When it comes to health and fitness, strength training is critical but is often something women overlook or are intimidated to start.
There could be any number of reasons that you want to give your physical health a boost.
Maybe you’re recovering from an accident or injury, and you want to build into getting fit again slowly, or perhaps you want to make lifestyle changes that will help you reduce your blood pressure and other chronic conditions.
Being fit and getting enough exercise is important for your mental health as well.
Regardless of your why’s, strength training should be part of your routine as a woman, and the following are things to know.
Why Do Women Need Strength Training?
Women need strength training for the same reasons as men and then some.
First, if you strength train, then it will help you lose fat faster. If you’re worried about bulking up, this isn’t common for women because of hormonal differences with men.
As you work on your strength training goals, it will give your resting metabolism a boost, so you’ll burn more calories each day. For every pound of muscle you gain, you’ll burn anywhere from 30 to 50 more calories a day.
Women should also strength train for their bone health. You can boost your bone mineral density and combat osteoporosis.
Using weight training or band resistance training can help reduce low-back pain, strengthen joints, and ease pain from arthritis. It can also help prevent cardiovascular disease, which is a major killer of American women.
A study from Harvard found that women who did strength training for just ten weeks had reduced symptoms of clinical depression compared to study participants who just did standard counseling.
Go Slowly
When you start strength training, and particularly if you’re doing so as part of your recovery from an accident or chronic pain, take it slow. It’s worth it to learn proper form, get the basics, and build up.
If you try to rush strength training and you don’t focus on form, you run the risk of injuring yourself further.
You can work with a trainer to learn form, and there is also a multitude of online guides and videos that will help you.
As you’re starting, keep your moves simple.
Sometimes the simplest weight training moves are actually the most effective.
Some basic strength-training exercises to try include squats, reverse lunges, push-ups, and overhead presses.
Start with Bands
Exercise bands can be great to build strength and muscle, and they tend to be easier to work with than heavy weights. Plus, bands are inexpensive and portable, and you can workout anywhere.
If you start with bands, you can reduce the risk of injury.
In some cases, bands have benefits over traditional weights. For example, they are more efficient at recruiting more muscles.
A bicep curl where you use a dumbbell is what’s considered a fixed motion. Your body can predict the muscles being used.
A bicep curl done with a band requires all of your muscle fibers throughout your shoulders and arms to activate because they need to stabilize the band.
Set Achievable Goals
With any new fitness routine, whether it’s strength-based or cardio-based, having goals is an important way to stay motivated.
You should create small, incremental goals and also bigger and more challenging goals.
Make your strength goals related more to your performance than a number on a scale.
For example, maybe your goals are centered around gradually increasing the weight you can manage or the reps you can do.
Follow a Program
When you’re starting an exercise program, it can be tough to know where to start and to stay on track. You may not be able to come up with a lot of exercises on your own, either.
Follow a set program instead
This will help you focus on a plan and remain accountable to yourself. Plus, following a set program, whether it’s video-based, app-based, or written out, will help you know which muscle groups to work together and when to take rest and recovery days.
Finally, remember the importance of warming up before you do any strength training
According to Women’s Health, weight-training injuries have gone up 63% among women. One reason is that they skip their warmup.
If your muscles are cold and stiff, you’re more likely to experience tears and sprains.
When you warm up, it gives you a great range of motion and helps boost your circulation.
