by Theresa Willbye

Created on: April 29, 2008   Last Updated: May 07, 2008

Strength training benefits the mind, body and soul. Who feels that that your weekly cardiovascular or stretching routines are enough to keep you young and fit forever? Yes, cardiovascular activities burn our calories. Yes, stretching frequently allows for a little more flexibility. So why would we consider involving strength training into our already hectic lifestyles? To understand the answer to this question we need to look beyond the ideology that strength training is building "bulk muscle" and digest the true facts associated with strength training.

As women, time plays an unkind role upon our health both mentally, and physically. Life quality becomes afflicted with low self esteem issues and debilitating medical issues such as osteoporosis. So how can a simple 20-30 minutes a day 2-3 times a week play a role in combating this ugly fate set aside for us?
Osteoporosis

It is a known fact that female bones mature faster than the average male. As we age our bone density decreases dramatically in comparison to the opposite sex. Through the use of strength training we are able to maintain a healthy level of bone density and thus help prevent the onset of osteoporosis. Sufferers of such illnesses also note a decrease in symptoms after including strength training into their weekly routines.

Metabolic rate:

Our natural metabolic rate increases through the participation of exercise. Higher metabolic rates allow us to digest our food at a more rapid pace. Strength training is of additional benefit as it produces lean muscle tissue which is known for being a primary factor to burning excess body fat. Therefore upon building just a small amount of muscle tissue we commence to burn fat even whilst sedentary.

Lean Muscle tissue:

A common myth associated with strength training is that you will end up acquiring large bulky muscles. The truth is, as females we do not possess as much testosterone as our male counterparts; therefore we will not achieve an Arnold Schwarzenegger look by participating in regular workouts. The optimum approach to training is to take light weights (however not too light that they do not tire the muscle) and increase the number of repetitions. This method will allow for a more sculpted and toned look of lean muscle tissue.

Injury avoidance:

Strength training helps avoid unnecessary injury through two methods. The first, as we train our muscles to become stronger, thus we improve our posture, sense of balance and stability. Our body also gains a better awareness

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