Guest post: Why Women Should Lift Weights.

Today's blog post comes from Nicole White at Health Care Administration Degree.com and is about a topic close to my heart: Weight lifting for women. Thank you Nicole!

Why Women Should Lift Weights

There is a lingering misconception among many women that lifting weights will make them look “masculine” or that a great cardio workout is all they really need to be fit and toned. Neither of these are necessarily true, and women of all ages can take advantage of numerous health benefits by adding a few weight training sessions into their personal workouts. Here are just a few reasons to consider starting your own weight training program:

You’ll look better. Most women will not gain significant amounts of muscle mass from regular weight training. Even those gifted with an athletic physique generally don’t have enough testosterone to support big, bulging muscles and only stand to gain more strength and toning from weight lifting. Of course, gaining the physique of a highly trained athlete isn’t really so bad compared to risks of being seriously overweight.

You’ll be stronger. Why rely on someone else to do the heavy lifting? With continued weight training you’ll be stronger and more able to take care of your own needs. Even things around the house will be easier, and you’ll be more adept at everything from carting around the kids to carrying in the groceries from the car.

You’ll lose weight faster. Gaining more muscle mass will help you burn your unwanted body fat off more quickly. As your lean muscle mass increases, your resting metabolism increases as well helping you burn more calories throughout the day. This small amount of extra calorie loss can make a big difference over time, helping you reach your goals faster and feel better while doing it.

You’ll improve your sports performance. Whether you love golf, swimming or even just riding your bike around town, weight training can help you do it better. With stronger muscles, you’ll be able to engage in activities for longer periods of time and reduce your risk of serious injuries that can have you on the sidelines for weeks.

You’ll lower your risk of illness and injury. Studies have shown that weight training can have some really great long-term health benefits. From decreasing your risk of osteoporosis to alleviating lower back pain, working out using weights certainly won’t hurt your overall health and may even have you feeling better than you have in years.

Whether you’re in your 20’s or your 60’s it’s always a good time to start weight training and enjoying the benefits of a stronger, healthier you.

This post was contributed by Nicole White, who writes about a masters of health care degree. She welcomes your feedback at Nicole.White222@gmail.com