What Are the Benefits of Strength Training for Women’s Health?
An overview of weight training and resistance for women and how physical therapy helps
Do you know the exact benefits of weight training? Have you been looking for ways to increase muscle and bone mass or improve your overall health? At Revive Physical Therapy our physical therapists are up-to-date on the most advanced methods for helping our patients stay healthy and strong!
Strength training enables female patients to build muscle tissue and improve their ligaments and tendons’ strength, range of motion, and mobility. In addition, strength training provides a wide range of other health benefits, such as weight loss or maintenance, bone strength, and healthy metabolism.
At Revive Physical Therapy, we provide strength training as part of our rehabilitation techniques and unique treatment plans. We will teach you exercises tailored to the conditions you face and suitable for your skill level.
To set up an appointment with us, call our office today!
Benefits of Strength Training for Women
Whether you’re an experienced weight lifter or new to exercise, you may not be aware of all the benefits of strength training for women’s health. Here are a few key reasons to integrate strength training into your routine:
Burn More Fat: Studies have shown that when overweight women lift heavy weights at least two times a week lose over 14 pounds of fat and gain muscle instead. On the other hand, those who dieted and didn’t lose weight lost less weight and gained no muscle.
During weight training, your metabolism stays running for several hours after you work out, functioning as one of the most effective fat-burning exercises for women.
Boost Your Metabolism: The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to bulk up to maintain a healthy metabolism. Women who complete regular strength training exercises throughout the week experience faster metabolisms, body toning, and
Build Strong Bones: To maintain healthy bone mass, women must practice weight-training exercises. This is because as muscles grow bigger and stronger, so do bones. Stronger bones and increased muscle mass lead to better balance, coordination, and flexibility, which is essential for women, especially as they age and bone mass begins to decline.
Improve Mood: Exercise releases endorphins, which is why you have probably heard that working out makes you happier. Whether it’s a low-impact exercise, cardio, or resistance training, exercise has improved mood and decreased stress.
Reduce Injuries: Lifting weights can improve joint stability and build stronger ligaments and tendons. Stronger muscles help hold the body in proper alignment, protecting the bones and joints during movement.
Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar Levels: In addition to muscle strengthening and cardiovascular health, strength training exercises can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. During exercise, your insulin sensitivity increases, and muscle cells can use available glucose during and after activity.
What issues is strength training beneficial for?
Strength training is widely beneficial for a large range of physical challenges. It can reduce symptoms of many chronic conditions, such as back pain, arthritis, obesity, diabetes, and even heart disease.
In addition, lifting weights can improve your mobility, range of motion, and flexibility, which help with imbalance and coordination, two common symptoms of vertigo.
Strength training is even beneficial for women postpartum, so long as they wait at least 12 weeks or whenever their doctor/physical therapist clears them for exercise.
Different types of strength training include:
- Free weights such as dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells
- Medicine balls, weighted balls, or sandbags
- Weight machines, or equipment that you may see at the gym which has adjustable weights for every skill level
- Exercise bands provide a healthy level of resistance when stretched. Resistance bands come in different sizes and levels of difficulty.
- Body weights can be used for many exercises, including squats, push-ups, and chin-ups.
How physical therapy at Revive Physical Therapy can help
Strength training is often integrated into our physical therapist’s work by helping our patients to build muscle tissue and incorporate strength during our treatments. These unique exercises enable you to restore muscle mass while building strength, which are key components of a healthy recovery.
Our physical therapists at Revive Physical Therapy specialize in strength training exercises. They have seen a significant number of patient successes with our rehabilitation programs. Work with us and start recovering faster and getting stronger.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment!