7 Benefits of Strength Training for Women

Whether your clients are recreational body builders or just interested in adding some weights to their workouts, they can reap the health benefits of strength training. It burns calories both during and after the workout and can increase TDEE to promote a leaner body.

Many women are discouraged by misconceptions about strength training, but it doesn’t have to involve squatting with huge weights. Here are 7 Benefits of Strength Training for Women:

1. It Builds Muscle

Women who do not incorporate strength training into their workouts are at a greater risk of losing bone density and suffering from osteoporosis, according to research. A strong body is more resilient and can absorb impact, thereby reducing the risk of falling and breaking bones. Strength training also increases bone density by stimulating the muscles to pull against the bones, causing them to generate muscle-forming cells.

Women can build muscle, regardless of their age, by following a well-planned, progressive strength training program. It is important to work with a qualified fitness professional, particularly when beginning an exercise program and when moving up in weight, to ensure proper form and techniques are utilized, says Nekonam.

A common misconception is that women should not lift heavy or use high reps because they do not want to get “bulky.” The fact is, muscle growth is all about progressive overload. You have to take the muscle to fatigue, or the point at which it can’t recover and complete another rep, in order for it to grow.

Increased muscle mass has an additional benefit in that it raises the body’s metabolism and burns more calories throughout the day. This is referred to as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).

2. It Burns Fat

Increasing muscle mass naturally burns more calories at rest than fat tissue does, so over time, strength training can lead to body composition changes that result in a more lean physique. However, this does not mean that women who engage in regular resistance exercise will gain a lot of weight. Unlike cardio workouts that deplete the body’s energy stores, high-intensity strength training sessions such as HIIT and SIT workouts can activate EPOC, which increases the rate at which the body burns calories even after your workout has ended, thereby helping with weight loss efforts.

For women who are looking to lose weight, it is recommended that they create a calorie deficit by changing their diet in addition to engaging in regular strength training exercises. It takes about 3,500 calories to lose one pound of body fat.

The benefits of resistance training extend to women of all ages. For women in their 30s and 40s, it can prevent a gradual loss of muscle mass called sarcopenia, which often starts after age 35. This loss of muscle mass is due to inactivity, but regular strength training can help combat it. Lifting light to moderate weights with lower repetitions over the course of a few weeks can help maintain muscle mass, as well as improve balance and posture.

3. It Strengthens Bones

Strength training, especially the weight-lifting portion of a workout, is a great way to build bone density and prevent osteoporosis. It also helps improve balance and reduce the risk of falls that can lead to fractures. In addition, it increases lean muscle mass which can help your cardiovascular system direct pumped blood throughout the body instead of relying on the heart as much.

Athletes of all ages can benefit from strength training. Girls as young as 7 can perform strength-training exercises if they’re under supervision, have the proper equipment and can follow directions. However, it’s important to start with a lower amount of weight to ensure correct form and movement patterns are learned. Then, gradually increase the weight and repetitions.

Women are prone to osteoporosis and other age-related health conditions such as urinary incontinence, so it’s important to stay strong and avoid these problems as you age. Regular strength-training can boost your resting metabolic rate by up to 7% and can decrease your risk of falling, which can cause serious injury. It can also make you more mobile, help with posture and allow you to lift grandchildren or participate in your favorite sports or activities, which will improve your quality of life as you age.

4. It Improves Mood

It’s no secret that any form of physical exercise, whether a dance class, bike ride or run, will pump your body with feel good hormones like endorphins and dopamine. But strength training takes this mood boost to a whole new level. You can find the svend press benefits in the hyperlink here to learn more about how beneficial it is for your health.

In addition to helping you look more toned and feeling stronger, weight lifting helps with the “fight or flight” response to stress and brings down cortisol levels. This will improve your mood for up to 24 hours following a workout.

Adding weights to your routine can also help prevent the gradual loss of muscle mass that starts in men and women after age 35. This is a condition known as sarcopenia and it can lead to decreased balance, posture, flexibility and a weaker core.

Lifting weights can combat this by boosting your metabolism and giving you the energy to stay active. It doesn’t take a lot of weight to reap the benefits, though. In fact, a study published in 2018 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry found that a single bout of resistance exercise can reduce depression symptoms regardless of how many reps or sets you complete. So go ahead and grab a set of dumbbells that you can hold for eight to 12 repetitions without stopping, or talk with a personal trainer who can guide you in the best ways to work out safely and efficiently.

5. It Prevents Osteoporosis

Women are at a greater risk of developing osteoporosis, urinary incontinence and heart disease as they age. Strength training with a qualified fitness professional can help prevent these conditions by targeting underactive muscle groups and improving overall movement patterns that reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal pain.

Inactivity, aging and some medications conspire to steal bone density from the body at a rate of 1% per year after age 40 (Harvard Health). Strength-training exercises, especially those performed in small groups in a group setting, can prevent this bone loss. During these workouts, your muscles tug against the bones in your body, which nudges bone-forming cells into action. This activity keeps bones strong and prevents them from becoming fragile, which can lead to fractures.

It’s important to start strength training early on in life, but even for those who didn’t begin until adulthood, resistance training can help prevent a decline in bone density. The key is to lift weights that challenge your body without making it feel too uncomfortable. If you’re worried about looking too “manly,” don’t worry! With lower testosterone levels than men, it’s very unlikely you’ll ever bulk up to the point where your muscles are overtaking your fat mass.

6. It Prevents Injury

A strength training program teaches proper lifting technique, which helps to prevent back injuries. In fact, a recent study by Lulea University of Technology found that participants who took up weightlifting experienced a significant reduction in lower back pain.

This is important for women of all ages, but especially in the years leading up to menopause. This is because, as women approach this period of life, the body’s oestrogen and progesterone levels start to decline. As a result, the body does a poorer job of building muscle and bone mass, which can lead to a greater risk of osteoporosis or injury. Regular strength training can help to combat this decline, thereby keeping women strong and healthy at any age.

A good strength training program will gradually increase the number of sets and reps over time. This is known as progressive overload. This is the safest way to build muscle, as it reduces the risk of injury by ensuring that muscles are well prepared for increased load. It also helps to improve balance and posture, which can further protect the body against injury. Injuries can be very painful and can take us out of action for extended periods, which is why injury prevention is so important. This is where regular strength training for women comes in handy, as it builds resilient muscles and bones, enhances joint stability, improves balance and coordination, and corrects muscle imbalances.

7. It Boosts Confidence

It’s no secret that women face more body image issues than men when it comes to exercise. Luckily, strength training helps you feel better about yourself in a few ways. It’s important to note that your self-esteem shouldn’t depend solely on how you look; however, many women find that they are more confident when they are lifting weights and that confidence boost can be a motivator to keep going back.

Having more muscle also helps you burn more calories, both during and after your workouts because muscles use up more energy than fat. This is called post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).

Women also tend to recover faster between strength sets because they have higher levels of circulating hormones like estrogen than men do, Nekonam explains. That means you can hit more reps during your workout, without feeling as tired.

Having healthy, strong muscles doesn’t just make you feel good, it improves your quality of life as you get older. Having the ability to carry groceries, lift grandchildren, or move furniture makes life a lot easier. It also helps you prevent injury, especially falls, which are a major cause of fractures in older people. You can also avoid osteoporosis by regularly performing weight-bearing exercises.