Weight Lifting to Your Summer Beach Body

With summer right around the corner most women want to get their beach body back. Ever consider weight lifting? Weight lifting can transform your overall health along with trimming inches off your hips and waste. Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only 17.5 percent of women, and 20 percent of college aged women meet the aerobic and strength training recommendations of the CDC.

(Aerobic exercise such as swimming, biking, jogging, and walking helps with weight loss; strength training such as weight lifting can do that and build bone and muscle mass.) On the other hand men are 23 percent and 37 percent respectively. As a female weight lifting has many benefits for your overall heath, so before you fear bulking up and turning into the HULK from pumping iron you might want to ponders these benefits:

• Aids in burning body fat – weight training builds muscle. When lean muscle increases in turn so does your metabolism. A higher metabolism burns more calories which aids in burning fat.
• Decrease your risk of Osteoporosis – weight training is not only great at strengthen your muscles but it also strengthens your bones by increasing bone density. With denser bones your less likely to suffer from fractures and broken bones. This is why weight bearing exercise is recommended for those with osteopenia and osteoporosis.
• Gain strength without bulking – Let’s face it, women are not made like men, we do not produce the amounts of testosterone that men do. So, bulking up and turning into the incredible HULK is a major misconception that many women have. Women have 10 to 30 times less testosterone then men.
• Reduce risk for injury – Weight training strengthens connective tissue and joints. Strong joints are very important in preventing injury and can relieve pain from osteoarthritis ~ Improve posture and reduce back pain – Weight training with proper technique will strengthen your core, back and shoulders and help correct your posture. Let’s face it poor posture is the #1 cause of back and neck pain today.
• Enhance mood and reduce stress – Weight training and exercise cause a release of endorphins. Endorphins also known as neurotransmitters enhance mood. An increase in endorphins can improve mood, reduce stress, stimulate the mind, improve alertness and improve overall mental health. There is no better way to combat a bad day than by weight lighting.

Get support as you work your way towards summer wellness. Contact PGA Chiropractic today and see how we can help!