My name is Alexis Hutchison and I am a Physical Therapist and Owner of Absolute Kinetics Physical Therapy. I am excited to be guest-blogging for Holistically Restored, specifically to share some evidence-based information on the topic of strength training for women.
As an orthopedic Physical Therapist, I treat pain and injuries from head to toe. A common subject I discuss with patients, specifically women, are the benefits of strength training. There have been many misconceptions around women and strength training for years, so in this blog post I want to talk about the benefits of strength training for women, as well as debunk some common myths.
First and foremost, the myth I hear most from women is that they choose not to strength train because they do not want to “be bulky”. Strength training will not, I repeat, WILL NOT, cause women to “bulk”. Women who compete in physique or power lifting competitions may be very strong and muscular, but a large part of their physique is due to very specific dieting and training techniques. Women lifting weights 2-3 days a week and eating a normal balanced diet are not going to look like someone who is training to compete in a physique competition. It simply does not happen.
Second myth: many women will say they don’t like strength training. This may be true, but there is also a chance they have never truly been exposed to strength training. Strength training can come in different forms. You can use barbells and participate in Olympic Weightlifting or Compound Lifts (deadlifting, bench press, and squatting), or maybe you would be more comfortable using kettlebells and/or dumbbells. You can build strength using a TRX strap, as well as using bands. There are so many ways to strength train and no one way is “right” or “wrong”. The best way to learn more about strength training is to find a qualified Performance Physical Therapist or Strength Coach to teach you how to properly perform strengthening exercises.
Now let’s talk about the benefits of strength training.
Benefit #1: Strength training increases bone density and decreases the risk for developing osteoporosis. As we age our bone density decreases, and postmenopausal women are at a higher risk for developing osteoporosis than any other demographic. Decreased bone density can lead to an increased risk of stress fractures or a fracture if you experience a fall. It is recommended that women strength train throughout their lifespan, and it is never too late to start! Women can increase their strength and bone density at any age, and it is particularly important for postmenopausal women to have strength training as part of their exercise program.
Benefit #2: Decrease the risk for injury. Whether you are a runner, work on a computer most of the day, or are a stay at home mom, there is an argument for how strength training could benefit you and decrease your risk for overuse injuries. For example, those who are recreational or competitive runners tend to do a lot of running, and not a lot of strength training. We often see them in our office for overuse injuries. They present with weakness throughout their hips and ankles that can lead to pain in their lower back or any of the joints in their legs. Once we add in some simple strengthening exercises, most of these runners can return to the level of running they would like, pain-free.
Benefit #3: Helps us complete daily activities more efficiently and without pain. We may not realize how much lifting is required of us throughout our day unless we have a very physically demanding job, but I would urge anyone reading this to take notice of their daily and occasional lifting requirements. If you have kids, how frequently are you picking them up and how heavy are they? How about bags of pet food? How heavy are your grocery bags, your purse, your pet, etc? I would guess many of these items are heavier than 5 lbs, so picking up a 5 lb dumbbell every now and then simply isn’t building enough strength for daily life! It’s a fine place to start, but at some point we need to be building enough strength to build resiliency for our everyday tasks.
Benefit #4: Makes you feel like a badass! OK – this isn’t an evidence-based benefit, but I still think it’s true! There is nothing better than (safely) picking up some heavy weights. I promise it will make you feel like a badass!
Have you heard other myths about strength training? Do you have questions about strength training? Please feel free to reach out to me at info@absolutekineticspt.com or (513) 208-2257! To learn more about Absolute Kinetics Physical Therapy, visit us on Instagram at @absolutekineticspt or visit our website.