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Why Aren't More Women Lifting Weights?
Many women are hesitant to try strength training, despite its proven benefits. Why can't we get with the fitness program?
By Sarah Richards
www.fitnessmagazine.com

Wary of Weights?
When the weather is nice, New Yorker Janelle Anderson heads out to Central Park for a four-mile run past the scenic urban skyline. When it's not, she takes her workout into the pool and swims at least one mile. But spend a half hour in the weight room or even doing some basic push-ups or squats at home? Not likely.
"I've never stuck with a regular weight routine long enough to see big changes, whereas when I go for a run or a swim, I feel better right away," says Janelle, a 33-year-old venture capitalist. "I know lifting weights is good for me, but I just can't make myself do it on a consistent basis. It's hard enough to find the time to exercise, let alone fit something into my routine that doesn't seem to have a real payoff."

More than six million women who regularly work out share Janelle's sentiments. Despite the universally acknowledged health benefits of resistance training (and there are scores, from reducing blood pressure to warding off arthritis and strengthening bones, muscle, and connective tissue), of the 12.7 million women who belonged to a commercial health club last year, only about half used weight machines and only one-third lifted free weights, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). Although those numbers are up slightly from four years ago, they're still low.

That's why experts want to get the message out that weight training -- even just two times a week -- is an essential part of the total wellness package. "We need to make it clearer that for both optimal health and fitness benefits, women especially need to do a combo of aerobic and strength training on a regular basis," says Dixie Stanforth, a lecturer in kinesiology at the University of Texas. Here, surprising new research on how weight training can change your body, boost your mood, even keep you looking younger.

How Strength Training Fights Aging, Boosts Mood, and Burns Fat.
There are literally hundreds of studies published each year expounding on the payoffs of resistance training. Researcher William Kraemer, PhD, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, has authored dozens touting the benefits for women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. Some of the benefits, like improving muscle tone, bone density, athletic performance, and strength (about 30 to 50 percent more after three to six months of training), are obvious. But there are a few surprises: Resistance training helps women fight the aging process by maintaining lean muscle tissue. Women who regularly lift weights have better self-esteem and get sick less often. Others have found weight training improves the way the body processes sugar, reducing the risk of diabetes.

For women who want to lose weight or prevent weight gain (and most of us fall into one camp or the other), strength training is key: In our mid-30s, we begin to lose 5 to 10 percent of muscle strength each decade. Since muscle burns an estimated three times more calories than fat, adding two to four pounds of muscle can translate into an extra 100 calories burned each day. A high-intensity strength routine has been shown to bump metabolism by 20 percent for several hours post-workout.

Couple weight training with cardio and the benefits are exponential. One study found that women who did 25 minutes of step classes plus a total-body resistance routine for 12 weeks significantly reduced their resting heart rate, body-fat percentage, and blood pressure, and increased their strength and endurance significantly more than those who only did aerobics.
Finally, there's the reality that when you have more strength, many of the daily demands of life -- from picking up a child to carrying armloads of groceries -- are simply easier. It's one reason many trainers today emphasize "functional fitness." "It's not just about isolating one muscle, like your biceps or abs," explains Joan Pagano, women's fitness-expert spokesperson for the IDEA Health and Fitness Association and author of Strength Training for Women. "In real life, your body acts as a whole unit, engaging multiple muscles simultaneously."

DANIELLE'S COMMENTS: The reason why I continue to seek articles about weight training? I've interviewed several clients and almost everyone of them admitted to never using weights. Why? Mostly because they don't know how, but also because it's harder than just jumping on a machine for 30 minutes. Of course, I recommend both cardio and weight training. This is the reason I am so passionate about my functional training (group personal training) classes. It's the most affordable way to learn how to use weights efficiently. My classes are always different and we work all the major muscles groups. It's fun and the time flies by. Don't wait until the new year to sign up. Space is limited, due to equipment availability. Email me for price/class time details: Bultron711@rcn.com