When I mention the word weight training to women, they give me a look of concern and I can almost hear them saying “oh no … I don’t want to end up looking like one of those women.”

What actually happens if women give lifting weights a chance is they lose a dress size or two, are sleeping better, have more energy, better muscle tone and feel stronger.

The thing is ‘those women’ take drugs to make them look so big … namely steroids!

The average women, YES YOU AND ME,

DO NOT have the hormones to be able to have a body that looks anything like that.

Just look at the Hollywood beauties that lift weights including Cameron Diaz 43 years, Jennifer Lopez 46 years and Halle Berry 49 years all who look amazing.

If stopping middle-age spread is of interest to you, lifting weights is a must. Research tells us after 35, every 10 years you will lose up to 8% of your muscle tone. Losing muscle tone means a SLOW metabolism. A SLOW metabolism makes it very difficult to stay lean and in shape. In fact, if you do nothing, you will find that you will gain fat even though you eat the same amount of food.

Unlike cardio exercise like running and bike riding, lifting weights will continue to burn calories up to 24 hours after you stop. Not only will you burn more calories and speed up your metabolism, you will regain your shape.

It’s a no brainer....

lifting weights is the KEY to slowing down the ageing process!

A 2011 paper from the ACSM called ‘Resistance Training is the new medicine’ write that muscle loss is the single greatest reason to a slow metabolism as we age, claiming that by adding just 2 pounds of muscle to your body you could burn 100 extra calories a day at rest … Technically that equals 3000 calories a month which is enough calories to lose 1 pound of fat!

You may be surprised to hear that regaining your muscle tone does not have to take long.

Lift Weights

Training 3 times a week for just 20 minutes a session is proven to give you positive results and prevent age-related abdominal fat… a problem that many women have after 40.

Losing weight and regaining your muscle tone, is not the only benefit of lifting weights.

Lifting weights:

• Assists in maintaining your bone density reducing your risk of osteoporosis.

• Stabilises your blood sugar levels reducing your risk of developing diabetes Type 2

• Increases Seratonin production – the brain’s ‘feel good’ hormone.

Research from the University of South Carolina found that women who were put on a twice weekly programme of resistance training had a staggering 60 per cent decrease in anxiety levels and lowered levels of irritability in only six weeks.

It is never to late to start.

The first step is often the hardest part. I would love to hear from you. Reach out and tell me you would like help and support to a healthier, happier stronger you!

Yours in health