PUSH YOUR WEIGHT AROUND!
To lose body fat, every woman MUST add some resistance training to their workout regime.
Your GOAL is to add muscle to your body. Muscle is active, calorie burning tissue that helps keep your metabolism going strong. The reason why many women in our age group are gaining weight while eating the same quantity of food is that they’ve lost some lean muscle mass due to a more sedentary lifestyle.
It’s a fallacy that our metabolism will slow down as we age, thus leading to that inevitable ‘middle age spread’ as we gain fat. By adding muscle building exercises 3-4 times a week, you will hold onto the muscle that you had in your twenties and thirties.
This doesn’t mean that you need to join a gym or buy expensive equipment. It also doesn’t mean you are going to gain muscle bulk, or look masculine, which is another fallacy.
The female body simply isn’t capable of that unless you train very specifically with that goal in mind. Using your body weight as resistance is often more than enough weight, and you will achieve a beautifully feminine physique.
Here is a list of BENEFITS that you’ll get from weight training:
- You will burn more fat than by doing cardio alone
- You will change the shape of your body
- You will boost your metabolism by retaining or building more muscle
- You will increase strength, becoming more functional
- You will build strong bones and combat osteoporosis
- You will improve joint stability and reduce the risk of injury
WHICH BODY WEIGHT MOVEMENTS SHOULD I DO?
One of the most effective body weight exercises is the unsung push-up.
There is nothing new or glamorous about doing push-ups, but they work! You will work many of the muscles of the upper body, specifically the chest, shoulders and triceps. Many women complain that the backs of their arms are too flabby. Doing PUSH-UPS directly TARGETS those muscles. In addition, you will target the core muscles.
The key is to keep your back plank straight through out. If body weight is too much resistance when you first begin, there are a variety of ways to modify the resistance. Anyone can do some sort of push up to increase upper body strength, add muscle and work the core all at once.
WANT A TIGHT TUMMY? STOP DOING CRUNCHES!
The mid section is always a trouble spot for women in their forties. There is no magic bullet for this area, but the PLANK is one of the most effective exercises that you can safely perform to tone the abdominals. It effectively targets the abdominal area, and is much safer and easier to learn to perform than crunches. Having a strong core will reduce back aches and improve posture as well.
You start by holding the position shown in the photo for as long as you can. If that is too difficult, start on your knees. As you get stronger, hold that position for longer periods. If you started on your knees, soon you will graduate to your toes. Before you know it, you will be sporting a stronger, flatter tummy!
We women in our forties and older shouldn’t look matronly and feel old. Don’t settle for old stereotypes!
Feel energized and fit doing simple exercises that you can do in the privacy of your own home. Fitness and fat loss is not rocket science, but it does take some will power, and the willingness to invest a small amount of time.
