Why you should include strength training in your weekly schedule
Benefits of strength training
Regular strength training (also called resistance training) with weights (even your own body weight) is good for people of all ages to help prevent the loss of lean muscle that comes with ageing and to boost your metabolism. Whilst high intensity interval training (HIIT) works when you're younger it's less effective as you age, particularly for women with declining hormones, as it puts a massive stress on the body which we are less able to recover from.
Some of the benefits of strength training include:
Ideally you should be doing strength training twice per week. If you're not sure what to do, work with a trainer who will plan a specific programme for you, or join a group/class.
Regular strength training (also called resistance training) with weights (even your own body weight) is good for people of all ages to help prevent the loss of lean muscle that comes with ageing and to boost your metabolism. Whilst high intensity interval training (HIIT) works when you're younger it's less effective as you age, particularly for women with declining hormones, as it puts a massive stress on the body which we are less able to recover from.
Some of the benefits of strength training include:
- Improved muscle strength. This is a key issue for women, particularly at menopause, where lack of oestrogen is associated with decreases in skeletal muscle mass and strength. Using weights helps offset this decline
- Preserving bone density. Resistance exercise helps exert a mechanical load on the bone which consequently leads to increased bone strength
- Burning belly fat. Lifting weights helps build lean muscle and the more lean muscle you have the quicker your metabolism will work. This means weight training helps boost metabolism which in turn burns more calories, meaning a reduction in body fat and improved weight loss
- Increased insulin sensitivity. Low muscle strength has been associated with a higher incidence of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. Studies have found increasing muscle strength is associated with increased insulin sensitivity
Ideally you should be doing strength training twice per week. If you're not sure what to do, work with a trainer who will plan a specific programme for you, or join a group/class.