I’ve been a member of gyms plenty of times previously, but if I’m honest I’ve generally spent most the time there on the bikes and treadmills, a little on the weight machines and then some time in the pool. I’ve never had an understanding of the benefits of weights, other than trying to give my body a little bit more definition and improve my fitness levels.

Well my friends, my opinion has now changed – and definitely for the better!

I was fortunate enough to find a personal trainer, a year or so ago, who really knows her stuff and is so enthusiastic and keen to share her knowledge that she made me feel empowered and strong – and yearning for more!

A little back story – you may remember that I hurt my foot really badly just by missing the bottom couple of stairs a few years ago. I twisted it extremely awkwardly and have serious pain flare ups every now and again. Seven years later the bone feels like it moves in my foot and the pain is excruciating if I’ve moved my foot awkwardly; worn the wrong type of shoe or not moved my foot in a while. Actually I’ve since had more scans and seen a physiotherapist and foot specialist who has confirmed that it looks like the bone was broken when I had the fall as the joint is completely shattered – no wonder it hurts so much!! He showed me the scan and it’s quite unbelievable (I wish he’d given me the photo to share, or I had taken a photo, oh isn’t hindsight amazing!) Literally all the joints look all perfect and you can see the bones and joints looking perfectly clear, then you get to the fourth metatarsal and it’s like a mini explosion has taken place!! Anyway let’s move on…

I visited an osteopath last year who actually took the time to explain why it was hurting, manipulated the bone back to position and showed me some exercises to strengthen and increase mobility and aid tissue healing. See how I’ve highlighted the word strengthen – we then had a conversation about strength training and why it’s so important for women.

What a life transforming conversation!

Why should women strength train

After the age of just thirty we slowly start to lose muscle mass. Women can be affected more that men as we gradually lose a hormone called oestrogen which decreases our bone density as well as causing us to lose muscle mass.

Strength training can build up the muscles around the bones so will make us stronger!

Strength training can also improve heart health, lower blood pressure, reduce obesity and increase your metabolic rate – that’s the rate your body burns energy (food.)

It can also improve mental health, mood and well being! Imagine the thought that you’re doing something positive and trying to improve your health and personal strength. Imagine how much more confident you will feel when you tell yourself that you’re doing something that will make you stronger. I can tell you that I experienced a sudden rush of emotions as I was on a strengthening machine. I was pulling the bar down in a very controlled way, with guidance, and all of a sudden I just felt so amazing I almost cried. Now this was probably a rush of endorphins, which my youngest son cleverly explained as your body releasing chemicals to reward you for exercising. This was after about 40 minutes of training and made me feel fantastic – like pure happiness inside and out, it was AMAZING!! I also felt proud that I’d made the decision to try and take control of improving my health. It’s a little tricky to explain fully but I hope you can understand what I’m trying to say. Strength training can give you a boost of feel good hormones and may help to improve your self-esteem and confidence too.

Sadly I couldn’t afford to commit to a personal trainer on a regular basis so for a while the gym sessions and training had to cease. However – sound the klaxons!! 🥳 I am back on it!! I’ve made the decision to make a conscious effort to do all I can to improve my health and get stronger – and hope this is going to make me feel good, stronger (in body and mind) and healthier. I’ll be completely truthful, sometimes it’s really easy to make an excuse not to go to the gym, BUT I’m trying to change my attitude and look for excuses why I SHOULD go to the gym. If only exercise were as addictive as sugar…oh wait! Actually it could be, hold that thought Fiona and get working on that mindset!

What is strength training?

All of these activities are considered strength training:

• Yoga
• Pilates
• Using resistance bands
• Body weight workouts, eg squats
• Weight machines
• Weight lifting

Using resistance bands such as these is a great way to increase your strength and can be easily done in your own home. There are easy ways you can try and do strength training at home, even if you don’t have equipment. Simple things such as standing in front of a wall, using your arms to support your body weight will help. As will squats that you can do while your watching TV.

Benefits of strength training for women – a summary

• Bone density and structural health – as we age, strength training is vital for protecting our bone health and preventing osteoporosis. It helps strengthen your joints and improve stability, therefore reducing injury risks.
• Metabolism and body composition – building muscle increases our resting metabolic rate and helps to burn more calories during the day. It promotes a toned look and will also help fat loss!
• Mental health improvement – I can’t reiterate enough how amazing I felt when lifting weights with that fabulous personal trainer. Exercise releases feel good hormones and will reduce stress and anxiety. Let’s be honest I think most of us experience this at some point.
• It helps you to be physically healthier, improving cardiovascular healthy, lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
• Improved daily functioning – it will make you stronger, improve your posture, balance and coordination.

It is recommend that women engage in strength based at least twice a week. I think we can all try and manage that can’t we?

If you have injuries, or an illness or disability that makes exercising difficult, it is recommended that you seek professional medical advice. Exercise can be adapted and is relative to your own ability.