occurs at age 20^[3], so that means every year thereafter we are losing bone mass.  Weight training has been proven to help prevent this problem and is one of the reasons why so many slightly older women have been directed to start weight training by their physicians.  As a load-bearing exercise, weight training actually increases your bone density.  That’s right, lifting can help prevent/slow osteoporosis.  Who doesn’t want strong bones? Falling becomes such a threat to older women because of weaker bones.  So stronger bones make you able to take those falls a little bit more like we could when we were young.

In conclusion, if you aren’t weight lifting yet there are just too many benefits to be missing out on!  Weight training burns fat, builds lean muscle, strengthens the heart, improves physical performance, increases bone density and reduces your risk of injury… all of which can help you live a longer, healthier life.

Footnotes

^[1] Medical News Today – Weight Lifting For Health And Heart
^[2] Heart Insight Journal – Weight Training Has A Good Rep for Cardiovascular Health
^[3] Wikipedia – Osteoporosis