There are so many naysayers out there that are stuck in an old school of thought. They say women shouldn’t lift or if they do, they shouldn’t ‘lift heavy’. This is simply not true! You won’t look ‘manly’ for lifting. Women have strength and in many ways, we have our own unique ones. Look at one of my favorite inspirations for lifting heavy; the USA Olympic Weightlifting team. It included 4 female lifters in Rio this past year!
You don’t have to be an Olympian to enjoy the benefits of lifting as a female, though. Here are some awesome reasons why women should lift weights, too.
Why Women Should Lift Weights, Too
It Can Help with Overall Strength- Building muscle is important for strength and lifting weights will only help that. As you lift more and more, you will find that your overall ability to lift heavier, everyday objects, as well as grip, will improve.
Lifting Can Help with Flexibility- Your muscles are like supports for your joints and bones in many ways. If you make your muscles stronger, your overall flexibility increases. Look at a ballerina's legs for instance. Ballerinas need to be extremely flexible and their muscles are usually very well sculpted to support this flexibility.
It Can Lower Your Chance of Getting Osteoporosis Later In Life- Did you know that bones tend to become denser and stronger when the muscles around them are stronger? This is because as you build muscle, your bones build to support them. Having denser and stronger bones can help prevent osteoporosis later.
It Helps with Chronic Pain- I suffer from chronic pain and I find that lifting improves this a lot. While it is hard to get through the workouts, and I must take it a bit slower than others, I notice a significant difference in my pain levels if I am regularly strength training.
You Will Increase Your Endurance- Stronger muscles can endure more. This means you will be able to run longer, lift more and go for longer when you give yourself some strength training time on a regular basis.
It Can Help You Mentally- Strength training requires a lot of ability to not give up and push through. This, in turn, trains your brain to push through and go further when the task is more mental than physical, as well.
Keep in mind that you don’t even have to lift heavy weights, do strength training daily or use every machine in the gym to reap the benefits of lifting weights. Just a simple 20 minutes a couple of times a week can be extremely beneficial.
Also, there are many ways to lift weights that have nothing to do with going to a gym. Many things you need to do some lifting can be bought for less than $10 and are small enough to store even in a small apartment. I recommend getting some strength bands that work with your own body as a counter-weight and a kettlebell to start.
Written by Christine Tolhurst from Saved by Grace Blog
Read more from Christine here.