Why Women Should Do Weight Training?

As a personal trainer, I get asked by many women why they should start weight training. Very often, the biggest concern for most women exercisers is gaining bulky muscles. Obviously, this is not true due to the fact that women do not have high level of testosterone to do that. In terms of the benefits of weight training, it has been hugely overlooked. The following are the 5 biggest reasons why women should do weight training.

Increase Metabolism

In terms of weight management, it's advantageous to have high metabolism as it would mean that the body is very capable of burning high amount of calories. This is crucial because you would have to exercise more to burn the same amount of calories compared to someone who has a higher metabolism than you. With proper weight training, it can kick up your metabolism.

Improve Toning

Weight training not only gives your metabolism a big boost, it also tones the body. And most women who exercise are concerned about their bodies shapes and hope to get a lean and toned body from exercise. Because of the higher metabolism, higher amount of fat calories are expended at rest and during exercise that results in the melting of the body fat. When the excess fat is removed from the body, it allows you to show the tones in the body that are the results of weight training.

Prevent Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is the loss of bone mass due to the loss of calcium. This will weaken the bone and cause the bone to break easily. Unfortunately, women often suffer more from this than men due to loss of estrogen after menopause. By starting strength training early, it can prevent and delay the effects of osteoporosis. In some cases, it can strengthened the bones.

Prevent Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia refers to the loss of muscle size and mass that leads to the declining strength with increasing age. With loss of strength, it can lead to potential fall injuries and loss of function. As women started off with less muscle fibers than men, they are dramatically affected by sarcopenia as they aged. Strength training can help greatly reduced effects of sarcopenia and improve function. Therefore, it is important for women to engage in such training early in life.

Improve Functional Strength

Most importantly, our quality of life is much affected by out functional strength. Without functional strength, we will find it hard to carry our groceries, move your furniture in your home, squat and lean over to pick up your baby and walk up the stairs. Strength training basically improves your abilities to carry out your daily chores.

Prevent Injuries

With more muscles and more functional strength, balance is improved and the joints are stronger. As such, the risk of fall is greatly reduced thus decreasing the potential of injury.

In conclusion, weight training should be part of women's fitness regime. It is important that weight training program and techniques should be good in order to get the best out of weight training.