Women: Health benefits of lifting weights – Part 26

Weight training can often seem intimidating for most women. Beefy-necked, Arnold impersonators grunting in front of wall mirrors at the gym come to mind. The truth of the matter is, however, weight training should be an integral part of anyone’s fitness routine, especially woman. Aerobic exercises while important are not always sufficient to maximize your health benefits. Weight training will help you to look your best as it tones and sculpts your body. Building muscle can help you slim down faster and stay slim as muscle burns fat in the body. Weight training can also help stave off or reduce the effects of osteoporosis. Here are a few simple exercises to get you started:

Bench Press: Lying flat on your back on the floor or on a weight bench hold a pair of dumbbells or a barbell above your shoulders with your elbows bent at a 90 degree angle. Extend your arms toward the ceiling, careful not to lock your elbows at the top. Lower weights until your elbows are again at a 90 degree angle and repeat.

Bicep curl: Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair or weight bench. Holding a dumbbell in each hand sit with your elbows close to your sides and your palms facing up. Curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders while keeping your elbows tight at your sides. Lower dumbbells and repeat.

Lateral Raise: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Start with your arms straight by your sides. Keeping your elbows straight raise the dumbbells to the height of your shoulder. Lower weights and repeat.

Triceps Kickbacks: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Lean forward slightly from your waist until your back is parallel with the floor. Bring your arms to your side with your elbow bent at 90 degrees. Extend your arms back with the palm facing the ceiling. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Squats: Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, bring a pair of dumbbells or a barbell and rest them/it on your shoulders, holding the weights steady with your hands. Bend your knees as if you are going to be sitting on a chair. Be careful to keep your knees parallel with your toes. Come back to a standing position and repeat

Standing Calf Raise: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your arms close to your sides, raise up onto your toes. Lower back down to the starting position and repeat.

As you begin to incorporate weight training into your fitness routine, you will notice the effects. Both in how you feel, and how you look in the mirror!