Reasons Women Should Incorporate Weight Training As Part of Their Workout

By Kenny Yates

Many women believe that the only way to lose weight is by means of some type of cardiovascular/aerobic exercise.  To complicate maters even more, there are millions of options to choose from including spinning, running, Zumba, etc.  So in many cases, what happens?  You sign up for numerous aerobic classes during the week and hit the treadmill for countless hours. While there is nothing wrong with incorporating this method, it must be understood that this is only part of the equation.  Aerobic exercise is important for good health, however if you want to look and feel your best, you will need to strength train in some capacity. It is essential for optimal fitness, longevity and developing a lean body. 

One of the top reasons why most women stay away from weight training is the fear of getting “big and bulky".  The reality is that due to women’s hormonal make up, without eating an enormous amount of calories every day or utilizing chemical supplementation, it would be impossible to gain a significant amount of mass as the male body can.  In fact, many women have found that weight training has lead to numerous positive results such as loss of body fat in those hard to lose areas, more energy and strength for day to day activities and chores, and a shapelier body to boost self-confidence.  Let’s take a deeper look at some of these benefits that women can expect from incorporating strength training into their workout routine.

1. Burn More Fat

Researchers at Tufts University found that when overweight women lifted heavy weights twice a week, they lost an average of 14.6 pounds of fat and gained 1.4 pounds of muscle. The control group (women who dieted but didn’t lift weights) lost only 9.2 pounds of fat and gained no muscle. When you perform intense weight-training, your metabolism stays elevated and you continue to burn fat for several hours afterward through an effect known as EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption). On the other hand, during typical cardio exercise, you stop burning excess calories and fat shortly after the workout due to the lower relative intensity in this style of exercise.

2. Reshaping of the Body

You may think your genes determine how you look. While this is true to some extent, weight training can slim you down, add shape, and help avoid the “middle-age spread.” Dropping only 3% of your body fat could translate into a total loss of 3 inches off your hips and thighs. Combine this with a clean diet with just the right amount of food to help you burn even more fat.

3. Increased metabolism

The less muscle you have, the slower your metabolism will be. As women age, they lose muscle at increasing rates, especially after the age of 40. According to the National Strength Professional Association, when you diet without doing resistance training, up to 25% of the weight loss may be muscle loss. Weight training while dieting can help you preserve and even rebuild muscle fibers. The more lean mass you have, the higher your metabolism will be and the more calories you’ll burn all day long.

  

4. Get Stronger, Gain Confidence

Lifting weights increases functional fitness, which makes everyday tasks such as taking the stairs, carrying children and picking up heavy items much easier. According to the Mayo Clinic, regular weight training can make you 50 percent stronger in 6 months. Not only does it improve your physical activities, it builds emotional strength by boosting self-esteem and confidence.

5. Build Strong Bones

It’s been well documented that women need to do weight-bearing exercise to build and maintain bone mass to help prevent osteoporosis. Just as muscle get stronger with weight bearing exercise, so does bone. Stronger bones and increased joint stability will also lead to better mobility and balance, which is equally important for overall health and wellness.

6. Effects on Depression

You’ve probably heard that cardio and mind body exercises such as yoga help alleviate depression.  Well strength training has the same effect. The endorphins that are released during aerobic activities are also present during resistance training. A Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did. Many women find that regular strength training in conjunction with psychological therapy helps lessen their depression symptoms substantially.

8. Injury Management

Weight lifting improves joint stability and builds stronger ligaments and tendons. Training safely with proper form can help decrease the likelihood of injuries in your daily life. It can also improve physical function in people with arthritis. A study conducted at the University of Wales in Bangor, United Kingdom found that mildly disabled participants who lifted weights for 12 weeks increased the frequency and intensity at which they could work with less pain and increased range of movement.

9. Heart Health

More than 480,000 women die from cardiovascular disease each year, making it the number-one killer of women over the age of 25. Most people don’t realize that pumping iron can also keep your heart pumping. Lifting weights increases your “good” (HDL) cholesterol and decreases your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. It also lowers your blood pressure. The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that people who do 30 minutes of weight lifting each week have a 23 percent reduced risk of developing heart disease compared to those who do not lift weights.

10. Defend Against Diabetes

In addition to keeping your ticker strong, weight training can improve glucose utilization by as much as 23 percent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 weeks of strength training can improve glucose metabolism in a way that is comparable to taking diabetes medication. The more lean mass you have, the more efficient your body is at removing glucose from the blood, which can reduce complications from diabetes or even help prevent type 2 diabetes in the first place.

Additional Interesting Facts:

• 1991 William Evans and Irwin H Rosenberg, both professors at Tufts University, published a study titled Biomarkers.  It established a number of factors that influence how we age, one of which was that the more muscle a person has, and the more strength there is in those muscles, the greater their life expectancy.

• In 2011 the American College of Sports Medicine published guidelines prescribing adults of both genders an exercise regime that include muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week.

• NHS recommends bodyweight and weighted resistance exercises.  These activities build muscle, reduce the risk of osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and type-2 diabetes, and could even lengthen you life.

Interested in hiring a Personal Trainer? Contact Kenny Yates (kyates1@tollbrothers.com) or stop by the Fitness Center to schedule a consultation and get started today!

5 Reasons To Eat Pumpkin This Fall- Guest Post by Jaime Martinez of Nutrition CPR

Fall is my favorite season as it is defined by football, foliage, and pumpkins.  While pumpkins are fabulous for carving Jack O’Lanterns during Halloween, the flesh of the pumpkin is highly nutritious and provide many health benefits.

Here are 5 reasons to include pumpkin on your plate this fall:

 

 

1.  Vitamin A and C:  Pumpkins are rich in vitamin A and C, essential nutrients responsible for eye and vision health (Vitamin A) and a cofactor for several enzymatic reactions, collagen synthesis as well as a powerful antioxidant with immune benefits (Vitamin C).

2. Potassium: 1 cup of cooked pumpkin provides more potassium than a banana!  (Pumpkin 564mg vs. Banana 422mg) Potassium is a key electrolyte that has many significant roles in the body, including helping to manage hypertension or high blood pressure and muscle contractions.  For those who exercise, pumpkin is an excellent food to help replenish potassium levels to prevent muscle cramping.

3. Tryptophan: The seeds of the pumpkin are rich in the amino acid tryptophan which can positively influence mood.  Serotonin, a neurotransmitter, is considered to be the main contributor to feelings of well being and happiness and tryptophan is responsible for the production of serotonin.

4. Carotenoids:  The orange hue of the pumpkin provides the antioxidant/free radical fighter beta carotene that has numerous health benefits to include cancer fighting properties! 

5. Phytosterols:  Pumpkin seeds as well as other seeds are rich in phytosterols, a naturally occurring solid, unsaturated fat compound found in plants.  Phytosterols successfully reduce LDL (low density lipoproteins or “bad” cholesterol) by reducing the production and absorption of bad cholesterol.  
   

There are endless recipes on the internet incorporating pumpkin.  One of my favorite websites for healthy recipes is Healthy Living How To and its creator Vanessa has some fabulous pumpkin recipes.

 

Enjoy pumpkin this fall knowing you are eating a food that can positively influence your health! #eatforyourhealth

 

The information provided in this post is for education only and is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor should it be used as a replacement for seeking medical treatment.

 

Copyright © Jaime Coffey Martinez, MS RD    Nutrition CPR, LLC

Top 10 Supplements To Optimize Your Health, Part 2

Continued from Part 1 (October 4th, 2013)...

      6.  Vitamin D

As a kid growing up, chances are you got plenty of time in the sun outdoors.  That time in the sun allowed your body to produce enough Vitamin D on a regular basis to help keep you relatively healthy from the inside out.  Now that you’re older however, more of your day is probably based indoors working long hours at the office or tinkering around the house. What does that mean to your health?  Vitamin D impacts just about every system in the body. Its deficiency is linked to many health problems, including obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, autoimmune diseases, chronic pain and lowered immunity.  When vitamin D levels have been chronically low, you might feel weak, tired, achy and “out of it”.  Most experts agree that optimal levels of vitamin D are 50-80 ng/mL or 125-200 nM/L.  The only way to truly know if you are within a healthy range is to get your blood work done. From there you can decide if it’s appropriate to supplement with Vitamin D.  But before making that decision, keep in mind that 20 to 30 minutes of time in the sun with most of your skin exposed results in a production of over 10,000 IUs of Vitamin D.  Most people can benefit from 1,000 to 2,000 IUs of Vitamin D during the cooler months if you’re getting minimal sun exposure, but may require closer to 5,000 IUs in the Winter when we’re least likely to get time in the sun.  Most high-end multi-vitamins provide up to 1,000 IUs of Vitamin D so it may be appropriate to find an additional quality Vitamin D supplement to add into your daily routine.  Once levels are restored within the optimal range, rejoice as you enjoy your new found energy and mood, both of which will help you live a more active lifestyle and perform better during your workouts.

A side note as we head into cold and flu season, ssupplementing with 2,000 IU of Vitamin D every day could dramatically decrease the occurrence of cold and flu symptoms.  Not a bad deal for 1 tiny pill a day.

      7.  Electrolytes/Coconut Water

Electrolytes are critical to your heart, brain, muscles and nervous system.  They help maintain the “voltage” required to carry the electrical impulses that constantly occur in your body in order to maintain healthy communication between your brain and body.  Fresh coconut water is one of the richest and most natural sources of electrolytes.  You lose electrolytes when you sweat, and if they’re not replenished through food or drink, your body and performance could suffer.  The 5 electrolytes that coconut water provides are potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and sodium.  These electrolytes play an important role in regulating heartbeat and muscle function (contraction and relaxation), energy transfer throughout the body as well as maintaining proper hydration on a cellular level.  While coconut water might not have the same sweet taste that other electrolyte sports drinks offer, those drinks are typically loaded with things you don’t want like refined sugars, chemicals and artificial colors/sweeteners. Although you might not need to supplement with coconut water on a daily basis, it’s important to keep in stock for strenuous workouts lasting 60 minutes or longer as well as when you’re out in the heat for extended periods of time.

      8.  BCAAs

Protein is broken down into organize compounds called amino acids.  There are 21 of these amino acids in total.  13 of which are essential and cannot be produced from other substances, and the remaining 12 called are nonessential.  Three of the essential amino acids also fall into a small sub-group known as branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) and include leucine, isoleucine and valine. While most amino acids are broken down in the liver upon digestion, BCAAs are utilized by muscle tissue to provide energy and offer a host of other benefits to your health and performance. This less-known supplement helps support muscle building, fight fatigue during high-intensity endurance and even improve mental function and mood.  For the men out there, research suggests that the use of BCAAs result in heightened testosterone levels, predominantly when taken along with strength training.  Research also suggests that those who supplement with BCAAs have a more favorable body composition with enhanced fat oxidation during exercise.  To keep the benefit train going, BCAA supplementation has also been shown to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) which typically occurs 24 to 72 hours following an intense bout of exercise.  To receive the maximum benefits of BCAAs, I would recommend consuming 5-15g of this supplement split up before, during, and after intense exercise.

      9.  Generation UCan

Many of my clients over the years have commented to me on how drained of energy they feel going into a workout as well as in general throughout the course of their day.  Much of this lack in energy can be tracked back to how they regulate blood sugar, which is largely impacted by diet and lifestyle choices. Trying to find a significant source of carbohydrates to fuel your body and brain for your workday and workouts, that doesn’t send your blood sugar levels on a roller coaster ride can be challenging.  Most of us have experienced the 2-3pm carb-induced coma following a heavy lunch.  This results from your body’s insulin response to the digested carbohydrates.  When carbs are digested, your body releases insulin to absorb the sugars in the bloodstream to be metabolized for fuel.  Often times, when your blood sugars spike significantly higher above fasting levels following a carb-heavy meal, you’ll experience a crash in blood sugar below fasting levels following the insulin response.  Not only that, but when insulin is released into your bloodstream, you in turn shut off your ability to burn fat as a fuel source and increase the amount of stored fat.  So instead of fueling your body for the day or for an upcoming workout, you’ve actually hindered your performance both physically and mentally, as well as the results you should be gaining from the hard work you’re putting in.  Insert Generation UCan here.  This SuperStarch supplement provides carbohydrate fuel with ZERO insulin response, allowing you to continue burning fat as a fuel and sustaining normal blood sugar levels for extended energy over the course of your day and workout.  Not only that, but your body will continue to burn even more fat following your workout for a greater “after-burn” effect and quicker results.  Outside of exercise, Generation UCAN can also aid in appetite suppression and improve mood, helping you to make overall healthier choices throughout your day.  The best times of day to take Generation UCAN are early morning, when blood sugar levels are naturally highest, as well as 1 hour before exercise, immediately following exercise, and around 2-3pm when you might experience the afternoon crash.  Personally I add this supplement into my morning and post workout protein shakes (I workout in the morning, so my morning shake acts as my pre-workout meal), and notice a significant difference on days that I don’t take it with all other factors being equal (sleep, stress, diet, etc.). 

      10.  Melatonin

“I have a hard time falling asleep at night.” 

“I have no problem falling asleep, but wake up frequently throughout the night for no reason.”

“When I wake up in the morning, I feel as if I didn’t sleep at all and just want to stay in bed for ever.”

If any of these real-life quotes sound like you, then you may benefit from a melatonin supplement.  Melatonin is created from the amino acid tryptophan and acts to regulate the body’s circadian rhythm, including sleep patterns. Its production is supposed to go up in the evening, preparing you for a restful sleep. Many of us live a stressful and high-speed lifestyle with an active night life.  These factors affect your body’s ability to produce melatonin at night, which greatly influences not only the amount of sleep you get, but also the quality of sleep you receive. Ideally, we need 7 to 8 hours of restful sleep to recharge our batteries and reduce the effects of sleep deprivation, which I highlighted in a previous blog post.  Taking supplemental melatonin about a half hour before bedtime can help you fall asleep and achieve a deeper, more restful sleep.

For more Fitness, Nutrition, and Wellness advice contact Paul Wantuck or stop by the Fitness Center to schedule a consultation and get started on the path towards a healthier you!