Why Women Should Lift Weights

There is an increasing trend among women to hit the weights rather than the treadmill when they head to the gym. For many the benefits of weight training are easy to understand, however there is still some myths surrounding weight training for women. Myths range from putting on too much muscle, resulting in looking “bulky, and to increasing your injury risk. Aside from the physical benefits of weight training like boosting metabolism and increase in lean muscle, it can maintain bone density, increase confidence and actually decrease your risk of injury. So if you want Michelle Obama arms or Kim K’s bum you might need to rethink the treadmill.

Weight training will improve muscle mass but we are not talking Arnie sized muscles here. Due to hormonal differences, women cannot build as muscle as men even after years of training. What we can do is build dense strong muscle that will help us with everyday tasks. This lean muscle will also help to burn more calories as it costs more to run (sort of like modifying your car from a Fiesta to a Ferrari!), increase your insulin sensitivity and develop strong bones.

Regular strength based exercise will help to improve your energy levels and the quality of your sleep. This will not only benefit your health but other aspects of your life, being able to play with your kids or being more productive in work. Studies have shown that weight training can also slow down the ageing process. Furthermore as we age it helps to keep our bones, ligaments and muscles healthy, here’s to dancing at your 80th birthday! Exercise in general releases happy hormones and has been proven to reduce stress. It is also beneficial to ward of feelings of anxiety or depression.

Strength training allows you to discover and appreciate all that your body is capable of doing—and then do more. Modern culture places a great deal of emphasis on appearance, convincing women that how we look is the most important thing. With such a constant focus on aesthetics, it’s easy to lose sight of other things that matter to us. Lifting weights shifts the focus toward our abilities and by achieving results in the weights room; we become empowered.

Lifting weights makes you a better version of yourself. It’s something you do to build yourself up, not tear yourself down. Fitness is not punishment for overindulging, missing a week of workouts, or for any other “negative” reason. Forget all of the negative thoughts perpetuated by much of the fitness and mainstream media that encourages you to be less; with weight training women become more.