In recent years it has been far more commonplace to find women lifting weights in the gym. I love seeing the girls at CrossFit throwing barbells around and my daughter can’t wait to join them.

Why should we lift weights though? For a long time weights were left to the boys, as many women didn’t want to “bulk up”. The truth is though that adding weights to your fitness regime has numerous benefits, and it is highly unlikely you will end up looking like Arnie!

Here are some of the benefits of weight training:

1. Faster metabolism, which in turn will lead you to burn more fat.
2. Toned muscles – once you’ve burned off the body fat, the muscles on display will be well defined.
3. Improved bone density, therefore reducing the risk of osteoporosis – this is particularly important for those over 40.
4. Stronger core which helps improve posture and therefore makes you less liable to injury.
5. Fun!
6. Improve aerobic capacity – more efficient muscles make long, steady workouts such as runs, cycles or walks easier.
7. Happiness – exercise is uplifting, and there’s nothing like throwing some weights around to temporarily take your mind off any troubles you have.
8. Improved functional fitness – you’ll be stronger and more flexible and therefore less likely to injure yourself in or outside the gym.
9. Rewarding – seeing the weights steadily increase gives a great buzz.
10. Prevent or control chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, depression or obesity.

So what are you weight-ing for (sorry, couldn’t resist)? As long as you start with light weights and use good technique, the results you get from resistance training are manyfold.

If want advice about adding weights to your training then please get in touch.