It Matters: Strength Training for Women
Lifting weights seems like something the guys should be doing at the gym. Ladies - YOU should be doing some strength training too! And no, it won’t make your muscles bulge out of your clothes (unless you want it to, but then you would have to train specifically for that!). Why does strength training matter, especially for women?
Sarcopenia. Sarco- what??!! Sarcopenia is normal age-related loss of muscle mass. This happens to men as well, but for women we often start to experience normal age-related changes in our muscle mass beginning around age 30. The loss of muscle mass starts to rapidly decline between ages 60-80. We are losing as much as 8% of our muscle mass each decade. This leads to increased frailty, loss of stamina, and fall risk.
Osteopenia. Osteopenia is an unhealthy loss of bone density, which increases the risk of bone fractures. Some studies indicate that the prevalence of this is just over 50% of women after age 50. When osteopenia progresses to a certain level of bone loss, or has resulted in bone fractures, it is then called osteoporosis.
Weight gain. Often as women approach menopause in their 40’s they begin to develop increased body fat, particularly around the abdominal area - which is increasing the unhealthy body fat around our organs and can contribute to onset of heart disease, diabetes, and other life-threatening medical issues.
Mood. Again, as women enter the peri-menopausal years (up to 10 years before their menstruation ends) there are already hormonal changes happening in the body that often contribute to increased mood swings.
GOOD NEWS. Every single one of the issues listed above as part of the aging process in women can be slowed or even reversed by incorporating strength training as part of a consistent routine.
Currently, it is recommended for women to participate in full body strength training at a minimum of 2 days per week. If you prefer to work out certain muscles groups on one day, then you may need to perform strength training at 4-5 days per week. There is growing research and evidence to support the fact that women can slow the progression of normal age-related sarcopenia when they are participating in regular strength training. Women with osteoporosis or osteopenia can sometimes even eliminate the need for medication intervention by performing regular strength training. Weight gain is often reversed when strength training and dietary modifications are made to ensure appropriate protein intake and healthy carbohydrate/fat intake is also included. Lastly, enhancements in mood and improvements in sleep have been noted with onset of a regular strength training and aerobic exercise routine.
Strength training doesn’t have to be complicated. It can include just body weight exercises without any special equipment, or it can include free weights, machines, cable systems, or resistance bands. There can be a great variety of ways to include strength training movements into your routine. If you’re interested in learning more about how to get started with strength training, reach out to us at Shift Physical Therapy and Wellness about how to help you get started! We also offer free consultations to discuss more in detail what it is that YOU and looking for and how to safely start a program that makes sense for you and your goals.
Written by: Renee Hancock, Physical Therapist
