Why Circuit Training is the Best Exercise for Women

On one hand, there’s strength training, which builds strong muscles and bones and makes you physically more capable day in and day out to do everything that’s on your to-do list. And on the other hand is cardio—aerobic exercise that gets your heart pumping and lungs bellowing and creates a furnace for calories. Which do you choose? No need to decide; you can get both on the Curves circuit.

Which leads us to one of the most important benefits circuit training offers women: It is supremely efficient and slips easily into our busy lives. Here are four other reasons to give circuit training a try or to stay on the circuit if you’re already there.

Help prevent osteoporosis

Here are a few startling facts about this bone disease, courtesy of the National Osteoporosis Foundation:

– Of the adults in the United States who have osteoporosis, 80 percent are women.
– Roughly one in two women over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.
– Post menopause, estrogen plummets, you lose its protective effect on bone health, and the rate bone loss increases. You can lose up to 20 percent of your bone density in the 5 to 7 years after menopause.

Circuit training combines weight-bearing exercise with strength training, and both have been shown to stimulate bone growth, improve bone density, and help prevent osteoporosis.

Help prevent heart disease

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death among women, and we know that cardio workouts—walking, running, cycling, and so forth—boost cardiovascular health. So too does strength training. Several studies have shown that regular resistance training helps lower resting blood pressure, raise levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower blood triglycerides.

And that’s not all. “Research shows that resistance training reduces visceral or intra-abdominal fat, which has been linked to heart disease and diabetes,” says Wayne Wescott PhD, professor of exercise science at Quincy College.

Give heart disease and diabetes a one-two knockout punch at Curves where each 30-minute circuit delivers both a strength and cardio workout.

Help lift depression

Women are twice as likely as men to suffer depression say experts at the Mayo Clinic. Circuit training can provide relief. Many studies have shown that aerobic exercise and resistance training individually and in combination can improve mood, boost self-esteem, reduce tension, increase energy and help lift depression. Be happy. Get on the circuit.

Enjoy community and friendship

We seek out friendships and we nurture them for the emotional and practical support we find and that we give back. Relationships enrich our lives and are important to our mental and physical health. Friends lift us when we’re down, motivate us toward accomplishment, and champion our success. Working out side-by-side with other women on the Curves circuit engenders friendship and all of its gifts. On the Curves circuit, you will be welcomed and embraced, and that sets you up for success at achieving all the health benefits circuit training makes possible.

For more information about Curves women’s gyms, visit ‘Why Curves’ or find your local Curves gym here and talek to one of our Curves Coaches about starting your fitness journey today!