Despite widespread recommendations to incorporate strength training into their workout routine, many women avoid it because they afraid of bulking up. Women have low levels of testosterone, so women do not bulk up with moderate strength training. In fact, if you cut calories without adding exercise you can lose muscle along with fat. There are numerous benefits to strength training and you really should add it to your healthy lifestyle. Below are just five reasons you should make strength training a part of your life:

1. Burn more calories. Another reason some women don’t lift weights is because they think they will gain weight. Yes, it’s a fact that muscle weighs more than fat. But, did you know that at rest 10 pounds of fat burns 20 calories, while 10 pounds of muscle burns 50 calories at rest. This effect is also true during aerobic activity. No matter what you do, muscle burns more calories than body fat.

2. Look better. As stated in my last article, get your mind off the scale. Take for example a woman weighting 150 pounds. At 20% body fat, she has 30 pounds of fat and 120 pounds of lean body weight. After incorporating strength training into her routine, she replaces 5 pounds of fat with 5 pounds of muscle. She still weighs 150 pounds, but has reduced her body fat by about 4.5%. Even though her weight stayed at 150 pounds her muscle tone has improved giving her a fit appearance. Conditioned muscles will also help your posture, which also improves your appearance.

3. Strengthen your bones. By stressing your bones, strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.

4. Reduce risk of injury. As your muscles strengthen, you are also strengthening the connective tissues surrounding them. This provides protection against injuries caused by weak ligaments, tendons and muscle fibers.

5. Feel better. When you are strong, your quality of life is enhanced. Strength improves your self -confidence and makes your daily activities easier.

If you want learn more about strength training and what exactly that means (it’s not lifting 100 pounds over your head!), check back for my next article. .