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Strength training, also called resistance training, involves activities that make muscles work harder by exerting force or resistance. Lean muscle mass naturally reduces with age, so it is best to keep exercising your muscles. In addition to a healthy meal plan, strength training plays a key role in a fitness regimen, helping you become leaner, stronger, and healthier, says a nutritionist.
Women specifically require strength training not only to maintain body composition, but also to maintain lean muscle mass, healthy bones, stability, posture, and metabolism. This may be a necessity rather than an option. This may be specific to women, as their bodies undergo various physiological changes at different ages and stages of life. “During these phases, including early growth years, pregnancy, lactation, and menopause, building and maintaining muscle mass is a challenge. As hormonal changes set in, women need to build muscle, especially as they age,” Nutritionist Aman Puri tells Health Shots. A major factor is a decline in estrogen levels. This hormone plays a key role in maintaining muscle mass, bone density, and joint health. This leads to slower muscle recovery, loss of muscle mass, and increased fat storage.
A common myth that persists among women is that strength training is not meant for older women. However, as the body ages, the loss of muscle mass and bone density accelerates. Moreover, many women equate strength training with bulking up and gaining muscle mass. Regular strength training helps preserve and rebuild muscle strength.
Let’s look at the benefits of strength training, as outlined by Puri, and why it is a good choice for women.
Mobility problems can stem from various sources for women. These include concerns about bone density, muscle mass decline, and natural hormonal shifts. As we get older, our joints tend to lose some flexibility, which can restrict movement. Strengthening exercises focus on the back, glutes, core, and leg muscles, which, in turn, foster improved mobility. Resistance training also fortifies ligaments and tendons, boosting joint stability and flexibility. This translates to better balance and coordination, helping prevent everyday mobility problems such as difficulty walking, sitting, or standing. Furthermore, it lowers the likelihood of falls, injuries, and fractures.
Fluctuations in hormones can contribute towards weight gain, which slows down the metabolic rate. This further contributes to increased abdominal fat deposition. Resistance exercises aid metabolism by increasing calorie burn. This helps improve the body composition and weight. Strengthening helps build lean muscle mass, leading to more defined arms, legs, and glutes. It also improves the waist-to-hip ratio, visibly reducing body fat and resulting in a more toned physique. This can also help address obesity if initiated early.
Women have less muscle mass than men, which is why they experience a faster decline in muscle mass as they age. Age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) can occur in women specifically due to hormonal changes and a decline in estrogen. Muscle-strengthening resistance exercises stimulate muscle fibres during recovery, improving muscle size and countering age-related muscle loss. Exercising the same muscle group improves muscle strength and endurance.
As women age, the bone mineral density gradually declines, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. After menopause, women start experiencing faster bone demineralisation. This can cause an imbalance, leading to weaker bones and an increased risk of fractures. Strength training stimulates bone formation and the production of new bone tissue, improving bone density.
Incorporating simple strengthening exercises like squats, push-ups, planks, rows, and lunges into one’s daily routine is easy, as they require no special equipment. Women can also perform them at home. These exercises can be started in the early 20s to 30s and can even be performed by older people. To improve overall fitness, women can practice these to achieve long-term goals such as building functional strength and mobility.
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