Beauty, Brains, and Biceps
Going to the gym in the ninth grade, it looked the same every time — women on the treadmills in the left corner, men lifting weights on the right. I would run a few miles and call it a day. Like so many others, I was under the impression that women do not need to lift weights, that it would make me big and bulky or less “feminine.” Shaken by my grandmother’s frailty due to osteoporosis, it was only recently that I learned about the benefits of strength training and overcame my reluctance to lift.
Contrary to popular belief, strength and resistance training can offer great advantages for the health of women. Possibly even more so than for men because of our higher likelihood of developing osteoporosis, a condition in which bone mass is replaced at a slower rate than it breaks down naturally over time as a result of aging, inactivity, or poor nutrition. Women make up 80% of the 10 million Americans diagnosed with osteoporosis. Accompanying this often debilitating condition is an increased risk of fractures, affecting one in three women over the age of 50, which drastically reduce independence and quality of life. Studies show that weight-bearing exercises in particular can also increase bone density and preserve bone mass, reducing the risk for this disease.
According to the National Institutes of Health’s Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Research Center, exercise at any age is important to achieve strong bones, build core strength, and maintain balance as you grow older. The center recommends any weight-bearing activity that makes you work against gravity, such as running, hiking, climbing stairs, and even dancing. And yes, such activities can include lifting weights. (It is also crucial to consume a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D and avoid tobacco and drinking too much alcohol.)
When women shy away from weight training, we miss numerous benefits, such as mood enhancement, improved cardiovascular health, slower age-related cognitive impairment, and a lower risk of diabetes. I was surprised to find that strength training has been proven to reduce signs and symptoms of various conditions such as heart disease and depression. As I combed through the results of my online search, the sheer abundance of articles highlighting its value amazed me. So why don’t more women focus on building core strength?
It seems to me that false impressions about the effects of weight lifting on the female physique are partly to blame. Contrary to my earlier beliefs, women do not experience exactly the same physical changes upon strength training as men, due to their lower levels of testosterone and growth hormones. Aside from the myth of lifting making us Hulk-like, I feel as though the societal expectation that men should be physically strong while women must be protected surely contributes to the lesser importance many women place on building core strength. While I can easily imagine my grandfather lifting weights, the image of my dainty grandmother, who needed it the most, doing so still somehow seems absurd. But it’s not!
We must redefine our notion of femininity as healthy and athletic, rather than “delicate” and petite. When I go to my gym now, I see far more girls by the weight machines and lifting free weights than I did five years ago. But we still have a long way to go. I find strength training boosts my confidence, improves body image, and makes me feel empowered — so give it a try! Strong is beautiful. And better for your long-term health.
