Thankfully women lifting weights is becoming more popular and something they're likely to add to their workout routine. But if you still need some convincing, we have all the reasons you should be lifting heavy.
There are still misconceptions that lifting heavy weights will leave us with big and bulky muscles, but the reality is, this isn't true. Instead, we'll get stronger, fitter and leaner than before.
Physiotherapist at London's Boost Physio, Laura Harman, wants us to be aware how essential weight training is, and why we should be doing it for overall health, both physically and psychologically too.
These are all the reasons why women should be lifting heavy weights.
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Boost your mind’s health
Weight training has multiple benefits, it can improve your confidence, as well as improving your mood. There are also some benefits to helping with the symptoms of anxiety and stress.
Laura says the benefits of weight lifting go far ahead of changing how we look but benefits the mind greatly. When you start to lift weights and then start increasing that weight as you get stronger, the high you get from beating your personal best will allow you to appreciate your body and give you a 'superwoman' feeling that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
What's more, these feelings won't just take place in the gym either, you'll benefit from it in all aspects of your life.
Slow down the effects of ageing
Ageing is something that happens to us all, and there's nothing we can do to stop it. But by lifting weights we can help slow down the signs of ageing on our body and ensure we don't suffer later in life.
As we age we lose skeletal muscle mass, and this can impact our ability to carry out everyday tasks like getting off the couch, dressing ourselves and climbing the stairs.
Weight training has also been found to help lower blood pressure, which is great as blood pressure typically creeps up as we age.
Reduce belly fat
Studies have shown that lifting weights can help you lose belly fat, compared with just doing cardio. Weight that sticks around the middle can be really detrimental to your health, so reducing belly fat is essential for a healthy body.
Not only that, but listing weight can help strengthen your core which helps with balance, and improves your posture too.
Increase your focus
When you start to lift weights, you'll start setting yourself goals and it'll likely change your priorities when it comes to your discipline with the gym. Regular training will get you results quite quickly too, so you'll be more focused on your training. This will only seep into your everyday life too, and you'll have more energy to work towards your goals outside of the gym as well.
You’ll sleep better
If you find yourself struggling to sleep, or get a good night's sleep, you might find that exercise is the key. Of course, you're going to feel tired after training, so when you get into bed you'll really appreciate the sleep you have. Research has shown that weight training improves your sleep, plus getting a good night's sleep is essential for recovery too, ensuring you can get fitter and stronger in the long run.