Gone are the days when women shy away from lifting weights in the gym and when only men are seen around the heavy machines and dumbbells rack.
Owing to more awareness and several studies favouring lifting weights, more and more people are ‘pumping the iron’ in gyms and homes. But if you are wondering why weight training is deemed so important, we will help you understand.
I have myself been through stages where my trainer made me lift at max 2 kilos and pushed me to run on treadmill or do floor exercises, to today when he pushes me to lift heavier weights.
Well, to begin with, the benefits of lifting weights are phenomenal. More and more people are moving away from cardio and focusing on weight training. So if you want to build muscles (have firmer muscles), then you need to do that too!
One of the biggest benefits of lifting weights is that unlike other workouts, your body continues to burn calories throughout the day.
People no more call women ‘manly’ but compliment their toned, muscular bodies. Lifting weights will not make you manly, but it will surely make you stronger!
Out of the many benefits, here are the broad ones:
- It will increase your metabolism
- It will enhance your heart health
- It relieves stress and anxiety
- It creates a well-defined physique
- It increases natural strength
- It gives you a more robust immune system
- It helps you builds muscle and increases your vitality
How to start?
If you haven’t yet reached the weight rack in your gym, here is a way to graduate up to that level. Start small. Start by lifting weights twice or thrice a week. Focus on the upper body one day and the lower body the next.
Also, some other workouts that compliment your weight training are yoga, cardio and meditation. This will give you a holistic workout routine that will make you strong and increase your longevity. And if you still find people telling you that since you are a woman, you should not lift weights, tell them that you don’t wish to walk into old age with a frail and less muscular body, you would rather have a strong and toned body.
Leave your comments below if you too feel that weight training has helped you gain a better and a stronger body. Do share your story with us
