Overview
While some women are less inclined to lift weights due to fear of becoming “bulky” and tend to gravitate toward aerobic activity, basic strength training exercises may in fact improve overall structure and function now and as you age. To understand the importance in developing strength, you must first understand why weight training should be an integral part and priority in your fitness routine.
Importance of Strength Training
Women naturally have less testosterone than men, and tend to have less muscle mass. Strength training may help improve a woman’s ability to carry out basic daily functions such as lifting groceries, children and grandchildren. As a woman ages, strength training has been shown to stave off loss of muscle that leads to frailty. Less muscle means less protection around bone, and less shock absorption for joints. Strength training applies a “load” or stress to the long bones, hips, and spine that may help reduce bone loss by stimulating bone cell activity. This allows bones to remain metabolically active by creating continuous cellular turnover.
Benefits
Basic strength training, when applied properly, will lead to positive adaptations in skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems that will prove to be useful now and throughout the aging process. The National Strength and Conditioning Association has identified additional benefits to strength training, including decreased risks related to cardiovascular disease by decreasing blood pressure; improved glucose tolerance and decreases in hemoglobin A1c in patients with diabetes; improvements in body composition by maintaining or increasing lean body mass, and producing modest decreases in body fat.
Strength training can also reduce anxiety and depression and may result in improved self-efficacy and overall psychological well being; reduce the risk of injury during participation in other sports and activities; and increase muscular strength and endurance, resulting in an increased ability to better perform activities of daily living.
Recommendations
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that the women strength train at least twice per week and perform eight to 10 repetitions of each exercise. For a basic strength training program, a whole body routine should consist of 10 to 12 different exercises that focus on the large muscle groups of the torso, hips, legs and arms.
Exercises
Perform exercises that work the large muscle groups such as squats, dead lift, assisted dips and pull-ups, bench press, and push-ups. Exercises that train the abdominal muscles and lower back muscles, such as stability ball crunches and low back hyper-extension, will provide a strong mid-section.
Overload the Muscles
In order to stimulate lean muscle development during strength training, it is critical to overload the muscles. This means that you want to provide a “stress” to the muscles that is greater than normal. With your goal being to perform eight to 10 repetitions per exercise, choose an amount of weight that challenges you to complete the prescribed repetitions. Continue to try increasing the amount of weight lifted in order to overload the muscles.
About this Author
Dr. Rick Kattouf II has been writing health/fitness articles since 1997. His articles have appeared in “GO Magazine,” “Velo News,” “Chicago Athlete,” “Champion Nutrition.com,” “New O.D.,” “TrainingPeaks.com,” and “Florida Racing Magazine.” Kattouf received his Doctor of Optometry degree in 1997 and is a food psychology coach, wellness and nutrition consultant, sports nutrition consultant, MMA conditioning coach, and an ITCA triathlon coach.
