Why should women lift heavy weights?
For any woman who did exercise in the 80’s, the focus was on those crazy, fast paced aerobics classes! They were fun but the push was to “burn fat” and be thin. The focus has begun to shift to understand that women need to lift weights and progress those loads they are lifting to ensure strength, strong bones and healthy tissues. It’s okay to be strong and to look strong!
As quoted by Dr. Stacy Simms, PhD and expert in exercise science, “Women are not small men!” So much of the research into when, how and why to exercise has been centered around men and their responses and this information is then applied to women’s programs. We are starting to realize the impact that our estrogen and progesterone have on women’s bodies, responses to exercises and muscle building abilities. Essentially the research shows that women need to lift heavy things!
What are the benefits to lifting heavy for women?
Creating a higher demand on our muscle cells send a signal to our brain that our bodies need to match that demand. Due to low estrogen levels in menopause, we are already at a disadvantage to build muscle cells. Asking more of our body, creates a positive muscle cell building environment and we can show improvement in strength, even once we’ve hit menopause.
Increasing our metabolic rate is another benefit. Muscle cells are active tissues, having more of them, requires higher energy demands from our bodies, therefore increasing caloric expenditure just by living and doing daily tasks. It’s like a passive income for energy burning 😊
When we build stronger muscles, we create a better support system for our joints. Strength to hold all of joints in our body in the proper position, improves posture and joint stability. It’s harder to slouch if the muscles along our spine have more tone and are fighting the slouch to keep your upright!
Some of the other benefits of lifting heavy things are stronger bones, better blood pressure control and overall improved body composition.
As you can read, there are a lot of benefits, yet women continue to be fearful to lift heavy, have been taught not to look “big” and feel insecure standing by the free weights in a gym. At Kinnect to Wellness, we understand what women go through and have the knowledge to teach you how to safely lift heavy. We know how to progress you to a point where you can be confident to lift heavy and challenge yourself.