Why Women Should Weight-Train

There are a lot of reasons women avoid weight training. Some believe it will make them look big and bulky, like a bodybuilder. While it’s true that there are women bodybuilders who have large muscles, they have to work hard to achieve that. Testosterone and other hormones, a special diet, specific exercises, and sometimes drugs determine the size of muscles. Female bodybuilders have to stick with a strict program designed for that. Sometimes, they get chemical help to build bulk. What women develop is a toned appearance.

Strength training can help reduce hot flashes.

If you’re experiencing menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, strength training can help. Research published in the May 2019 issue of the Maturitas found weight lifting for 45 minutes three times a week for 15 weeks cut the number of hot flashes in half for otherwise sedentary women. The assumption was that it created new neurotransmitters while lifting that helped control body temperature and stabilize it.

Keep your blood pressure lower and your bones stronger with strength training.

Weight-bearing exercises reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis. It causes the muscles to tug on the bone. That triggers the bone to uptake calcium to become stronger so it can withstand the pressure. Women are at greater risk for it to occur after menopause. Inactive women lose twice as much bone mass during menopause as active women. Before menopause, hormones protect women’s bones. All women benefit from weight-lifting and muscle-building. It helps burn extra calories and build muscle tissue. The more muscle tissue a person has, the easier it is to lose weight since muscle tissue requires more calories for maintenance than fat tissue.

You’ll reduce your risk of high blood pressure and diabetes.

Building muscle and preventing obesity helps reduce the risk of serious conditions, such as high blood pressure. The activity burns glucose to increase insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of diabetes. Building muscle tissue and strength strengthens the muscles and tendons surrounding the joints. It helps prevent the bones from rubbing by lifting the pressure. It also stimulates the flow of synovial fluid in the joints, makes moving them smoother, and prevents pain.

• Staying active and lifting weights before pregnancy can make delivery easier once a woman is pregnant. Exercising is important for expectant mothers. It reduces stress and back pain and increases energy.
• Weight lifting, as well as doing other forms of exercise, can improve your mood. One study found that when stroke victims lifted weights, it boosted their mood and self-esteem.
• Lifting weights improves posture and helps reduce back pain. It makes you look and feel more confident. When you feel strong, you feel more confident handling situations.
• Strength training helps you burn belly fat—visceral fat. It’s the most dangerous type of fat because it crowds the internal organs. It’s also the hardest type of fat to lose.

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