Get Stronger & More Confident
Like a fine wine, in many ways, we women get better with age. We’re more established, wiser, and comfortable in our own skin. Physically stronger, however, we are not. Starting at age 30, we start to lose 3 to 5 percent of our muscle per year. If you don’t work to maintain muscle mass, that loss can put you at increased risk for injury and make lots of everyday tasks more difficult. This loss of function, in turn, can take a toll on the self-esteem you’ve built over the years.1
So, what’s a woman to do? Get stronger with a strength training workout for women, that’s what. By engaging in a strength-building, full body workout like the Curves circuit – which incorporates core exercises for women, strength exercises for your lower body as well as a great upper body workout, too – you will get numerous benefits. Here are the most important:
You will rebuild.
The reality of losing muscle mass as you age can be depressing. But good news is, it’s not gone forever. With the right strength exercises, women can replace muscle mass they’ve lost and help preserve the muscle they still have. It takes devotion to a women’s fitness plan, but you can do it.1
You’ll reduce your risk of falls.
One of the greatest benefits of resistance training for women is that it increases strength and mobility, both of which decrease your risk of falls. According to a 2015 report from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, people with muscle loss (called sarcopenia) had more than twice the risk of suffering a fracture of the hip, leg, arm, wrist, or collarbone from a fall. By staving off that muscle loss with strength exercises, you’ll decrease that fall risk.2
Everyday tasks will get easier.
Life is full of heavy grocery bags, hard-to-reach shelves, and squirmy kids and grandkids who refuse to leave the park. The best way to tackle these physical challenges is with a strong body, conditioned with regular resistance training for women like the program offered at Curves. The best strength training programs target all your major muscle groups, from your biceps to your back to your glutes to your core.3
You’ll lose more weight with strength training workouts for women.
Chances are, you go to Curves not only for women’s fitness, but to lose weight. Strength training improves women’s health by boosting weight loss. You may gain some pounds in muscle, but that muscle will help speed up your metabolism and help you burn unwanted fat. The reason: muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue. This means it helps you burn more calories when you are sitting at your desk, sleeping, lounging on the beach or doing anything besides exercise. You get more bang for your buck with strength training; a shorter strength session can give you the same results as a much longer bout on the treadmill. And you only need to work out with weights two to three times a week to reap the benefits. A win-win when it comes to women’s health.4
Strength training for women will help boost your self-esteem.
In a 2016 study, researchers looked at the link between physical activity and self-esteem. They found regular physical activity was both directly and indirectly linked to a better self-image. Engaging in a regular full body workout or other exercise routine is associated with perceived physical fitness. For women, fitness can increase energy, contributing to a more positive outlook. Women’s fitness also leads to a better body image, which contributes to higher self-esteem. As we mentioned above, all forms of regular exercise also contribute to women’s health by helping with weight loss, which in turn boosts self-esteem as well.5
You’ll expand your possibility of rewards.
Always wanted to try rock climbing? Thanks to your upper body workout for women, now maybe you can! Same thing with clothing. That backless dress may no longer be out of the question. A full body workout that includes strength training will change your body, inside and out, giving you more options for activities you can do and things you can wear.6 So, celebrate your new milestone in women’s fitness by expanding your horizons into new territories.
The Curves women’s gym workout is convenient, combining strength training and cardio plus stretching – all in just 30 minutes – to strengthen your whole body. For more information about Curves and the full body workouts the Curves Circuit provides, visit ‘Why Curves‘.
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