Staying Fit: 8 Benefits Of Lifting Weights For Women

Everyone knows how vital exercise is for one’s health. And so, when most women sign themselves up in the gym and do various cardiovascular exercises. Some women who don’t have time or budget to go to the gym may perform cardio workouts at home or do regular walking and jogging sessions out there. As you can see, when it comes to exercising, most women focus more on cardio exercises and sometimes avoid anything related to weightlifting or strength training.

Not all women wish to engage in weightlifting due to the rumours saying that lifting weights can make you look too bulky and might turn your muscles into fats if you stop. To clear the air, none of these rumours is true. In fact, if your fitness goal is to build and tone your muscles, weightlifting is the best type of exercise to include in your routine. But the rewards of incorporating weightlifting in your exercise routine aren’t only limited to building and toning your muscles.

Weightlifting is known to be beneficial not only for men but also for women. It can make you stronger, leaner, toner, and healthier. To help you understand how important strength training is, here are eight benefits of lifting weights for women.

1. Improves Your Strength 

Lifting weights can help strengthen your muscles. With strengthened muscles, it’ll be easier for you to get through any challenges throughout the day. Whether you’re carrying toddlers around, lifting furniture, working at the office, or cutting the grass, you can easily accomplish them by having strong muscles. You can also improve the muscle strength in other body areas such as your legs, upper and lower back, and the core through weightlifting.

The stronger these areas are, the less likely you’ll experience body pains and fatigue when doing intensive chores and tasks. Furthermore, you don’t need to worry about looking too bulky because of weightlifting. Unlike men, women are abundant in testosterone levels compared to men. So, women are likely to gain more toned muscles without having to increase in size.

If you’re new to weightlifting at the gym, it’s best to start your training with a professional trainer so they can teach you about how to lift weights in proper form. If you’re planning to lift weights at home, you can purchase some dumbbells for your at-home gym and incorporate them into your exercise routine.

2. Increases Bone Density  

As you age, your bone density decreases after or before your menopausal stage. With a weaker bone density, you become more prone to bone diseases such as osteoporosis and arthritis. Through weightlifting, you’re both strengthening your muscles and boosting your bone density, reducing your risk of experiencing fractures and broken bones when doing intensive physical activities. You’ll also have a more robust and healthier spine which is needed, especially when you’re aging.

3. Assists With Weight Loss  

Most women focus more on doing cardiovascular exercises when losing a few pounds or maintaining a healthy weight. Aside from cardio, weightlifting can also help you with your weight loss goals. As you lift weights, you’re building lean muscles. And each pound of muscle you earn from lifting weights, you also burn 30-50 calories in return.

Best of all, weight training can also boost your metabolism, which is very useful in burning calories and reducing fat. So, for women out there who aim to shed a few pounds and achieve a fit body, it’s best to include weightlifting in your workout regimen.

4. Promotes Heart Health

One of the primary causes of death in women is heart disease. Thus, to reduce your risk of developing any heart disease in the future, make sure to incorporate weightlifting into your exercise routine. Strength training exercises like weightlifting can boost your cardiovascular health by reducing your bad cholesterol, and in exchange, elevate your good cholesterol. The better cholesterol you have, the lower your blood pressure will be.

Moreover, weightlifting can also improve your body’s way of receiving and processing sugar, reducing your risk of developing diabetes. Keep in mind that diabetes is a severe health illness that can affect people of any gender, and it’s also associated with obesity or excess weight.

5. Improves Your Athletic Ability

For women who are into sports and games, weightlifting can improve their athletic performance. As an athlete, it’s important that you have body endurance, speed, power, and agility to ensure your body can withstand intense sports or games.

For instance, if you’re a cyclist, you can strengthen your muscles by weightlifting to ensure you can ride for longer periods without experiencing fatigue. The same goes if you’re a swimmer, runner, or even a golfer. Overall, whatever sport you’re passionate about, lifting weights will surely improve your playing performance and reduce your likeness towards sports-related injury.

6. Can Assist In Managing Stress Levels 

It’s a well-known fact that exercise is effective in reducing your stress levels. That’s why some women would take a walk around the park or go for a hike after work to reduce their stress. But aside from these cardio exercises, lifting weights is also known to help with stress reduction. As you focus your body and mind on balancing yourself while carrying a heavyweight, you can take off your mind from thoughts stressing you out. Furthermore, exercises, whether cardio or strength training, can cause your body to produce more endorphins (feel-good hormones), which can boost your moods.

7. Can Improve Your Sleep Quality

For women who are constantly sleep-deprived or suffering from sleep disorders, lifting weights can be your solution to achieving a better sleep quality. Weightlifting requires you to spend plenty of energy, causing you to feel asleep a lot easier and have an uninterrupted sleep throughout the night.

8. Boosts Your Confidence

Lifting weights (exercise in general) can help you achieve your weight goals and have a fitter body. You’ll also gain leaner and stronger muscles. At the same time, you’ll have stronger bone density and improve your body posture. All these results can boost your confidence, and ultimately, make you feel good about your overall self. With more confidence and self-esteem, you’ll be less likely to experience depression symptoms.

Takeaway 

Now that you know how vital lifting weights can be for women, it’s time to start incorporating them into your exercise routine. Lifting weights and other strength training exercises are essential to long-term wellness. It’s still not too late to start weightlifting regardless of your age, so seek out the help of a professional trainer and get started now.