Strngth Training is perhaps better for women than fast exercise!
Story at-a-glance
A
study involving nearly 36,000 older women suggests strength-training may
lower a woman’s risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes
independent of her level of aerobic activity
Strength
training contributes to strong bones, making you less susceptible to
osteoporosis, a condition affecting 10 million Americans that results in
2 million bone fractures annually
Ranging
from body-weight exercises, hand weights and kettlebells to resistance
machines, rope climbing and strength classes — there is a
strength-training program for everyone
By Dr. Mercola
If you are still laboring under the misconception that strength
training is only for hard-core bodybuilders and those interested in
bulking up, it's time to change your thinking and incorporate some form
of weight training into your exercise routine. Doing so will transform
not only your health and physique, but also your perception of what you
are capable of doing physically. If you are a woman at or older than
middle age, strength training is vital because it protects against
osteoporosis by increasing your bone density.
It's a well proven fact working with weights — whether it be your
own body weight or that of a dumbbell or machine — is a beneficial
exercise that will enhance your muscle tone and strengthen your bones.
New evidence also suggests strength training helps reduce your body
mass index (BMI) and your risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
The Benefits of Strength Training
Similar to other forms of exercise, strength training boosts your
mood and helps you build endurance and stamina. In addition, strength
training helps you to:1,2
Avoid chronic conditions: Strength training can help prevent and/or reduce the effects of chronic conditions such as arthritis, back pain, depression, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes
Develop strong bones: You can reducing your risk of osteoporosis, or brittle bones, by increasing your bone density through strength training
Enhance your quality of life: Building muscle helps to improve your ability to do everyday activities, which will help you remain independent as you age
Manage your weight: Strength training can help increase your metabolism and enable you to either lose or effectively maintain your weight
Sharpen your thinking skills: Research suggests there is a direct correlation between strength training and cognitive well-being, especially in older adults
On top of these wonderful benefits, you will very likely enjoy the
transformation strength training will bring to your physical body. Over
time, you will begin to see and feel improved muscle tone, which will
boost your body awareness and self-esteem. Such noticeable changes will
very likely make you a lifetime fan of this type of exercise. Along
those lines, Sue Clark, strength coach at Chicago-based Bodysculpt
Fitness, says:3
"Strength training is the only way you're going to truly be able
to sculpt the physique of your personal dreams. Above and beyond the
physical changes, though, a whole new persona emerges, as people start
to feel really confident in their own bodies. Once I can get someone on
board with strength training, they're good for life, because they're
seeing results like they've never seen with cardio."
Without Strength Training, You Are at Greater Risk for Osteoporosis
While it's easy to equate strength training to stronger muscles, you
may not realize strong muscles also help your body develop strong
bones. Strong bones are vital to help you maintain the structural
integrity of your body, as well as to prevent against osteoporosis.
Brad Schoenfeld, assistant professor of exercise science at New York
City's Lehman College and member of the board of directors for the
National Strength and Conditioning Association, offered this insight
about how strength training affects your bones:5
"Through a process known as bone remodeling, strength training
stimulates the development of bone osteoblasts: cells that build bones
back up. While you can achieve some of these bone benefits through
aerobic exercise, especially in your lower body, resistance training is
really the best way to maintain and enhance total-body bone strength."
It may surprise you to learn your body loses bone mass at the rate of about 1 percent per year after age 40 due to:5
Age-related changes
Inadequate nutrition
Physical inactivity
When your bones become fragile, they are increasingly susceptible to
breakage and fracture, even from minor events such as bending, falling
or tripping. Eight million women and 2 million men in the U.S. suffer
from osteoporosis, which is thought to be responsible for some 2
million bone fractures annually.6
It's well-known that women are at greater risk for this condition
because they have smaller, thinner bones than men. Experts at Harvard
Medical School note:7
"Hip fractures are usually the most serious. Six out of 10
people who break a hip never fully regain their former level of
independence. Even walking across a room without help may become
impossible."
Beyond the risk factors common to both men and women, bone loss is
often more pronounced in women who have reached or passed through
menopause. The loss of estrogen after menopause may contribute to bone
loss because estrogen is a hormone designed to protect bones.8
Strength Training Shown to Protect Against Diabetes and Other Diseases
A study9
published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise suggests
strength training may lower a woman's risk of cardiovascular disease
and Type 2 diabetes. Researchers from Harvard Medical School and the
National Institutes of Health followed nearly 36,000 women for 14 years
through health questionnaires.
The participants, ranging from 47 to 98 years of age, self-reported
their exercise levels and health status. Study results reflect the
muscle-strengthening exercise they performed was directly correlated to
their incidence of heart attack, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. After
adjusting for other variables such as age, diet and physical activity,
compared to those who did none, the women who did any strength training
at all were:
More likely to have a lower BMI
More likely to maintain a healthier diet
Less likely to be a current smoker
Shown to have a 30 percent lower risk for Type 2 diabetes
Shown to have a 17 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease
Notably, researchers found the addition of aerobic exercise helped
drive down the risks for diabetes and heart disease even further. For
example, participants who performed at least 120 minutes of aerobic
exercise a week, along with some form of strength training, were shown
to have a 65 percent lower risk for Type 2 diabetes than women who did
neither. The study authors noted: "These data support the inclusion of
muscle-strengthening exercises in physical-activity regimens for
reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, independent
of aerobic exercise."
Beat Depression With Strength Training
Previous studies have underscored the value of aerobic exercise for
depression, due, in part, to the improved mood stimulated by the
release of endorphins through activities such as running. While
strength training may not release as many feel-good neurotransmitters,
it also has been shown to be effective against depression.
"There's a different high when you make a lift or complete your
program that day," says Li Faustino, a licensed clinical psychologist
in New York City who treats people with depression and also lifts
weights.10 One small study11
revealed 80 percent of older depressed adults experienced a
significant reduction in depressive symptoms after taking up resistance
training for 10 weeks.
Research12
involving depressed senior citizens reflected a 50 percent reduction in
depression-related symptoms for participants who took part in
high-intensity resistance training three days a week for eight weeks.
The study authors noted: "High intensity progressive resistance
training (PRT) is more effective than low-intensity PRT or
general-practitioner care for the treatment of older depressed
patients."
Kelly Coffey, a personal trainer in Northampton, Massachusetts, who
began lifting weights shortly after being diagnosed with depression,
suggests strength training provides a sense of empowerment related to
the illness:13
"When you challenge yourself and push yourself, it's really hard
not to feel pride when you're done, and pride is the opposite of that
depressive, powerless feeling. You cannot help but feel proud,
empowered and satisfied at the end of a good lift."
Resistance Bands Are an Inexpensive Way to Build Strength and Muscle
If you don't have access to fancy gym equipment, resistance bands
can help you increase strength and build muscular endurance as part of
your home-based workout program. These stretchy bands are:
Simple and effective for working your muscles
Useful for boosting your flexibility, range of motion and stamina
A quick means of changing up how you do traditional strength-training exercises such as arm curls or pushups
Inexpensive, easy to store and perfect for exercising while you are traveling
No matter which type of bands you use, be sure to start with a light
level of resistance and work your way up to higher levels of
resistance over time. Check out the short video below for a
demonstration of nine resistance-band exercises you can easily do at
home or while traveling for business or pleasure.
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