BETTER HEALTH:

Strength training may also improve bone density and help prevent osteoporosis (bone fragility and loss) and osteopenia (less severe bone loss), and helps prevent sarcopenia (muscle loss).

You may have heard that your metabolism slows as you age, and you may have accepted this as a fact of life. This slowing down is due largely to the muscle mass that you lose, along with a decrease in activity, as you age.  However, if you strength train regularly, you can help prevent loss of muscle mass and keep your metabolism humming along now.

Proper strength training also improves posture and alignment, and can help with pelvic floor and incontinence issues.  Historically, these were thought to be issues only “older women” have to deal with, but recently, these issues have been popping up for younger women, as well.  Whether that’s because more women are engaging in more strenuous activity (like box jumps, double-unders, heavy deadlifts), or women are simply more comfortable talking about it, it’s definitely affecting women of all ages.

Strength training also helps improve your insulin sensitivity, especially in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), and can help you keep your blood pressure within a healthy range. In addition, strength training improves your self-esteem and self-worth and boosts your confidence in a way that nothing else can.

STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY:

There is nothing like feeling physically strong—especially when, as a woman, you’re often expected to be physically weak (yes, this concept makes me mad, too!)

Watching your body and your strength transform as you become increasingly capable of doing things you never thought you could do is absolutely priceless.  It’s our wish that every woman have the opportunity to know first-hand what it feels like to physically conquer something or complete a feat that once seemed impossible.

Finally, strength training is essential for managing your body fat and maintaining a healthy body composition, and well… loving the way you look naked.  If weight loss is your goal, as you lose body fat, if you’re not strength training, it’s likely that your body will become a smaller, softer version of itself. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, in our experience working with women who want to “tone up” or “get in shape,” it’s a safe bet to say this is not the physical change you were expecting to see. However, if you strength train and add muscle as you reduce your body fat, your body becomes firmer and tighter, which is more along the lines of what many women envision when they embark on a weight loss journey.