Gen Wright

Ladies Are You Losing Your Strength On The Outgoing Tide?

Although most women are not aware of it their number one fitness problem is a loss of muscle tissue.

The consequences for this loss are profound, decreased muscle mass can rob you of your health, mobility, muscle and bone strength, self esteem and independence. By the time you are 40 years you will have already lost approximately 10 pounds of muscle and lowered your metabolism (your body's engine) by around 10%. You will have also likely gained at least 20 pounds of fat although this is largely hidden by the muscle loss. You will now be left with a smaller fat burning engine and an out of shape body.

We used to believe that if was because of our age that these changes occurred but now we know through large volumes of research that the loss of lean muscle mass is because we no longer do enough muscle building and maintaining activity. How can we when every single scrap of 'work' or vigorous activity has been removed from our lives with technology and mechanization?

The common misconception is that if you do strength training exercise you are suddenly going to get all big and muscular. If only that were true you would actually be a lot smaller and leaner than you probably are right now and keeping your weight down would be easy.

Trust the fact that you getting muscular is the very least of your problems. Don't reject this major weapon in your arsenal against body fat on a mistaken assumption. The fact is, very few women could ever make themselves look like a body builder. These women are professional athletes who work incredibly hard in their training and on their diet in order to maximize their muscle mass and muscular appearance.

Instead, consider what strength training exercise will do for you in the war on body fat:

1. Keep your muscles strong. They are your friends and will help you achieve a strong, lean, firm healthy body. That is what you really want isn't it? Without this special type of exercise you will be doomed with a saggy, flabby out of shape body.

2. Burn more calories 24/7. Strength training boosts your metabolism so you burn more fuel when you are exercising and when you are resting. Forget long, slow, steady state activity like walking, jogging or cycling. These activities are great as part of an active lifestyle but can never replace a proper exercise program that tones your muscles.

These activities only burn calories during the session whereas strength training boosts your metabolic engine to burn more fuel permanently. These activities will never give you that strong, lean, firm healthy body that we just talked about.

4. Look after your bones. When you strengthen muscles you also strengthen the bones that they are attached to. Weak bones put you at risk of osteoporosis and you can become prematurely old, stooped and susceptible to injury if they weaken. This is a major reason why even women who do not need to lose body fat should still be concerned about maintaining muscle tissue.

5. Boost your energy and self esteem. When you are stronger you have more energy and can accomplish more in a normal day. When you are doing something good for yourself and your health it makes you feel good. You have more self confidence are better able to cope with stress, and feel better about yourself and your life. You are more likely to be the person you want to be.

If you have been putting off getting started just think that as every day goes by you are getting further away from the things you want for yourself. You need to have health beyond just 'not being sick' and you want a high quality of life to go along with the longevity you would like. When you partake in your exercise sessions think of it as a gift to those that love you.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

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