GET FIT, LOSE WEIGHT & GAIN STRENGTH…
and never forget YOU're a Woman. Is the flab gaining ground? Has your appeal, confidence and wellbeing taken an early shower because you’re unsure how to benefit from strength training?
THINK AGAIN!
The benefits of weight training for women and people of 40+ hugely outweigh those of cardiovascular exercise alone. Here are 10 good reasons why… Over the last 10 years, there’ve been serious arguments for the benefits of weight training especially for women and people over 40. Most women who exercise do cardiovascular exercises in the gym. Far fewer use resistance training that really challenges their bodies. So what’s the story? Why’s the number of women taking this to heart so low?
First, believe this: resistance training needn’t mean scary machines, full-length mirrors and a load of blokes in posing pouches. You have options. And you owe it to yourself, your health and your wellbeing to explore them.
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There are women-only fitness centres. But you still need to find the right one: a superprofessional resource run by people who’ll allow your body and mind to grow, rather than forcing on you the same old routine that lacks progressive resistance. Here are the gains and losses of resistance training with Feel More Alive and all for your long-term benefit!
1: You’ll LOSE body fat Studies have found that the average woman who strength-trains two or three times a week for two months will gain nearly two pounds of muscle and will lose 3.5 pounds of fat. As lean muscle increases, so does your resting metabolism. All day long, you burn more calories. For each pound of muscle you gain, you’re likely to burn daily 35 to 50 more calories. And the losses can really add up.
2: You’ll GAIN strength without bulk Compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times fewer hormones that cause muscle hypertrophy. This means you won’t get bigger from strength training. But do it right and you WILL develop beautifully healthy muscle tone and definition. In our book, that’s a bonus.
3: You’ll DECREASE the risk of osteoporosis Weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density by 13% in six months. In tandem with plenty of calcium in your diet – dairy, greens, tofu, broccoli, beans, etc – weights can be your best defence against osteoporosis.
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4: You’ll IMPROVE your athletic performance Whatever your sport, from cycling to skiing, running to golf, strength training will improve your athletic ability, ramping up overall performance and decreasing injury risks.
5: You’ll be physically STRONGER Increasing strength will make you far less dependent on others for help with daily living. Chores will be easier, and you’ll no longer be pushed to the max lifting kids, groceries and laundry. Boosted maximum strength also means daily tasks and routine exercise are less likely to cause you injury. Even moderate weight training can increase a woman’s strength by 30 to 50%. And you should be able to develop your strength at the same rate as most men.
6: You’ll REDUCE your risk of injury, back pain and arthritis Strength training not only builds more powerful muscle. It also develops stronger connective tissues and reinforces joints, helping prevent injury. A recent 12-year study showed that strengthening lower back muscles eliminated or alleviated lower-back pain by 80%. Other studies have shown that weight training can ease the pain of osteoarthritis.
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7: You’ll REDUCE your risk of heart disease Weight training can improve your cardiovascular health in several ways, lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol and blood pressure while increasing ‘good’ chole, sterol. Add cardiovascular exercise into the mix, and these benefits are maximised.
8: You’ll REDUCE your risk of diabetes Weight training can improve how the body processes sugar, which may reduce diabetic risks. With diabetes a growing problem for women and men, research shows that weight training can increase the body’s glucose utilisation 23% in just four months.
9: IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO BENEFIT: weight training could INCREASE your strength by 30-50% You could improve your strength no matter your age. Even women in their 70s and 80s have built strength through weight training.
8: You’ll fight depression & IMPROVE how you feel about yourself 10 weeks of strength training have provenly reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than psychological therapy. Women who strength-train often say their programme makes them feel more confident and capable critical factors in fighting depression.
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