4 Reasons Why Women Should Lift Weights!

“Lifting weights will make me manly!”…yawn…A phrase I have heard one too many times before. This is a common misconception held by many young girls and women, typically those who spend hours in the gym, running on treadmills day in, day out, desperately trying to change the shape of their body. Does this sound like you? What if I were to tell you there was a better way of achieving your ideal body? What if said it would require less time and effort, that this method has extra health benefits AND is more fun, would you be interested? Then, read on for our 4 Reasons Why Women Should Lift Weights!

1. Turn your body into a calorie-burning machine!
The more muscle mass we have, the higher our metabolic rate. Muscle burns more calories than fat does, as muscle weighs more than fat and therefore requires more energy simply to move our bodies on a daily basis. If you’re female trying to lose weight then I highly recommend incorporating some regular weight training into your weekly exercise regime to boost your body’s fat burning abilities.

2. Exploit exercise to shape your ideal body
The great advantage of weight training is that you have the power to create a beautiful physique and emphasise the assets of your choice, simply by focusing on particular exercises. For example, many women say they would like a bigger derriere, so they can focus on exercises that target the glutes and literally build their booty. Obviously you will not see results overnight, but with consistent and clever training you will be in awe of how your body changes over the coming weeks and months.

3. Delay onset of osteoporosis
Unfortunately as women we have a naturally higher risk of developing osteoporosis than our male counterparts. The International Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that this bone condition affects over 200 million females worldwide.  This is mainly due to the fact that after menopause our bone density falls dramatically along with the declining production of oestrogen. Many studies show that weight bearing exercise helps strengthen the bones, slows down loss of bone mass and therefore can help prevent the hastening onset of osteoporosis, this prevention method is advised by many healthcare professionals such as dietitians and doctors.

4. Improved self-image
One of the most rewarding benefits of weight training, that both myself and many of my weight lifting friends have noticed is the boost in body confidence that comes along with it. This is most likely because instead of looking at our bodies and wanting them to shrink and to lose fat, our mindset and the way in which we see our body changes. Instead we find ourselves focusing on growing certain parts of our body and we get excited at seeing progress in terms of muscle growth. After weight training a while, most women start to realise that the number on the scales doesn’t matter anymore because growing muscle weighs a lot more than fat, effectively rendering the scales’ readings as irrelevant and this does help us form a much healthier relationship with our body.

So ladies, if you want to feel better inside AND out, get down off those treadmills and pick up some dumbbells Stay tuned for more articles on weight training for women, including how to get started and which exercises to perform to best target particular muscle groups!

Shannon Lawlor

Shannon is a 24 year-old passionate vegan and health enthusiast living in Beijing, China. Shannon has a solid knowledge of nutrition from spending 2 years of her life as a student dietitian. She enjoys applying her knowledge of food and nutrition to help others achieve optimal health. Shannon loves trying new foods and is constantly creating new vegan recipes. Shannon is energetic and likes keeping active by weight training, walking her dog or doing yoga.

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