Society has twisted the idea of what a beautiful woman should look like within the past 20-30 years. The mainstream fashion industry has formed a view that extremely skinny girls with no meat on their bones are the “most attractive”. Understand that our purpose is not to run down women who are naturally built with a small frame and are naturally thin no matter what they eat; rather the purpose of this article is to shed light on the benefits of weightlifting both mentally, hormonally, and physically. Within the past decade, the fitness explosion has allowed many women to embrace the idea that beauty can be found in strength. This has also led to many women discovering that the statement that lifting weights makes you bulky is a complete myth.
Pre- and Post-Menopausal Hormone Balance
The largest endocrine organ in the body is skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle gives an enormous amount of hormonal feedback to the brain, therefore weightlifting and training all of the muscles within the body will allow skeletal muscle to function as it was intended and provide the proper feedback to the brain hormonally to allow for a more balanced hormonal status and a healthier life.
A study conducted through the University of Arizona’s Department of Physiology by Timothy G. Lohman, Ph.D. stated that post-menopausal women were at an increased risk for developing sarcopenia, which is a significant loss of muscle mass that can have an effect on the quality of life for the individual. These post-menopausal women usually experience an increase of fat mass along with significant decreases in lean body mass when they lead an inactive lifestyle. So again, weightlifting can not only aid in establishing a sound hormonal balance but can also help establish a foundation of lean body mass or muscle tissue that will pay immediate dividends and many benefits to negate the onset of things such as sarcopenia and osteoporosis later on in life.
In addition to the benefits of negating these disorders, a review done by the International Council on Active Aging states that post-menopausal women may experience a decrease in energy and that this may be negated by participating in routine exercise and namely resistance training. Weightlifting may provide the means necessary to maintain a desirable quality of life for post-menopausal women, and if you are not yet in this stage of your life it would be a great idea to integrate resistance training as a part of your current life so that you set yourself up for a life full of energy and vigor as well as a more graceful aging process.
Drive to Eat and Live Healthier
Many women fall into the cycle of thinking that the only foods that they need to consume to be “healthy” are the typical salads coupled with a low caloric intake so that they can maintain or lose weight in a “healthy” way. This is nothing to be ashamed of if you fall into this category, as the mainstream health magazines and the typical “how to shed inches diets” are responsible for overcasting myths into the mainstream information that get disseminated to the public, so it is only natural that many people attempt to lose weight or stay healthy in this way.
We want you to consider that there exists another way (weightlifting) to better your health and become a stronger, leaner version of yourself; weightlifting combined with a regimen of aerobic exercise is actually the course of action that your body, physiologically, would prefer you to take. Once you begin weightlifting you will become hungrier than before because the muscles that you have had all along will begin to function at a higher level and demand that you feed them the proper nutrients via carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to sustain and progressively drive forward the development of a healthy and vibrant body and mind. Also, this new lifestyle which includes lifting weights and being a stronger you will drive you to eat a much wider variety of foods and expand your comfort zone so that you can set yourself up for a healthier, longer, and stronger life.
Again, weightlifting ties into the previous concepts in which you may find yourself researching what vitamins and minerals you need to become stronger in the weight room, and these practices will also benefit your health in the marathon of life by helping to lessen the risk of developing disorders such as hormone imbalances and osteoporosis by supplementing with Vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium. The purpose of this article is not to prescribe supplementation of any of these vitamins or minerals (as that is the job of a certified dietician or nutritionist) but simply to bring it to your attention that there exists many benefits that are associated with weightlifting and treating your body how it was designed to be treated.
Looking for more information on vitamins? Check out our article on Vitamins and Vitamin Quality.
Product Recommendation
The health and wellness marketplace is packed full of supplements that are made up of synthesized vitamin powders along with ingredients most people can’t pronounce or identify. Natural Force solves this problem by offering products with natural ingredients that come directly from nature and help to provide your body with everything it needs to perform optimally. They refer to themselves as BS free.
The need to create Natural Force stemmed from a frustration with the supplements available on the market. They strived to offer products that don’t contain any coloring, artificial sweeteners or unnecessary fillers. All of their products deliver superior performance for specific purposes. When you start weightlifting you will likely find that your body needs that little extra boost. You want to ensure you take care of yourself with high-quality supplements. A few of our personal favorites are Iskiate Endurance, Recovery Nectar and Primal Peptides.
Primal Peptides: A collagen protein booster made from the highest quality, grass fed and pasture raised source of collagen on the market. Collagen aids in building muscle mass and supporting muscle recovery as well as reducing joint pain and discomfort. It also supports the strength of ligaments, tendons, and bones, and helps minimize the risk of injury to connective tissue. The best part? It is simple to add to any beverage, hot or cold, and will not gel or affect taste.
Recovery Nectar: This post-workout recovery drink is USDA certified organic and contains superfoods and hemp protein to reduce soreness. It is formulated to leave you feeling refreshed and revived while maximizing recovery, decreasing soreness and recharging your body. The nectar will assist in replenishing depleted glycogen stores and lost electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals to decrease recovery time and soreness. The base of this drink is freeze dried coconut water which has over five different electrolytes and is one of the best natural sports hydration drinks available.
Iskiate Endurance: This natural endurance drink uses only a few key ingredients to provide you with sustained energy throughout your workout. In it you will find coconut palm sugar, chia seeds, bee pollen, royal jelly and stevia leaf. Combined together, these ingredients help support your physical endurance by delivering energy efficiently through b-vitamins and minerals. It helps support muscle fatigue by providing your body with a source of complex carbohydrates and healthy fatty acids.
Confidence and a feeling of intrinsic strength
There is something to be said about what happens to an woman’s confidence as they begin a journey within the world of weightlifting and resistance training. At the beginning, it can be a little overwhelming having to learn and adapt to new concepts of how to move the body and complete different movements, but with time, dedication, and hard work, that individual slowly begins to realize that they are capable of much more than they ever thought possible. Once several movements have been mastered and the experience of weightlifting begins to become fun, the self confidence that manifests within that individual is profound. We want to encourage our readers to challenge themselves and to breach into new areas of fitness outside of your comfort zone, and the benefits, both physiologically and mentally, will shock and amaze you!
Weightlifting combined with aerobic exercise training allows for the body to be challenged within several physiological systems, and according to the leading research within the exercise physiology field the combination of these two training methods is the most effective way to improve body composition and overall health of the body and mind.
6 Pack Bags
With a healthy lifestyle comes healthier eating habits. And when you are constantly on the go whether it be a day of errands with the kids or a busy workday in the office it can often be difficult to figure out how to prep and pack all of that healthy food. This is where 6 Pack Fitness comes in! They have an amazing selection of bags that function as meal management systems for athletes. Since we have been thoroughly discussing The Benefits of Weightlifting for Women we feel it’s perfect to showcase their amazing women’s collection.
One of our personal favorite bags is the Renee, a sleek tote that is as multifunctional as it gets. This bag is perfect for long days at the office, long weekends or day trips with the kids. You can rest assured that there will be enough room for everyone’s meals. The Renee comes with 4 Sure Seal Containers, 2 Small Freezer Packs, 1 Large Freezer Pack and a Sports Nutrition Compact. It has a large main compartment with a slot for a laptop and an array of pockets that serve perfect for organizational purposes. You have plenty of room for all your necessities, be it workout clothes or diapers and spare outfits!
