Exercising with weights has many different benefits for women such as improve posture, strength, energy, protection and faster weight loss. One of the most important is to prevent osteoporosis throughout life especially post menopause. Osteoporosis attacks 1 in 3 women, leaving the bones to become thinner from the inside of the bone becoming more porous and less able to support the body, leading to breaks and fractures. By the time a woman reaches the age of 70, she may have lost as much as 30 percent of her bone density, something you really don’t won’t to lose in the years to come. Good strength, energy and bone density are essential for general health and fitness, now and in the future. It is very common for us to neglect what we cannot see. We spend hours looking at what we see from the mirror, such as your curves, muscle tone or neglected areas which may need some work! If we cannot see it we tend to ignore it! And that’s very common with our bones.
Having worked with many women, a large part of my work is to ensure bone density and muscular strength is at it highest. Lifting weights is not only to help break down body fat and elevate the metabolism but to also strengthen the main skeletal frame. No one wants to have curvature of the spine when we get older. We want to maintain a strong upright frame with muscles that support our strong bones.
Remember a strong body is healthy body and without strength your body will break down, due to the acids our body produces. So how do we prevent this from happening fast and effectively?
To prevent osteoporosis you need to follow these rules. If you don’t already, now is the time to change your lifestyle for the better. It’s never too late to get active or if you are already exercising then its time to step it up to the next level and not just through the motions of pushing machines in the gym.
Take part in exercise today and start lifting weights, free weights if possible.
Once a week push near maximum weights at around 80 percent of maximum lift.
Make sure you are taking enough calcium and vitamin D
Avoid drugs, too much alcohol, too much caffeine or fizzy drinks
And of course don’t smoke
The good news is that osteoporosis in women can be prevented by a combination of good nutrition and exercise. Weight bearing exercises help prevent bone loss and encourage bone growth. Remember this, always start slowly and consult your doctor or a certified fitness professional before taking part in any exercise to find out whats the best way to start.
An ideal programme should consist of bone loading and specific aerobic weight bearing exercises three to four days per week. You will need to take part in some walking, jogging, weight training, body weight exercises and aerobics depending on your capabilities. In fact any exercise that stimulates as many different bones as possible. Start to think about walking more often rather than driving and take stairs rather than lifts. Every little bit counts. If you like to walk long distances then use some hand weights or ankle weights. This is to increase the weight load placed on your bones. I have even told clients to take a small pair of plastic hand weights outside and power walk.
I don’t want big muscles!
If you are concerned about building too much muscle and getting too much muscle mass then don’t. It’s not that easy to build large muscles as a woman. Building big bulging muscles takes a lot more effort then just lifting weights. You need specific muscle building nutrition, a specific muscle building weight progressive designed programme and lots testosterone. Just think about firming, conditioning and strengthening and that’s what you will achieve. Don’t ruin the benefits of using weights with negative thoughts that will Improve the quality of your life in many ways.
Remember as the saying goes “only the strong survive in this world”. So get strong and you will find your energy will lift considerably, which will make your day much more positive, enjoyable and productive.
An important area that needs to be addressed is nutrition. Eat a high calcium, high fibre, and low in saturated fats diet. Did you know that two thirds of your bones are built up of by calcium?
Vitamin D helps to build calcium and one of the best sources of vitamin D is the sun, but beware of obvious skin damage. Milk and other dairy products offer the same benefits. Eat these foods that also help boost your calcium.
Nuts, seeds, beans, peas
Fish with bones
Lots of green vegetables
Quality Cod liver oil supplements.
By preventing osteoporosis and staying, strong, fit and healthy start exercising with weights and follow a healthy diet. By taking care of your bones you will stay strong and healthy throughout your life and strong bones lead to a strong body which also means a healthy mind.
Lee Skinner is a Lidingö personal trainer and the owner of Total Fitness Personal Training and Body Fit Boot Camp here in Lidingo and Stockholm, Sweden. Lee has over 15 years of qualifications, diplomas and experience in the fitness industry and thousands of personal training sessions in London, Spain and here Stockholm. Find out more about training with Lee Skinner and looking great or to join one of Lee’s Fitness Boot Camps. [http://www.totalfitnessstockholm.com].
Simply visit Lee’s website for a FREE ebook on “The 21 secrets and top fitness tips to lose weight and burn fat”
