Moving more is on just about everybody’s to-do list, and for good reason. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, regular exercise* is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It improves your overall health, increases your fitness level and even reduces your chances of chronic disease.
There are many other advantages. “Elevated mood and improved concentration are just some of the added benefits of regular exercise,” says Candace Waters, FNP-BC, CDE, NRCME. While the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans1 emphasizes that adding any physical activity is better than doing nothing at all, most Americans are falling short of recommended amounts. A little more than half of adults actually get enough aerobic exercise, the kind that gets you breathing harder and your heart pumping faster. However, nearly 80% don’t get enough of the combined aerobic activity and muscle-building exercises, the ones that get your muscles doing more than normal.2
Strengthening exercises at least two times a week will help you meet these recommendations, but be sure to involve all major muscle groups. Weights, resistance bands, machines at the gym and even your own body weight can be used to create resistance, which is needed to build muscle.
While ideas about female “bodybuilding” may have previously evoked images of bulging biceps and intimidating weight rooms, today, many women are enjoying a bevy of benefits from these activities. Plus, there are some compelling reasons that adding muscle building to your routine may be beneficial for women. Lifting weights doesn’t just help build muscle, it also works to strengthen bones. And that’s vital to women because of osteoporosis – a disease, affecting ten million Americans, that causes bones to weaken and break easily. In fact, 80% of reported cases of osteoporosis are female and one in four women, 65 or older, is affected by osteoporosis in the United States.3
Another positive by-product? Building your muscles can help change your body composition and may even boost your metabolism. “Thicker muscles burn more calories,” says Waters. “That’s one reason men tend to lose weight more quickly than women.” Lean muscle also takes up less space than fat. So, while weight training may not lead to immediate changes on the scale, it could lead to looser fitting clothing and a boost in body image.
You can easily incorporate ways to build muscle into your everyday life. “A water bottle or can of food in each hand can be used as simple weights to strengthen your arms, or you can even use a full, eight-pound gallon of milk,” says Waters. “Your own body weight also works when you do things like push-ups, pull-ups and leg squats,” she adds. “And squatting properly to lift books, laundry baskets and small children are daily activities that can be effective. The bottom line is little frequent intervals of any exercise during the day can have cumulative results.”
Of course, adding any new activity must be done with safety in mind. “Proper use of equipment is crucial to prevent bodily harm,” says Waters. “Always stretch before and after exercising to prevent cramping, and if a new activity causes pain, it should be stopped so you don’t cause damage.”
*Consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise program. 1: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 3: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.