I am inspired for this blog because of the new year and the intense spike in gym memberships where I train at. I see all these people, men and women of different sizes and cultures striving to make and check off their “New Year Resolutions” and it is so sad to say that after 3 weeks, half of the gym is empty again with the regulars and about 30% of the newest members still working towards their health.
What really bothers me…the day to day occurrence of women, strong, independent women listening and succumbing to society’s message that women are weaker, “just walk on the treadmill” “just get in your cardio today” “drop to your knees for pushups” “weight lifting is for bulky men” etc etc. STOP!!! Please for the love of yourself and all the other women out there. Stop buying into this. I had a personal trainer a few years ago tell me to make a decision and own it. Own it. Those simple two words, so difficult when my body wants to give up, take the modifications and go home to my bathtub. But I did it, I owned it and here I am 3 years later teaching yoga, holding arm balances, doing pushups when I am in wheel pose, completing 100+ pushups 3x a week after tricep dips and pull ups on the bar in the gym, strength training, interval cross fit training and eating a plant based protein shake 5-6 days a week. Of course I worked hard to get here, but that’s the secret, I worked hard. I owned my own body and stopped listening to others telling me that I can’t do a full pushup or hold plank as long as the guy next to me. You know what? You were wrong. I can and I do and I will, and I want YOU to hear me and do the same.
This doesn’t mean I expect all women to start doing 100+ push ups and using the pull up machine today, but know that you CAN and your strength doesn’t equate to “bulkiness” it equates to health, wellbeing, and prevention of injuries into old age. As an occupational therapist, I have worked with numerous older folks, lots of women, who have had knee and hip replacements, some of them (get this) were in their late 40’s- mid 50’s! What? Yes, yes. A large percentage of them were over weight, walked once or twice a week for 20 mins because someone on T.V told them they can do that to lose weight and shape up, again being mislead that we can only do 20% of what we are capable of.
A few reasons, borrowed from 3 articles online with resources cited at end of blog, why women SHOULD STRENGTH TRAIN (weights and body weight):
1) Increase fat loss/ caloric expenditure:
a. “Think weightlifting only benefits those who want shirt-ripping arms? Think again. Although many people consider weightlifting only a means to add size, when contrasted head-to-head against cardiovascular exercise, resistance training comes out on top in the battle to burn calories.”With increased lean muscle you burn calories more effectively. With more muscle contractions, you increase caloric expenditure! Walking burns FEWER calories than strength training and the real kicker to this is that strength training= increased metabolism and higher caloric burning POST workout. Yes you burn more calories post strength training workout than cardio sessions.
b. “After a heavy bought of strength training, you continue to consume additional oxygen in the hours and even days that follow. This is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC. When your body uses more oxygen, it requires more caloric expenditure and an increased metabolic rate.”
2) Curves, oh beautiful women curves!
a. As you lose fat with cardio, you are also losing muscle mass which in turn means you lose that nice curvy figure. Strength training can help you sustain and build those curves for your sexy little black/red/blue dress, or skirt, or those cute “hippy” dresses you always want to wear and those nice jeans we are rocking right now. Also, you can feel good about how you look in your clothes, RATHER than only relying on the scale for your self confidence.
3) Better Sleep
a. Sleep, yes, I love sleep, but a majority of us dont get enough, can’t fall asleep, wake up in the middle of the night etc. and strength training can help alleviate a lot of these problems.
b. “Strength training greatly improves sleep quality, aiding in your ability to fall asleep faster, sleep deeper, and wake less often during the night. A study published in the International SportMed Journal suggests that morning resistance training or high intensity training greatly affects the quality of sleep and lengthens the time of sleep the night after training.1”
4) Reduce your risk of Heart disease and Diabetes
a. “Muscle helps remove glucose and triglycerides from the bloodstream, which reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, as well as hardening of the arteries," says Timothy Church, MD, PhD, a preventive medicine expert at Pennington Biomedical Research Center”
b. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that those who lift weights are less likely have heart disease risk factors such as a large waist circumference, high triglycerides, elevated blood pressure, and elevated glucose levels.3 Another study conducted by researchers in Brazil found that though the heart rate increased in patients during heavy bouts of training, their blood pressure and resting heart rate were significantly lower the following morning.4
5) Increase bone density and “break proof” your bones
a. “Postmenopausal women are at a greater risk for osteoporosis because the body no longer secretes estrogen. Resistance training is an excellent way to combat loss of bone mass, and it decreases the risk of osteoporosis.”
b. The earlier you start lifting weight/strength training, you decrease your risk of osteoporosis and bone density loss. So get started! In addition, the stronger your muscles are, the better your balance is WHICH results in reduced risk of falling and hip replacements!
6) Stress Relief
a. Research has found that those who regularly strength train have increased resistance to stress and adaptability to stressful situations. Strength training also helps improve memory and cognition.
7) P.S. You can do it ANYWHERE
a. You don’t need fancy equipment or a gym membership. Doing body weight exercises, squats, pushups, planks, tricep dips with one leg and legs on a chair, pull ups. ALSO it is affordable to invest in 5,10 and 15 lb weights. That’s all you need! Go to a used sports place, “Five Below” Amazon, wal-mart (not my fav, but for many this can be a good option) you can get three weight sets for under $20.
8) Decrease blood pressure
9) FEEL GOOD AND STRONG!
Ok so some of you are like, wait? Should I lift weights or use body weight? Both. Both. I do both and I can tell you that my body wouldn’t able to do what I do without a combination of both. And YOGA oh my gosh YOGA has shaped me in ways I never knew possible. I have built incredible strength by holding poses, chatarunga push-ups, hand stands, pincha mayaurasana, and so much more! Planks oh my!
Mix it up. Your body starts to get used to your routine and you no longer are challenging your body, burning as many calories or building up as much LEAN muscle and decreasing fat build up. You want to be healthy, well and in shape for all the many beautiful, blessed moments you have with your family and friends and adventures! I want all women to read this article and feel the positive message here, that you can do MORE than what you are told and that strength training is SEXY and cool and so good for you. It is nearly impossible to bulk up like a man, we don’t have the testosterone and genetic makeup for it. You will be toned though, and have beautiful curves to enjoy for yourself and feel good about.
One last comment: please please stop using the scale to increase/decrease your self confidence. It is the saddest thing I see as a health practitioner with yoga, OT and working in an women based gym. The scale is just some number that stands in our way. When you start strength training you will build muscle, LEAN muscle and it will weigh more but your clothes will fit better and you will lose pant size dress whatever is your goal. Make it your goal to fit into your clothes better, to be able to get up the stairs at work, to withstand more than 30 minutes of an exercise routine, to increase your balance, strength and core. You can do this.
P.S this post is to remind you of how strong you are, not to tell you that you need to look a certain way or lift a certain amount, hold a certain yoga pose etc. it is to say that you need to be WELL and healthy and feel GOOD about yourself. Strength training , yoga, cardio etc, in balance will help you with that and EATING WELL, which is an entirely different topic : )
I LOVE YOU AND I WANT YOU TO LOVE YOU AND TO SEE HOW STRONG YOU ARE. WOMEN, WOMYN, Hear me roar!
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/8-reasons-women-should-lift-weights.html
http://www.prevention.com/fitness/fitness-tips/9-reasons-women-should-lift-weights
What really bothers me…the day to day occurrence of women, strong, independent women listening and succumbing to society’s message that women are weaker, “just walk on the treadmill” “just get in your cardio today” “drop to your knees for pushups” “weight lifting is for bulky men” etc etc. STOP!!! Please for the love of yourself and all the other women out there. Stop buying into this. I had a personal trainer a few years ago tell me to make a decision and own it. Own it. Those simple two words, so difficult when my body wants to give up, take the modifications and go home to my bathtub. But I did it, I owned it and here I am 3 years later teaching yoga, holding arm balances, doing pushups when I am in wheel pose, completing 100+ pushups 3x a week after tricep dips and pull ups on the bar in the gym, strength training, interval cross fit training and eating a plant based protein shake 5-6 days a week. Of course I worked hard to get here, but that’s the secret, I worked hard. I owned my own body and stopped listening to others telling me that I can’t do a full pushup or hold plank as long as the guy next to me. You know what? You were wrong. I can and I do and I will, and I want YOU to hear me and do the same.
This doesn’t mean I expect all women to start doing 100+ push ups and using the pull up machine today, but know that you CAN and your strength doesn’t equate to “bulkiness” it equates to health, wellbeing, and prevention of injuries into old age. As an occupational therapist, I have worked with numerous older folks, lots of women, who have had knee and hip replacements, some of them (get this) were in their late 40’s- mid 50’s! What? Yes, yes. A large percentage of them were over weight, walked once or twice a week for 20 mins because someone on T.V told them they can do that to lose weight and shape up, again being mislead that we can only do 20% of what we are capable of.
A few reasons, borrowed from 3 articles online with resources cited at end of blog, why women SHOULD STRENGTH TRAIN (weights and body weight):
1) Increase fat loss/ caloric expenditure:
a. “Think weightlifting only benefits those who want shirt-ripping arms? Think again. Although many people consider weightlifting only a means to add size, when contrasted head-to-head against cardiovascular exercise, resistance training comes out on top in the battle to burn calories.”With increased lean muscle you burn calories more effectively. With more muscle contractions, you increase caloric expenditure! Walking burns FEWER calories than strength training and the real kicker to this is that strength training= increased metabolism and higher caloric burning POST workout. Yes you burn more calories post strength training workout than cardio sessions.
b. “After a heavy bought of strength training, you continue to consume additional oxygen in the hours and even days that follow. This is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC. When your body uses more oxygen, it requires more caloric expenditure and an increased metabolic rate.”
2) Curves, oh beautiful women curves!
a. As you lose fat with cardio, you are also losing muscle mass which in turn means you lose that nice curvy figure. Strength training can help you sustain and build those curves for your sexy little black/red/blue dress, or skirt, or those cute “hippy” dresses you always want to wear and those nice jeans we are rocking right now. Also, you can feel good about how you look in your clothes, RATHER than only relying on the scale for your self confidence.
3) Better Sleep
a. Sleep, yes, I love sleep, but a majority of us dont get enough, can’t fall asleep, wake up in the middle of the night etc. and strength training can help alleviate a lot of these problems.
b. “Strength training greatly improves sleep quality, aiding in your ability to fall asleep faster, sleep deeper, and wake less often during the night. A study published in the International SportMed Journal suggests that morning resistance training or high intensity training greatly affects the quality of sleep and lengthens the time of sleep the night after training.1”
4) Reduce your risk of Heart disease and Diabetes
a. “Muscle helps remove glucose and triglycerides from the bloodstream, which reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, as well as hardening of the arteries," says Timothy Church, MD, PhD, a preventive medicine expert at Pennington Biomedical Research Center”
b. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that those who lift weights are less likely have heart disease risk factors such as a large waist circumference, high triglycerides, elevated blood pressure, and elevated glucose levels.3 Another study conducted by researchers in Brazil found that though the heart rate increased in patients during heavy bouts of training, their blood pressure and resting heart rate were significantly lower the following morning.4
5) Increase bone density and “break proof” your bones
a. “Postmenopausal women are at a greater risk for osteoporosis because the body no longer secretes estrogen. Resistance training is an excellent way to combat loss of bone mass, and it decreases the risk of osteoporosis.”
b. The earlier you start lifting weight/strength training, you decrease your risk of osteoporosis and bone density loss. So get started! In addition, the stronger your muscles are, the better your balance is WHICH results in reduced risk of falling and hip replacements!
6) Stress Relief
a. Research has found that those who regularly strength train have increased resistance to stress and adaptability to stressful situations. Strength training also helps improve memory and cognition.
7) P.S. You can do it ANYWHERE
a. You don’t need fancy equipment or a gym membership. Doing body weight exercises, squats, pushups, planks, tricep dips with one leg and legs on a chair, pull ups. ALSO it is affordable to invest in 5,10 and 15 lb weights. That’s all you need! Go to a used sports place, “Five Below” Amazon, wal-mart (not my fav, but for many this can be a good option) you can get three weight sets for under $20.
8) Decrease blood pressure
9) FEEL GOOD AND STRONG!
Ok so some of you are like, wait? Should I lift weights or use body weight? Both. Both. I do both and I can tell you that my body wouldn’t able to do what I do without a combination of both. And YOGA oh my gosh YOGA has shaped me in ways I never knew possible. I have built incredible strength by holding poses, chatarunga push-ups, hand stands, pincha mayaurasana, and so much more! Planks oh my!
Mix it up. Your body starts to get used to your routine and you no longer are challenging your body, burning as many calories or building up as much LEAN muscle and decreasing fat build up. You want to be healthy, well and in shape for all the many beautiful, blessed moments you have with your family and friends and adventures! I want all women to read this article and feel the positive message here, that you can do MORE than what you are told and that strength training is SEXY and cool and so good for you. It is nearly impossible to bulk up like a man, we don’t have the testosterone and genetic makeup for it. You will be toned though, and have beautiful curves to enjoy for yourself and feel good about.
One last comment: please please stop using the scale to increase/decrease your self confidence. It is the saddest thing I see as a health practitioner with yoga, OT and working in an women based gym. The scale is just some number that stands in our way. When you start strength training you will build muscle, LEAN muscle and it will weigh more but your clothes will fit better and you will lose pant size dress whatever is your goal. Make it your goal to fit into your clothes better, to be able to get up the stairs at work, to withstand more than 30 minutes of an exercise routine, to increase your balance, strength and core. You can do this.
P.S this post is to remind you of how strong you are, not to tell you that you need to look a certain way or lift a certain amount, hold a certain yoga pose etc. it is to say that you need to be WELL and healthy and feel GOOD about yourself. Strength training , yoga, cardio etc, in balance will help you with that and EATING WELL, which is an entirely different topic : )
I LOVE YOU AND I WANT YOU TO LOVE YOU AND TO SEE HOW STRONG YOU ARE. WOMEN, WOMYN, Hear me roar!
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/8-reasons-women-should-lift-weights.html
http://www.prevention.com/fitness/fitness-tips/9-reasons-women-should-lift-weights