8 Benefits of Weight Lifting for Women

Many women default to cardio for fitness. And while cardiovascular exercise has its benefits, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. If your goal as a woman is weight loss and improved health, resistance training needs to be part of your routine. Here are eight benefits of weight lifting for women.

You’ll Burn More Fat

Lifting weights is a wonderful way to boost your metabolism and keep it elevated for up to 48 hours after you train. When you do any kind of cardio training, you’ll burn calories, but that slows down once you stop exercising. The more muscle you carry, the higher your metabolism, meaning you’ll burn more calories around the clock.

You’ll Get Stronger

Lifting weights is a great way to increase your functional strength, which means things like hauling groceries or kids aren’t as challenging. Getting stronger is good for your body and your mind – it’s empowering to know that your physical strength is improving.

You’ll Build Stronger Bones

We’ve written before about the importance of resistance training for bone health. It’s one of the only ways to build and maintain bone mass as we age. Plus, the combination of stronger bones and more muscle mass means better balance and flexibility.

You’ll Improve Your Mood

Just like cardio and yoga, weight lifting releases endorphins, the feel-good hormone. Feeling out of sorts? A great gym session can help!

You’ll Reduce Your Likelihood of Injuries

Lifting weights helps improve joint stability while also building stronger tendons and ligaments. And when you’re using proper technique at the gym, you’re also decreasing the chance that you’ll get hurt doing every day activities at home. Not sure your form is quite right? A qualified personal trainer can help!

You’ll Help Your Heart

Working those weights will work your heart – and that’s a good thing. Close to half a million women die of cardiovascular disease annually, but lifting weights can help increase good cholesterol and drop bad cholesterol. It also lowers blood pressure.

You’ll Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

Consistent strength training has been shown to improve glucose metabolism to a degree that matches medication. That’ because lean muscle makes your body more efficient at removing glucose in the blood.

You’ll Change your Physique

The body carries muscle differently than fat, and weight training can help you slim down and tone up far more effectively than endless cardio sessions.

Wondering Where to Begin?

If you’re ready to capitalize on the benefits of weight training but you aren’t sure where to begin, a personal trainer may be the best choice. An experienced, certified trainer will create a personalized fitness plan based on your current ability and fitness goals, show you proper form and technique, and help keep you motivated and on track. It’s never too late to begin – contact the professionals at Framework Personal Training in Reno today, and let’s get stared.