Body Building For Women - Great Woman: Great Body
 Many
decades ago, weight training has been a male activity. But over the last
twenty years women have taken to the weight rooms of gyms and health
clubs, and to their own spare rooms at home, with increasing enthusiasm.
The gains of strength training for women should not be underestimated.
Despite the fact that large muscles tend not to be one of the
acquisitions women get from weight training, increased strength, balance
and bone density are.
Women Don't Get Huge Muscles from Weights
For men, these issues are somewhat different because men are
protected to some extent by the male sex hormone testosterone which
tends to enhance muscle and bone growth. However, even men suffer from
age-related osteoporosis and loss of muscle. Exercise, which includes
strength training, is one solution.
Despite the fact that women produce testosterone -- it’s important
for female sex drive -- they don’t produce as much as men, and that’s
why women don’t grow big muscles under weight training stimulation or at
any other time. Improvements in strength and the stimulation of bone
growth through weight training is not necessarily a product of muscle
size -- one reason why weight training still works for women, and can
work for you, even though huge muscles won't happen unless you take
steroids.
Physical Activity, Weights, Protect Against Breast Cancer
One of the main risk factors for breast cancer is obesity. The
American Cancer Society presented this in its January 2007 report. In
addition, the report found that physical activity protects against
breast cancer and perhaps also the return of cancer after treatment.
It‘s quite easy to see that slimming down with a diet and exercise
program, including weights, could reduce your risk of breast cancer,
notwithstanding inherited family risk. In fact, if ever you do have
breast cancer in the immediate family, an exercise program may be one
thing you can do to reduce your risk.
Moreover, women diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing treatment
are being advised to take up weight training. Some studies reveal an
improved quality of life with no adverse effects. An all-round exercise
program may substantially reduce your risk of breast cancer
re-appearing.
This is what the American Cancer Society had to say:
3,000 breast cancer survivors in the Nurses' Health Study showed that
higher levels of post-treatment physical activity were associated with a
26% to 40% reduction in the risk of breast cancer recurrence, breast
cancer-specific mortality, and all-cause mortality. The risk reduction
was seen with as little as 1 to 3 hours per week of moderate intensity
activity with further reductions for those performing 3 to 5 hours per
week.
Weight Training at Menopause
Many women understand that they are somewhat protected from various
afflictions like heart disease and osteoporosis by a plentiful supply of
estrogen until menopause. Cholesterol readings may get worse, bone
density can decline and weight can start to rise with the waning of this
female hormone, If you have never been physically active or have been
inactive for some years, this is a good time to start exercise in
general and weight training in particular. Exercise improves the health
of women in a number of ways at or around menopause. This is what a
scientific review found of the benefits of a combined aerobic and
resistance training program for women at that time.
The training described is likely to preserve normal bodyweight, or
combined with a weight-reducing diet, preserve BMD (bone mineral
density) and increase muscle strength. Based on limited evidence, such
exercise might also improve flexibility, balance and coordination,
decrease hypertension (blood pressure) and improve dyslipidaemia (blood
fats).
You don’t have to be concerned that you may be required to start
running marathons or become a bodybuilder either. Regular walking
combined with a well-designed strength training program at home can
bring good results according to this review study. It’s also worth
noting that although additional effort usually results in greater
benefit, starting out with a modest program is the key to success. The
bottom line is: do what you can do, but just do it. |
