Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live. ~Jim Rohn
You know you should be exercising, right? You're biking, walking, taking the stairs - working out your heart and body. That is awesome. But don't forget to strength train! Men are usually sold on the virtues of weight lifting, but the ladies often need more convincing. So, listen up. Strength training makes you:- Gorgeous. Anyone want to argue the merits of a flabby body in a swimsuit vs. a toned one? (If you're a woman, and you're worried about developing huge muscles, forget it - it's not going to happen.)
- Healthy. Lifting weights can help strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis, as well as a whole host of chronic issues like back pain, diabetes and depression.
- Better. A stronger body means you can do everything better. You'll have better posture, be better at all sports, and you won't get tired as quickly.
As you age, your muscle mass declines. You become more frail, and if you don't do anything to replace the lean muscle, you increase the percentage of fat (read flab) in your body. Women naturally have weak upper bodies. Without weight training, many women lack the strength to lift their own bodies as they get older. Lots of broken hips are sustained by women who can't get themselves out of the tub. Let's make sure that's not you. The good thing is that strength training increases your muscle mass, however old you are. If you start now, you can get rid of those batwings and have toned arms for your holiday outfits.
What to do - Strength Train
- Add strength training to your exercise routine. It's only one part of your exercise - the others are cardio and stretching.
- Find a place to weight train. Join the gym. Or find a chair and some floor space at home.
- Commit to a strength training routine. If you join a gym, you often get a free introductory session with a trainer. Tell her you need a basic weight training routine. If you don't belong to a gym, you can always do push-ups, sit-ups and lunges at home. Browse through some fitness magazines for a routine, find an exercise show on TV, or buy/rent exercise videos (you can borrow them from the library too!) Look online - here's a workout from Women's Health. Here are some basic routines from Men's Fitness. Don't feel compelled to do a man's or women's workout - the moves and benefits are the same.
- Rest. When you exercise, you tear your muscles, and they get stronger by building back up during recovery. If you work out a set of muscles one day, give them at least a day's rest.
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What I ate: vegetable juice, latte, macadamia nuts, banana, Stacy's pita chips, 2 cups of coffee, quinoa, 2 Ferrero Rocher chocolates, steamed broccoli + tofu, brown rice + steamed broccoli + tofu + mushrooms + ground flaxseeds, hot chocolate, 60 oz. water
Exercise: none
