While there is no such thing as “women’s fitness” versus “men’s fitness,” women do face physiological changes that men do not. These changes do make an active lifestyle, including strength training, absolutely necessary. 

Menopause is the most obvious of these changes. Post-menopausal women are much more susceptible to osteoporosis and heart disease. Eight million women and two million men have osteoporosis, and women can lose up to 20 percent of their bone mass in the five to seven years following menopause. It is estimated that by the year 2020, as many as 61 million people in the United States will have low bone mass or osteoporosis. 

Lifestyle factors such as nutrition and physical activity play a key role in intervention and prevention of osteoporosis. Bone mineral density is the best indicator of osteoporotic fractures in post menopausal women who at a rate of 1 out of 2 will suffer a fracture after the age of 50.  For these reasons, it is imperative that women include weight-bearing, strength training exercises to their fitness routine. Cardiovascular exercise alone is not enough.

While the bottom line for weight loss is calories in versus calories out, that philosophy alone will not assist in combating the physiological changes that come as a result of gender, genetics, and age.

Vanity aside, there are so many significant reasons why living an active lifestyle should be the way we all live. There are tremendous benefits that far outweigh the “six-pack abs” look. Women have long been told and believed that weight training would make them “bigger”. 

Ladies, that is just not the case. In fact, weight training is a key component to permanent weight loss and certainly the preventative answer to either slowing down or preventing muscle loss, bone density loss, and overall functional strength.

For more information about personal training at the HealthplexÒ, call 610-328-8866.