Why is Weight Training Necessary for Women?
Why is Weight Training Necessary for Women?
Why is Weight Training Necessary for Women?
Weight training is a common type of strength training that uses resistance machines, bands or lifting weights. Physical activity is not only an option but a necessity that benefits the human body. It is proven that the hierarchy of values for physically active women prioritize health first, family comes in second and physical fitness in the middle of the scale. Women should recognize more frequently than physical fitness does have a higher value in one’s life as it is a physiological need (most basic needs) of an individual and it brings tons of benefits that will be stated and explained below.
Lifting Strengthen Bones, not just Muscles!
Instead of performing only cardio workouts, women shouldn’t neglect weight training as a workout. The reason why is women have the highest risk of osteoporosis (bone disease) due to the nature of having smaller, thinner bones than men. Here’s a deeper insight, as women reach menopause, estrogen (a hormone that helps protects bone) decreases sharply which causes bone loss and that explains the weaken bone as we age. Therefore women should start lifting weights on a regular basis to decrease the chance of developing osteoporosis. Here’s how it works: Just like muscles, when your bones are impacted they respond by breaking down and building new cells. Taking calcium supplements is still good but nothing makes bones stronger like weight lifting. So to all the ladies out there, if you want to avoid chances of shattering your arm or hip when you trip or fall because you’re having way too much fun at your 70th birthday party then you should consider taking on weight training as part of your workout routine!
Lifting won’t make you “Bulk Up” even if you wanted to its HARD!
Most ladies have the misconception that lifting weights develops them a bulky body and look too masculine, which most women try to avoid at all cost. Testosterone and human growth hormone are the 2 major hormones involved while building muscle. Both men and women have both, but as unfair as it is women have way less testosterone than men, which makes it 100 times harder for us to bulk. It isn’t impossible to achieve the extreme masculine body but it takes extra effort and hard work to achieve it. The extreme degree of muscularity in women isn’t impossible but it doesn’t come by just lifting weights, It requires extreme dieting with additional anabolic androgenic steroids and there’s no shame in that as everyone has a different preference. Without that extra testosterone, we ladies simply are unable to build masculine muscles like men.
Lift Weights to Regulates Hormones and Crush Depression
Exercising brings physiological and psychological benefits. It was proven that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more effectively than counseling. This is incredibly important for women since we are most likely to experience depression when only 1 out of 3 seek care. If you suffer from minor or severe depression, then you can find comfort in weight training! The beauty is you don’t have to be suffering from diagnosed or clinical mental illness to get substantial mental health benefits from weight training. Even short workouts of 7 minutes could help lower frustrations, tension, anger, sadness, and insecurities along with boosting mood and confidence! Endorphins are a “feel good” hormone that is instantly released during weight training and exercise, which has a pain-relieving and anti-depressant effect on humans. Weight training increases antidepressant chemicals in brains, such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. This is why weight training would be an excellent choice to defeat depression. If this scenario best describes what you need, it’s best to do something about it, mental illness doesn’t just go away on its own. You are the only person who is capable to bring yourself to the gym every day because you are in charge of every single aspect of your personal being so do that, be in charge of it.
Increase of Metabolism while Weight Training
The more muscle mass you have, the quicker your metabolism will work by speeding up your Rest Metabolism Rate. This means that weight training help boosts your metabolism and burn more calories at rest in return. Weight training doesn’t just reduce body fat and gain muscle but also improve weight loss long term as for each pound of muscle you gain, you’ll burn up to 30 till 50 more calories per day! Metabolism is one of the reasons why some people can eat a lot without gaining weight. The slower the metabolism, the more leftover calories get stored as fats. Another factor that’s important to look out is the so-called “starvation mode”, it is when your body doesn’t get enough food and try to compensate by reducing its metabolic rate and the number of calories it burns. Therefore, starving yourself isn’t the right way to achieve a lean body because once you start eating again, our reduced metabolic rate due to starvation won’t be able to get used to the sudden consumption of food. Our body needs a certain amount of protein to repair/renew muscles and carbs to stay energized throughout the day. Starvation mode is a big NO, it only makes you further and further away from achieving a healthier and leaner body.
As this is coming to an end, I can state that there are many common barriers and motivational factors that affect women to weight train. By concluding that the lack of knowledge on weight training, along with stereotypes, gender roles, and masculinity factors are refraining women from weight training. Women need to see how weight training needs to be prioritized more than cardio machines and how women who weight train are physically, mentally and socially different than women who don’t weight train. With the proper guidance by personal trainers who are experienced, women will be able to receive the benefits that weight trains provide.
Sign up for our mailing list