I have been trying to get into a good weight lifting routine for a while now but couldn’t quite find the motivation until my anthropology professor spoke some words of wisdom during class.
She addressed the women of the class and encouraged us to start weight lifting and gaining muscle before our late 20s because it can prevent different health issues in the future such as osteoporosis. This really intrigued me so I began to do some research and found these benefits:
Injury Prevention
Weight lifting strengthens the muscles and tendons, and this lowers your chance of injury during any physical activity. You are less likely to injure yourself because stronger muscles and tendons help hold your body in proper alignment during physical tasks.
Image Credit: Runner’s World
https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a28506378/lifting-weights-fat-loss-heart-study/
Stronger Bones
Weight lifting not only increases your muscle strength, but your bone strength too. Once a woman enters her 30s, her bone density starts to diminish. This gives women a higher risk of osteoporosis, which decrease the density and quality of bone even more causing bone fractures and injuries. With that being said, prevent bone mass loss by lifting to build strong bones while you’re young!
Image Credit: South Ogden Crossroads Fittness
https://southogdencrossroadsfitness.com/do-women-bulk-up-from-weight-lifting/
The Sooner you Start, the Better the Results
According to Livestrong, the best time period to lift weights is ages 20 to 29. At this time in your life, your body allows you to lift the most amount of weight with the quickest recovery time. There was also a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise that discovered younger women increased their muscle power by 40% more than older women while doing comparable exercises.
So, start lifting weights ladies & reap the benefits of your hard work!
HCXO,
Becca