The Benefits of Weight Training for Women

Many women enjoy exercising, but are commonly drawn to exercises involving cardio, yoga, and Pilates rather than weight training.  However, weight training is one of the most important exercises that women should be doing.

Although cardio exercise burns more calories per minute than weight training during the exercise, weight training helps you to burn an additional 100 calories in the 24 hours after exercising.  Muscle equals about 1/3 of a woman’s weight, so it has a profound effect on a woman’s metabolism.  If a woman replaced 10 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of muscle, she would burn and extra 30-50 calories per day.

Women’s metabolisms naturally decline around age 30, so weight training can give your metabolism a boost and help ward off extra pounds as you age.  Women who weight train maintain their female shape, they just improve it.  Since women have lower levels of testosterone than men, they do not have to worry about growing big muscles.

Weight training also:

• Stimulates bone growth and helps to prevent age-related osteoporosis
• Improves balance because strong legs and core muscles help to stabilize you
• Decreases resting blood pressure
• Improves posture
• Improves the immune system
• Elevates mood
• Improves energy