14 Reasons Women Should Lift Weights
Many women are unsure or afraid to lift weights and participate in strength training exercises. There are many reasons why women should do these exercises beyond just strengthening their bones and muscles.
Lifting weights is one of the best ways to improve your overall health, which can also lower life insurance rates. You can get life insurance quotes online to find out how much coverage you can afford.
We’ll discuss the benefits of strength training for women and how it boosts health, which also can affect life insurance coverage and rates.
Starting a Weight Training Routine
No matter your age, it’s never too late to start a regular weight training routine. Beginners can start with simple exercises to learn good form and technique. You can watch videos online, work out with a personal trainer, or find a gym buddy or streaming service.
Weight training can be done with minimal equipment, such as dumbbells, resistance bands, a mat, or ankle weights. Bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, toe raises, push-ups, and planks can be done with no equipment. If you want to expand your horizons, most gyms have a variety of weight training equipment for beginners and advanced exercisers.
Ideally, strength training should be done at least two to three times a week. You should challenge all the major muscle groups at least twice a week. Exercises for the upper body, lower body, and core are recommended.
A good general strength training routine should take between 30 and 60 minutes per session. You can include eight to 12 weight training exercises and complete two sets of 10 repetitions to start. This is a general guideline and will vary depending on your goals.
Rest and recovery are also important to see the benefits of lifting weights. Allow one day in between exercising the same muscle groups. Recovery enables the muscles to grow stronger and more toned.
Make sure you talk with your health care provider before beginning a weight training program if you have any underlying health issues. They can provide guidance if there are any exercises to avoid and monitor your condition if necessary, depending on your health status.
Here are 14 important reasons women should lift weights to improve their physical, mental, and emotional health and boost their overall well-being.
#1 – Create Strong Bones and Muscles
One of the most important health benefits of lifting weights is strong bones and muscles. Strong muscles come in handy when you are trying to pick up a heavy box or carry your grocery bags by yourself in one trip.
In your teens and 20s, strength training helps with building your bone mass until you hit peak bone mass. In your 30s and 40, lifting weight is important to help maintain your bone mass.
Weight lifting helps prevent the loss of bone and muscle mass that can occur around middle age and beyond because our bones and muscles can get weaker if they aren’t used regularly. Thus, it helps prevent conditions like osteoporosis as we age.
Strong muscles and bones can also reduce your chances of being injured or getting low back pain. Abdominal and back exercises also help core stability and improve posture. Trends may come and go, but being a strong woman is always in style.
Women don’t need to worry about getting big and bulky muscles from lifting heavy weights. Female bodybuilders spend many hours working out and taking supplements designed to help build bigger muscles. For most women, general weight training will lead to lean and defined muscles, but not bulky muscle tone. Incorporating creatine supplements can boost muscle growth and strength, aiding in reaching fitness goals.
#2 – Get Toned
Many women say they want to get toned to improve the appearance of their bodies. The best way to get a toned body is to enhance your muscle tone and that occurs from weight training. Muscle tissue takes up less room than fat tissue, so burning fat and building muscle is the key to changing your body composition and toning your body.
Shapely muscles also help improve your natural curves. For example, squats and lunges help improve your glutes, which makes your booty look curvier. Upper body exercises can improve the tone of your shoulders, back, and arms.
#3 – Burn Fat
Many women turn to cardiorespiratory endurance activities like running or walking to burn fat, but weight training is also an effective way to burn fat. The good news is that weight lifting increases your caloric expenditure even when you are not working out.
One hour of weight training can burn 200 to 300 calories, depending on your weight. This is a great way to burn fat, which can also improve your muscle tone and enhance your appearance.
Weight training increases your muscle mass, thus revving your metabolism. It takes more calories to maintain muscle mass when compared to fat tissue. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your basal metabolic rate. You will burn more calories all day long, even when you are resting.
#4 – Manage Stress
Stress in life is inevitable, so it’s important to have outlets that help you manage your stress effectively. Any type of exercise is a great way to manage stress, but weight lifting can be especially helpful. It’s also much healthier to rely on physical activity to reduce stress than other outlets like alcohol or other substances.
#5 – Improve Mental Health
Physical activity has numerous mental health benefits, including reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. It can also boost mood. Your body will release endorphins during exercise, including lifting weights, which helps you naturally feel happier.
#7 – Boost Confidence
Every woman could use a confidence boost. Weight lifting can improve your outer appearance, but it can also make you feel better about yourself. We can be our own worst critics, and staying active helps improve confidence and self-esteem.
#8 – Prevent Diseases
Regular physical activity can lower the risk for many chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer. Women are at higher risk for heart disease after middle age. The decrease in estrogen levels that happens during menopause makes women at higher risk for heart disease.
Weight training is also helpful for issues like Alzheimer’s and arthritis. Exercise can also boost your immune system to help ward off colds and minor illnesses.
#9 – Practice Self-Care
Women need to be mindful of taking care of themselves, especially when they have professional, personal, and family responsibilities. A regular exercise routine that includes strength training can give you 30 minutes to an hour of time a few times a week to just focus on yourself. This time for self-care can be effective for your career and family.
#10 – Keep Motivated
A regular weight training program will keep you motivated in all aspects of your life because your energy levels will be high. Staying motivated and keeping your energy high can help you accomplish more in your personal and professional life.
#11 – Improve Athletic Performance
If you like sports or participate in athletic events, weight lifting can help improve your athletic performance. You can include exercises to improve your power, strength, and endurance. If you are into running or cycling, lifting weights can improve your lower body strength and improve your running or cycling performance.
Make sure you pay attention to cars and vehicles on the road, as distracted pedestrians and cyclists can get into accidents easily.
#12 – Get Better Sleep
Regular exercise, including strength training, can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Your sleep quality will be improved and you can wake up feeling refreshed and ready to conquer each day.
#13 – Be a Role Model
Many women are role models for young children. If they see you getting fit by lifting weights, it will help them realize the importance of being active and they will be more likely to incorporate physical activity into their lifestyle.
#14 – Get Smarter
Weight training can boost your brainpower and cognitive health because it involves your neuromuscular system. All physical activities can strengthen your brain and keep it healthy as you age, too.
Life Insurance and Health
There are so many benefits of weight training for women. The physical, mental, and emotional rewards are great for females of any age. Staying active is one of the best ways to boost health, which also affects life insurance rates and coverage.
Life insurance is necessary to help pay for end-of-life expenses, and protect your family’s financial future when something unexpected happens. Life insurance rates can also be affected by your medical history and current health status.
The younger and healthier you are, the cheaper your life insurance will be. Life insurance rates are also based on age, gender, and occupation.
Weight Training for Women
From women who are beginners in weight training to the more advanced weight lifting enthusiasts, there are many reasons to engage in this type of exercise routine. Now ladies, get out there, pick up some heavy weights, and enjoy the many benefits of strength training.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio at pexels.com
Consideration was received for the editing and publishing of this article.