You’ve probably heard about strength training,
Maybe heard it recommended.
Possibly wondering if you should be doing it, or that other thing, or the other.
Wondered if cardio or strength training or anything will help you to finally make your goals happen.
Let’s dive in!
I have found from working with many women that many do not know what strength training is, if or why they should be doing it, it’s benefits, or how to get started.
Why you should be strength training:
-To be strong and capable.
-So that you can do the activities, adventures, experiences that you want to do.
-To limit and reduce injury, pain, and discomfort.
-To reduce the likelihood of surgery, injury, and future health issues.
-To be resilient. In your workout, your goals, and in your life.
-To maintain and even build muscle mass, bone density, mobility and flexibility, balance, stamina, and capability as you age.
-If you have goals around your body: how you feel in it, how clothes fit, what you want to be able to do, weight loss, body recomposition, future plans, daily life tasks, mom life, active job that includes lifting and moving things, you have been in pain for so long…
-To be able to do as much as you can as long as you can.
-To boost your confidence and sense of self.
-So you can enjoy life and the things you enjoy!
-To better show up for yourself, your family, the ones you love, your future.
-To support the stages and times of your life: the decades to come. Pregnancy. Mom life. Adventurous traveling. Fun auntie. Strong mama. Empowered through menopause. And all the smaller adventures in between.
Now you do not only have to strength train.
And strength training can look like many things!
A good exercise routine includes variety: walking, strength training, ways of moving your body that you enjoy!
You do not have to strength train everyday. Include it within the mix of things that you do.
🚶🏽♀️🏋️♀️🚴🏻♀️🧘🏿♀️🥾😴🤸🏾♀️🏄♀️💃🏻🏊♀️🛼🥊😴🧗♀️⛷️🏋️♀️🏃🏾♀️🤽🏼♀️🚶🏻♀️🧘🏼♀️🏋️♀️
A good general recommendation is strength training 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes.
Yep, it does not have to be an hour plus to be impactful! And you can start smaller and with less days to make it feel more approachable and achievable at first.
If you currently do not have a routine: Start out with once a week for 15-30 minutes. If you do more. Awesome. Use this as your base goal. And build as truly feels doable in your schedule.
This might stay at 30 minutes and it might grow to an hour.
Strength training can look like:
-Lifting weights
-Dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, medicine balls
-Your own body
-Using resistance bands
-A suspension trainer
-A cable machine
-Pilates equipment
-A mix of functional strength that prepares you for everyday life and beyond
Strength is especially important for women!
Looking to feel more at home and good in your body;
to have more endurance;
to say yes to outings and activities with friends;
to shift your relationship with your body and self:
Strength training provides:
-Tone and muscle definition (this is different from muscle mass. Getting big, bulky muscle mass takes a heck of a lot of work. It will not just happen because you started lifting weights).
-Cardiovascular challenge (Yep strength training also provides the benefits of and can be cardio!)
-A prime fat loss, fat burning heart rate zone
-Confidence to know that you are strong, capable, and that you can do hard things.
You can pick up the package; carry the groceries, cat litter, dog food; go up the stairs without pain; play and take care of the kids and family.
-Maintenance of muscle, bone density, blood circulation, lung capacity, and ability through aging and living life.
-Improve insulin sensitivity
-Reduces risk of diabetes
-Reduces aches and pains
-Reduces injury and falling risks
-Improves joint function
-Support and reduction of side effects through peri, pre, during, and post menopause
-During pregnancy: Strength to reduce pain and discover. Positive benefits for baby. Reduces likelihood of gestational diabetes. Aids in reducing pelvic floor, diastasis recti, and muscle pains. Provides strength to support labor and recovery.
-Postpartum: Helps to recalibrate core and pelvic floor muscles. Emotional and physical boost. Supports mother and baby. Aids mama in mom life: picking up, carrying, lifting, holding, pushing strollers, caring for.
-Mental, physical, and emotional boost! Strength training and exercise promote our mental & emotional health equally with our physical -if not more. Growth in confidence, trust, belief in self, mood, energy, self talk, pride, feelings of achievement, resilience, the ability to stick with things and do hard things, and knowing that you can show up for yourself.
Pretty cool all the things that strength and prioritizing our fitness can do for our whole health!
Do you include strength training as part of your exercise routine?
If not, what has kept you from it?
Hit reply and let me know!
I would love to hear what strength training has looked like and made you feel.
Your coach,
Arina
I help women who struggle with their relationship with their body, food and health build a sustainable routine to prioritize their wellbeing. So they can feel strong, capable, pain free, and at home in their body.
P.S.
Little bonus for you for reading to the bottom 😁 Here is a 30 minute workout to get you started out. This one is bodyweight strength training so all you need is your body! Grab a water bottle, a mat or pad if on hard floor, pump up some music, and let’s get moving!