STRENGTH TRAINING FOR WOMEN

--> In the past, women felt that strength training was not for them. They didn’t want big bulky muscles. Fact is, strength training can help women lose body fat, lower blood pressure, increase circulation and obtain almost all of the other benefits men get from it. What it cannot do, in most cases, is build the muscle bulk men achieve. The high level of testosterone in men is what enables them to build the bulk. Women do not have the testosterone levels men do, so therefore do not bulk up. Women who strength train will strengthen, they may develop muscle definition as they lose body fat, they will increase their bone density. Strength training to increase bone density is of vital importance to women who are premenopausal. Bone density begins to decrease between age 30 and 35. This decrease becomes heavier after menopause in women. It is the increasing loss of bone that contributes to frequency of bone breakage in postmenopausal women. Some studies have shown that while weight strengthening exercise in these women will still increase bone density, it does it at a much slower rate than prior to menopause. If nothing else, this should be a huge push for younger women to find a way to add strength training to their weekly routine.

As women age, and enter menopause, strength training becomes even more important. Menopause decreases hormone production, particularly that of estrogen. When the body is at full estrogen production women are somewhat protected from things like osteoporosis and heart disease. With menopause, that protection goes away. While strength training cannot bring back high estrogen levels, it will decrease body fat and strengthen the heart. It will also slowly increase bone density which will help ward off the effects of osteoporosis. One of the main risk factors of breast cancer is obesity. Losing body fat, along with helping women look better, can help protect women against breast cancer. Exercise will also help control or eliminate some of the symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes and irritability. Other symptoms that are controlled are the gain of weight around the abdomen and increasing cholesterol levels. -->