Strength training exercise was once shunned by women who feared becoming bulkier. But those fears are unfounded as women do not have enough of the necessary hormones to gain much muscle size. If a woman does get larger through strength training it would be because she has a high level of body fat and her eating does not support fat loss.



The very small increase in muscle tissue that a woman may gain from exercise is a good thing. It adds shape to the body, increases firmness, tone and zaps excess body fat. The stronger your body is the more toned and firmer it will be. You can look better, feel better and create more energy which is a plus for any busy woman. .

Proper exercise that involves strength training can add years to your life and, just as importantly, can improve the quality of your life. Those with weaker bodies are more likely to suffer ill health and are more susceptible to disease as the years go by. If not enough strength building and maintaining activity is being done after the age of 30 muscle tissue loss is going to be a consequence.

With the loss of muscle come a loss of bone strength and a drop in the metabolic rate which is your body's engine size. If we are not using energy burning tissue the body downsizes it as part of its general efficiency programming. This downsizing brings all over body weakness which includes the immune system causing a cascade of health issues that worsen as the downward spiral of degeneration kicks in.

Although this weakness happens as we get older, age does not cause it. Inactivity and a sedentary, no exercise lifestyle is what causes it. And the price for that is a high one. You then have a 95% chance you will have a serious disease hunt you down. Isn't this risk a bit high for getting out of a bit of vigorous activity or what we could call 'work"?

Wouldn't it be easier to spend a couple of hours each week doing some strength training exercise and becoming more active? This will give you a better chance of getting to know your grandchildren rather than running the risk that you won't even be around to meet them.

Our modern lifestyles do not have any activity left in them that even remotely resembles the 'work' that our body's have been designed to do. We are programmed so that vigorous movement stimulates chemicals that instruct our cells and tissues to renew, repair, rebuild and replace. Without that intense movement a 'shutdown' sequence is set in place so room is made for following healthier generations.

But, it doesn't' have to be like this. We can hold off or even reverse years or even decades of lack of self care. The human body does not know how old it is but it does know when its strength is no longer needed. So all we have to do is to keep using our strength and our body will stay strong and resilient.

Pretty simple concept isn't it? Stay strong and you are more likely to stay around. To the people that love you that is very important. Your side of the bargain is you need to start, restart or continue with a proper exercise program that contains at least 60% strength training exercise.

Get some help if you are new to exercise. A fitness professional will fast track your progress by teaching you correct exercise technique and at what level of intensity (degree of difficulty) you need to use when you do the exercises.

We each need to take some responsibility for our own health and wellness. If we wait for illness to strike we will regret the fact that we could have done more to help ourselves stay well. You can avoid years or even decades of disability just be making the decision to get stuck in and get strong no matter what your age. Think it as a gift to those that love you.