Strength training offers many physical, physiological, mental and emotional benefits. This is applicable to both men and women. The great thing is that people are starting to realise this. More and more people are adding regular strength training to their health and fitness regimes for many reasons. These are, for example, to get strong, stay fit, lose weight, increase muscle mass or just as a mental relief.
There Is A Misconception About Strength Training Specifically For Women
Many people believe that this type of training cause women to become and look bulky and big, like men. This cannot be furthest from the truth! Strength training holds many physiological benefits for women. In addition, it is impossible for women to build muscle and become big and bulky like men. This is because the fairer sex simply does not have enough testosterone in their bodies.
Therefore, if you are looking for an activity that will improve your health, training to build your strength is definitely one of the top choices to consider. Here are a few ways it can help women physiologically.
1. Managing Weight
This type of training can help women manage their weight as it builds muscle, which is more metabolically active than fat. This means your body will burn more calories at rest in order to maintain the muscle and its ‘normal’ daily activities.
2. Toning Up
Strength training helps us build and firm up muscle. This activity gives us a better, fitter, stronger body aesthetic. Although we may not weigh any less, we will look smaller and all clothes will fit better because our muscles are firm.
3. Less Body Fat
As the body burns calories simply to maintain lean muscle mass, we will lose weight easier and our body fat percentages tend to be less.
4. Becoming Stronger
Weight training makes us strong and enables us to do and perform difficult tasks that we were never able to do before. This is extremely empowering as you will be able to perform activities that you weren’t able to do previously.
5. Improve Your Fitness And Athletic Performance
Training for strength will improve your fitness levels – no more panting after a few flights of stairs!
Medical experts also say that regular physical activity, such as strength training, will decrease your likelihood of developing diseases. Here’s what they say:
“No matter what your current weight, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases.”
6. Reduces The Risk Of Injury
Strength training helps us build stronger muscles, stronger tendons, stronger connective tissue and stronger joints. This reduces our risk of getting injured while performing everyday tasks. (Trifocus Fitness Academy’s Personal Training Certification – also called the National Certificate in Fitness – will teach you the ins and outs of how to build stronger musches, tendons and joints. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! This flagship fitness course is locally and internationally accredited – with CATHSSETA, SAQA and REPPSA – which means you’ll be able to take your personal training business anywhere! Click here for more information.)
7. A Healthier Heart
Strength training can improve cardiovascular health like lowering bad cholesterol and lowering blood pressure which makes us at less risk of cardiovascular diseases. (If you are keen to gain a ‘personal trainer’s insight’ into anatomy, sign up for Trifocus Fitness Academy’s Personal Training Course. You can qualify as an accredited personal trainer in as little as 3 MONTHS! Follow this link to find out more.)
8. Improve Your Attitude
There are few things that have as a positive effect on the mind as a training session has. Strength training, in particular, helps us feel strong, empowered and positive.
9. Improves Posture
Strength training indirectly strengthens the core as well as all the smaller muscles and muscle fibres involved in performing everyday tasks. These are, for example, sitting and walking. Strength training, therefore, improves our posture.
10. Reduce Stress
Aside from all the physical benefits strength training offers, it is a great way to de-stress and rest your mind. If you struggle with high anxiety or stress levels, regular strength training sessions will positively affect this and will help you manage your stress.
11. More Energy
Strength training helps us feel more energetic during the day, which makes the world of difference!
If you are looking for a new fitness activity that will get or keep you fit, healthy, active, energetic, positive and strong, then strength training should be at the very top of your list of activities to try!