Muscle As Medicine: Why Resistance Training is Crucial for the In Demand Woman
Why resistance training crucial for the In Demand Woman
What are your motivations when it comes to resistance training, i.e. using weights to increase strength and muscle mass? You may just want to look good, you may have specific fitness goals in mind, or you may train once in a while because you feel like you should.
When creating any solid fitness plan, knowing your WHY is extremely important to your personal success. There is often stigma and misinformation when it comes to women and resistance (strength) training.
We want to break down any of that stigma and help you understand how resistance training can help you achieve your overall fitness goals and help you feel at your personal best!
The effects of NOT doing resistance training
Let’s talk about what happens without resistance training and the potential side effects that come down the line. For most people, muscle loss begins in their 30’s and 40’s and this continues on a gradual decline of up to 8% per decade until the age of 70. Thereafter, if no resistance training continues, muscle loss can be as much as 15%! So what, right? That’s a long way away, why would you worry about muscle loss now?
Think about it this way, suppose you decided, at the age of 30, that resistance training just isn’t worth the effort, and not a priority. Then, when you’re 40 you start to notice an increase in aches and pains in your joints and/or gut, then a decrease in sex drive (hormonal decline) and mood swings. Then in your 50’s you start to show signs of cognitive decline, memory loss, weight gain (blood sugar problems), your immune system can’t fight off infection (lack of protein), so you may be getting sick on a regular basis. By your mid 60’s you have osteoporosis and you’ve had a fall and don’t have the ability to recover. Whoa, that doesn’t sound like a path anyone would want to end up on, given the choice, right?
If no resistance training occurs, muscle loss can be as much as 15% over your lifetime!
This is where resistance training comes in. When we look at body composition, skeletal muscle represents up to 40% of total your body mass and contains 50-75% of all your body’s proteins. Why is this important? Because adding muscle adds more mitochondria (the energy source for your body), which helps muscles receive oxygen and breakdown proteins!
Proteins are then broken down into amino acids, which help to repair, recover and grow the muscle for the next time you workout. Resistance training and building muscle are also known to help improve health biomarkers such as cholesterol, testosterone and even oxygen levels. Combine that with the ability to improve insulin sensitivity, and you have discovered the fountain of youth – muscle!
Fueling your body with the proper nutrition and creating a balanced lifestyle (ample water, great sleep, healthy emotions) are also crucial to fight aging. By educating yourself about the importance of strength training, the likelihood that you’ll start to incorporate the proper fuel and improve lifestyle choices goes up exponentially.
Recap of why you need to do resistance training
What are the major benefits of resistance training?
- Increase in beneficial hormones
- Increase in energy, mood and body composition
- Improved key health markers
- Works towards reversing chronic disease
- Empowers you to reach the health you’ve always wanted
What are the major downsides to avoiding resistance training?
- Loss of tissue & bone mass
- Increase in inflammation and obesity
- Blood sugar problems
- Hormonal declines and decreased libido
- Immune system problems
- Cognitive and emotional challenges
Strong is the new skinny!
- Strong is the new skinny
- Don’t be afraid of getting “bulky”, in general, women don’t have enough testosterone.
- Women are WAY STRONGER than they give themselves credit for
- If the gym intimidates you, face it head on. Throw out your preconceived notions about the gym, men don’t rule it. You deserve to be there, taking a stand for your health!
- Eat MORE quality food!
- Most women under eat during the day. This leaves them in a calorie deficit, which favors the breakdown of tissues where muscle growth can’t happen.
In conclusion
Muscle loss doesn’t discriminate, it happens for both men and women. The good news is that now you know exactly what you need to do to start fighting it off!
It doesn’t matter where you are in life, there is never a bad time to start resistance training.
David Downey is the Owner and Head Coach of OPEX Santa Barbara. He has an extensive background in business coupled with a drive and passion for fitness. This fueled his aspirations to open a world class training facility, where the client, not a methodology, dictated the design of the fitness program. He is a certified OPEX CCP Level 1 Coach (NASM accredited) and a certified USAW Sports Performance Coach. He has been in the health and fitness industry for over a decade as a coach and business owner. David’s mission is clear, to deliver his clients the highest quality results, through professional coaching, education and commitment to treating each client as the unique individual that they are
Special offer for Sassy Healthy Fit readers! David is offering a SASSY deal on his 4-week experience to include a fitness assessment and programming based on your individual needs. If you are interested, you can find more information here.
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