Many women believe the only way to lose weight is to do cardiovascular (aerobic) exercises such as walking, running, Zumba, etc., but without adding weight training to their workout routine, they are missing a key component to weight loss. Researchers at Tufts University found that when overweight women lifted heavy weights twice a week, they lost an average of 14.6 pounds of fat and gained 1.4 pounds of muscle. The control group, women who dieted but didn’t lift weights, lost only 9.2 pounds of fat and gained no muscle. When you do a weight training program, your metabolism stays elevated, and you continue to burn fat for several hours after working out. Conversely, when you engage in aerobic exercise, you stop burning fat shortly after the workout.
Not only will weight training slim you down, but it can create new curves and help you to avoid “middle-age spread,” and don’t think that weight training will bulk you up and make you look like a man, that is a total misconception. It’s the male sex hormone, testosterone, which gives men larger muscles, women don’t have anywhere near the amount of testosterone that men have, so you will not bulk up, but you will build muscle tone and become firmer and sexier.
As we age, both men and women lose muscle mass, which slows down your metabolism. Weight training can help you preserve and even rebuild muscle fibers. The more lean muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism will be and the more calories you’ll burn all day long.
Lifting weights increases functional fitness, which makes everyday tasks such as carrying children, lifting grocery bags, and picking up heavy items much easier. According to the Mayo Clinic, regular weight training can make you 50 percent stronger in six months. Being strong is also empowering! Not only does it improve your physical activities, but it also builds emotional strength by boosting self-esteem and confidence. Doing something as simple as getting up out of a sitting position requires muscle. When you lose that muscle, you lose your independence.
It’s been well-documented that women need to do weight-bearing exercises to build and maintain bone mass. Weight training can help protect your bones and prevent osteoporosis-related fractures. Just as muscles get stronger and bigger with use, so do bones when they’re made to bear weight. Stronger bones and increased muscle mass also lead to better flexibility and balance, which is especially important for women as they age. You heard the phrase “Use it or Lose It!” It’s appropriate when it comes to the muscles in your body.
You’ve probably heard that cardio and low-impact exercises such as yoga help improve mood; weightlifting has the same effect. The endorphins that are released during aerobic activities are also present during resistance training.
Weightlifting improves joint stability and builds stronger ligaments and tendons. Training safely and with proper form can help decrease the likelihood of injuries in your daily life. It can also improve physical function in people with arthritis. A study conducted at the University of Wales in Bangor, United Kingdom, found that participants with disabilities who lifted weights for 12 weeks increased the frequency and intensity at which they could work, with less pain and increased range of movement.
More than 500,000 women in the U.S. die from cardiovascular disease each year, making it the number one killer of women over the age of 25. Most people don’t realize that pumping iron can also keep your heart pumping. Remember, your heart is a muscle and what better way to strengthen your muscles than with weight training?
Lifting weights increases your “good” (HDL) cholesterol and decreases your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. It can also lower your blood pressure. The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that people who do 30 minutes of weightlifting each week have a 23 percent reduced risk of developing heart disease compared to those who don’t lift weights.
Now that you know how important weight training is for women, what are you going to do about it? Will you start lifting weights? Do you have any questions on how to get started? If you do, feel free to drop me a line. I can be reached at vince@sixweeks.com. I want you to be healthy, confident and independent!
To Your Health
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