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Whenever there is talk of ‘dumbbells’ or ‘weight training’ in gyms, fitness centers or on social media, the picture of men with huge biceps and muscular bodies often emerges in people’s minds. This is the reason why even today there is a deep-rooted misconception among a large section of the society that women should stay away from dumbbell or weight lifting exercises, otherwise the look of their body will become masculine or too muscular. Fitness experts, women’s health experts and modern science have completely rejected this old and misleading notion. The truth is that lifting dumbbells is not limited to bodybuilding only, but it is no less than a boon for women’s overall physical health, bone strength, hormonal balance and mental well-being. In today’s hectic lifestyle, why women should include strength training in their fitness routine and what miraculous changes it brings in the body, let us know in detail.
As women age, the level of estrogen hormone in their body starts decreasing, due to which bone density starts decreasing rapidly. Due to this natural process, the problem of osteoporosis and joint pain in women disappears much sooner and faster than men. When women do strength training or weight training with dumbbells, pressure is applied to the bones and osteoblast cells are activated. This process makes the bones naturally dense and strong. Women who regularly do squats, lunges and upper body dumbbell exercises with light or moderate weights, the structure of their spine and hips remain strong till late age and the risk of fractures is reduced manifold.
To lose weight or reduce belly fat, most of the women sweat for hours running on the treadmill or just doing cardio exercises. Cardio is good for heart health, but it is not as effective at burning fat over the long term as weight training. Lifting dumbbells builds lean muscle mass in the body. Muscles are the tissue of the body that burn calories even at rest. This means that when you do strength training, your basal metabolic rate (BMR) increases, due to which you burn calories faster even while resting. Additionally, lifting weights improves body tone and tightens the skin, making the body appear toned and attractive, not tired or weak.
In today’s modern lifestyle, women have to face hormonal imbalance, PCOS, thyroid and constant mental stress between job, family and home responsibilities. By doing dumbbell or weight training, the secretion of endorphin i.e. ‘happy hormone’ in the body increases rapidly, which naturally helps in removing stress, anxiety and depression. Mental concentration is required while lifting weights, due to which all the mental stress and fatigue of the day goes away. Along with this, one gets deep and comfortable sleep at night, due to which the body feels refreshed the next day. When women are physically strong, their self-confidence also increases and they feel more energetic.
If you’ve never lifted weights in the gym, there’s no need to suddenly pick up very heavy dumbbells. Always start with light weights (1 to 3 kg dumbbells) so that your muscles and joints can get used to the new pressure. Initially, learn to perform exercises with correct posture and form under the supervision of a certified fitness trainer so that there is no risk of injury. Make sure to include full-body dumbbell strength training in your workout routine at least 2 to 3 days a week. Remember, strength training does not make women ‘muscular’ but ‘strong, fit and graceful’.