That self conscious feeling when you wander over to the free weight section of the gym and stare at them, unsure of what exercise to do next, is an experience many of us have. This is especially true for women, who often find that section of the gym intimidating.
But women have more reason than ever to confidently pick up those weights and start some reps. A new study by Cedars-Sinai finds that women who do strength training exercises two to three days a week are more likely to live longer and have a 30 per cent lower risk of heart disease compared to women who do none. There aren’t many things in preventative health that can reduce mortality by 30 per cent.
Dr. Lucia Ma, a physician at TELUS Health MyCare, tells us that “Strength training in women is especially important for a large number of reasons. Other than the obvious benefits of improved fitness, there is documented evidence of a reduction in repetitive strain injuries, improvements in bone and joint health, along with improvements in mental health.”
The Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that even small doses of exercise are beneficial for everyone but that women specifically need less exercise than men to get the same gains in longevity. The study found that women who did moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, five times a week, reduced their risk of premature death by 24 per cent, compared to 18 per cent for men. The reason why isn’t fully understood yet, but it is just a further reason to incorporate strength training into your routine.
Now that we understand the impressive benefits of strength training, we should incorporate it into our regular routines. But there are valid reasons why women have avoided adding it in the past. In fact, 80 per cent of the women who participated in the study said they don’t participate in regular weight training.
Gyms can often be filled with fit guys that seem to monopolize the equipment. Or you can often find very fit female bodybuilders that might not look like you, making you shy away from the weight section. In addition, it is a common misconception that weight training makes you “bulky”. That is now proven to not be true, but the myth runs deep and it can be hard to ignore.
“Many barriers exist to women fully exploring and participating in weight training socially, sometimes due to stigma, but largely due to a high degree of pressure on women to fulfill multiple roles in society resulting in a lack of time.” - Dr. Ma
Before we even get into the gym or a workout class, we need to find a time to work out. For many women that play multiple caregiving roles in a household, the easiest time is often when the family is asleep, which means early morning or later at night. Communicating to your family the need for your time to focus on your physical health can be helpful to ensure everyone in the household understands the importance of this time to focus on yourself. Blocking time off in your calendar will ensure you receive the appropriate reminders that work for you while also ensuring no work or personal commitments get booked over the scheduled time.
When you do get to the gym there is then the daunting task of “okay what do I do now” while staring at a rack of free weights. Dr Ma. says that workouts should have multiple elements to them and should be specifically catered to each individual. The style of workout also greatly varies depending on the body type, the background injuries or imbalances, the goals of the workout, and the time available.
Strength workouts don’t have to be specifically focused on lifting weights. There are actually seven different types of strength-based modalities:
Agile strength: The ability to change directions quickly and powerfully. This can be lifting weights while moving in multiple directions. Examples can be lateral shuffles or direction change sprints with some weights.
Endurance strength: This is all about how long you can go. Think circuit training with body weight resistance like pushups, planks, etc.
Explosive strength: Moves that require a lot of energy in short bursts of time like jumping, powerlifting are all explosive strength. To add explosive strength into your training, consider box jumps or squats with resistance.
Maximum strength: The maximum force you can carry under a heavy load. This type of training is particularly good for improving bone density. To incorporate this training, use heavier weights with a lower rep.
Speed strength: This is about how fast you can go. The best way to practice this is sprinting, which isn’t often considered a strength-based workout but does work your muscles and prepare them for speed.
Starting strength: This is the first push of a movement without any momentum. Training this movement can set you on a path to lifting heavier weights. Kettlebell swings to sit-to-stand squats can be exercises to incorporate.
Relative strength: This is focused on how strong you are in comparison to your overall size. This type of strength is incorporated naturally into all strength workouts and it’s about how your body moves in space.
This can make your options for a strength-based workout a lot more versatile, which also means you can consider workout classes like pilates, barre, power yoga, and the list goes on. It’s not just a matter of lifting weights; there are a lot of other forms of strength training you can add to your workout to keep it interesting and work different types of muscles.
Science tells us we need two to three strength-based workouts per week. These can be an hour or 20 minutes, and you still can gain the benefits. Any workout is better than no workout at all. The best way to ensure you commit to strength-based training is to set it as a value-based goal. This way, you can feel a greater personal connection to the goal of strength-based training and be more likely to implement it.
The bottom line is that women need to add strength training as part of their regular routines. No matter what that looks like for you or how long the workouts are, they are so important for your overall physical and mental health. Speaking with a dietitian can ensure you are eating the right types of food to fuel exercise, and speaking with a counselor can help you set the goals you need to stay motivated. Counseling can also help you work through any stigma, shame, or fear you may be experiencing about adding more strength exercise to your routine. Before you start any new routine, it’s important to speak to a primary care provider about what’s right for you. All these healthcare professionals can be found on the TELUS Health MyCare app to ensure you are supported both physically and mentally.
Sources:
Strength Training for Women as a Vehicle for Health Promotion at Work, Practices, Perceived Benefits, and Barriers to Resistance Training Among Women Enrolled in CollegeNestler K, Witzki A, Rohde U, Rüther T, Tofaute KA, Leyk D. Strength Training for Women as a Vehicle for Health Promotion at Work. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017 Jun 30;114(26):439-446. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2017.0439. PMID: 28705295; PMCID: PMC5523796.
Practices, Perceived Benefits, and Barriers to Resistance Training Among Women Enrolled in College; Hurley KS, Flippin KJ, Blom LC, Bolin JE, Hoover DL, Judge LW. Practices, Perceived Benefits, and Barriers to Resistance Training Among Women Enrolled in College. Int J Exerc Sci. 2018 May 1;11(5):226-238. PMID: 29795737; PMCID: PMC5955292.
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