Summer is fast approaching; I know you will definitely like to look hot on your swimming suits as you hit the beach this summer. If this is your dream, one of the ways you can achieve it is by incorporating resistance/strength training into your overall exercise regime.
Most women assume that strength training is something that is reserved exclusively for men. In fact, accord to the National Center for Health Statistics, only about 20% of women practice strength training. Most women assume that when they lift a weight, they will gain muscle like men. Unfortunately, this is not true, women don’t have the right hormone to gain muscle like their male counterpart.
Most women spend most of their time in the gym doing one cardiovascular training or another. If you can add resistance training to your exercise regime, you will gain a lot of benefits. Studies have shown that there are specific benefits women can gain when they do resistance training. If you are looking forward to losing weight and get a toned body that you can always flaunt, using resistance training is one of the best and easiest ways to achieve this objective.
In this article, you will learn about major benefits of resistance training and why you should add this type of training into your exercise regime.
Top Benefits of Resistance Training For Women
1. Lose Body Fat
Have you been trying to shed some pounds? One of the fastest ways to lose body fat is by adding resistance training into your exercise regime. This intensive training allows you to burn calories faster and better. According to a study, you will lose about 3.5 pounds of fat and gain almost 2 pounds of muscle if you do strength training 2 to 3 times a week (note this only applies to women). The studies also showed that you will burn about 35 to 50 more calories per day for each pound of muscle you gain. No doubt, it is a great way to reach your weight objective faster.
2. Significantly Reduce Risk of Osteoporosis
According to a new research, weight training increases your spinal bone material density by as much as 13% within just 6 months. What this means is that if you are getting a good amount of dietary calcium along with resistance training, you can avoid osteoporosis.
3. Gain Strength Without Bulking
You definitely need more strength if you want to achieve a lot in your day. Unfortunately, most women think that by lifting a weight, they are going to bulk up like male counterpart. As a woman, you will require testosterone just like a man to bulk up. In fact, it is known that women have 30 times less testosterone than men and can hardly bulk simply by lifting weight occasionally; it will take a massive weight-lifting before you can be able to bulk up like a man. However, with simple strength training, you can gain more strength that will be useful throughout your day.
4. Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease
A research by Dr. Barry A. Franklin of William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan showed that a woman can be able to improve her cardiovascular health through strength training. This is because weight training helps you to lower LDL cholesterol, improve good cholesterol and even lower your blood pressure.
5. Reduce Risk of Diabetes
Diabetes is on the rise in the United States and in the most developed countries of the world. New research showed that you can be able to improve the way your body processes sugar thereby helping you to significantly reduce the risk of diabetes.
6. You Will Get Physically Stronger
No doubt, you will become less dependent on others for assistance in daily living when you increase your strength. You will find out that you can easily finish tasks with little or no help. According to a research, a woman can be able to increase her strength by up to 30 to 50 percent with strength training.
A mother with lots of little children can be able to gain strength to handle them when she makes resistance training part of her weekly routine.
7. Significantly Lower Your Risk of Injury, Back Pain, and Arthritis
With strength training, you will not only build stronger muscles but will also increase joint stability and make your connective tissues stronger. This will not only help you to prevent injuries but also make your joints and body stronger
A 12-year study showed that strength training can help you avoid low-back pain by as much as 80%.
Conclusion
Indeed, as a woman, there are a lot of benefits you can gain when you make resistance training a weekly routine. Next time you step into the gym, ask the gym instructor to teach you how to do proper resistance training so you can enjoy all these benefits mentioned above.
Author Bio My name is Jessica and I’m a former competitive fitness athlete and now owner/operator of my own gym in sunny Southern California. My website, GottaHaveFit.com, is a resource dedicated to the latest in science-backed nutrition, supplementation, and today’s hottest home fitness equipment and training regimens.