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Jun 13, 2011

BENEFITS OF WEIGHT TRAINING FOR WOMEN


Most women still need a lot of convincing on the benefits of weight training. Weight training for women offers tremendous health and weight loss benefits. It is able to sculpt a woman’s body the way no other exercise can.
Weight training is used synonymously with strength training or resistance training. Weight training imposes a resistance against which your muscles are required to work. Muscles get stronger as resistance increases. Muscle tone improves and body fat reduces.
If you need to be convinced about the advantages of weight training for women, here are 4 main reasons;

1.  Increased Strength

Women have more to gain than men by increasing their strength levels. For the same body size, a woman is 35 – 50% weaker in the arms and shoulders when compared to an untrained man. She is also 15 – 30% weaker in the legs and  hips.
Due to these lower strength levels, women find it a challenge to cope with the daily demands of life such as carrying a child, carrying a grocery bag or walking up the stairs.
With strength training, a woman can easily increase her ability to do these tasks by 40 to 60%. With this, it is possible for a 65-year-old woman to be able to functionally operate at the level of a 30-year-old sedentary woman. Increased strength levels is one of the main advantages of weight training for women.

2.  Better Able to Cope with Aging

A woman could lose between 1/2 to 1 pound of muscle per year. This happens on an annual basis after the age of 30. Loss of muscle mass results in loss of function. Loss of function directly affects quality of life. Reduced function of the legs results in a woman requiring a walking stick at an older age.
Loss of function also results in a woman becoming less active. Moving around becomes more and more difficult. As a result of being more sedentary, a woman would gain more weight. The increased weight gain adds to the downward spiral in quality of life. Weight training for women helps maintain muscle mass.
Remaining socially, sexually, mentally and physically active until the day she dies is another key benefit of weight training for women.

3.  Increase Metabolic Rate

Your metabolic rate is the energy required to sustain your body’s basic function. That is the energy required to live. Your metabolic rate is heavily influenced by the amount of muscles that you carry. A reduced metabolic rate is harmful as it makes it very easy to gain weight.
As mentioned earlier, a woman typically loses 1/2 to 1 pound of muscles per year. The loss of muscles results in a reduction in a woman’s metabolic rate. As the metabolic rate slows down, surplus calories from food would eventually be stored as fat. A woman who loses muscle would gain weight and become sluggish. Weight training for women preserves muscle mass. This prevents a decline in her metabolic rate.

4.  Reduce Risk of Falling

Weight training with dumbbells activates many fine muscles in the body. Unless used and challenged, these muscles would eventually lose functionality. The main purpose of the finer muscles is to give balance. Weight training with dumbbells strengthens these fine muscles.
Strong major and fine muscles play a huge role in preventing falls. The loss of functionality in these muscles is primarily why older people are so prone to falling.
There is still a great deal of apprehension when it comes to weight training for women. Women should debunk this myth once and for all. The benefits are scientifically proven. Women should move past this stumbling block and embrace weight training.

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