Everyone keeps saying I should lift?

Many women also find huge mental health benefits from this type of exercise- it improves self-esteem and makes women feel empowered.

Yes - I deadlifted 30kg for the first time last week & was smiling all day!

I’ve found weightlifting sessions & yoga classes are a really good combination for maintaining strength & flexibility.

Everyone should lift weights IMO.

I teach two different types of weights class and they are full of women aged 40-80.

Lifting weights has so many benefits- obviously it increases strength which is very useful in day to day life- it’s incredibly gratifying when a delivery man delivers a heavy box and goes to carry it in your house but you say you’ll take it and he says ‘it’s heavy, are you sure you can manage?’ and you easily take the box 😂. It can improve bone density because resistance work places mechanical stress on bones, which triggers bone-forming cells to become active- for this reason alone it is particularly important for peri/menopausal women. It also aids fat loss because muscle is calorie hungry, and a good weight session speeds up the metabolism for 24 hours or so after the workout.

I have observed year after year in the women I coach, that a great many women who want to lose weight become less and less interested in the number on the scale as their bodies get stronger. When you grow muscle and lose fat, your body shape changes and most women really love the aesthetic. They look and feel stronger and fitter, so they don’t really care what they weigh anymore. Many women also find huge mental health benefits from this type of exercise- it improves self-esteem and makes women feel empowered.

So yeah. Do it!

I don't have to bump my shopping trolley over the bricky carpark and back. I can now stick my week's shop into two IKEA bags over my shoulders, and carry them from the trolley park.

Muscle mass is important for metabolic health, maintaining healthy weights and staying mobile into older age.

People who yo-yo diet or loose a significant amount of weight loose muscle mass along with fat mass, especially if the diet didn't have enough protein and they didn't exercise to help sustain their previous muscle mass. This reduces metabolism and increases the odds of regaining fat mass.

Women have often been discouraged from gaining muscle mass because its higher density makes higher numbers on the scales but it's lean, looks good and helps manage weight and health long term.

Plus it feels really epic to squat lift with big plates

Weights are also great exercise for women who haven't liked the usual team, choreographed, cardio exercises that were traditionally pitched at females.

I find it really helpful for every day life - just from the point of view that if I need to shift a wardrobe or hefty a bag of compost about or anything it's all a lot easier and a much lower risk of injury.

Yes! When I took my cat to the vet’s last month, I realised that her carrier felt a lot lighter than it used to. And as you say, bags of compost!

Strength training has been transformative for me too. I’ve done it alongside my diet and my chronic knee pain has gone and I feel and look so much better. I’ve lost more than 3 stone now and a big factor in that is the gym.

I’m currently focusing on improving flexibility along with strength and it’s an ongoing journey but I’ve come a long way from my starting point.

I enjoy it so much and working out keeps me eating good healthy choices as well.

Yes!!! I started lifting when I’d just turned 50 & was in early peri. It’s brilliant for strength, muscle, bone density & general confidence.

I was lucky enough to find a woman PT about my age at my local gym & she got me started.

It’s very, very worth it.

I have found weights a surprisingly enjoyable fitness option. My favourite was when I had a friend who I went to the gym with - we chatted while we lifted so one would lift the other would be on their break. So we made really efficient use of the machines. It's still pretty good if I take a podcast or something, certainly vastly better than running.

I was really worried about it to begin with but I started with the machines in the gym where I felt like it would be hard to do myself too much of an injury. Added in weighted squats with kettlebells. Added in some bits with dumbbells. 5 years later and I've dared add in weighted squats and deadlifts using the bar. I'm not very regular at going but I'm substantially stronger than I was when I started lifting weights.

I find it really helpful for every day life - just from the point of view that if I need to shift a wardrobe or hefty a bag of compost about or anything it's all a lot easier and a much lower risk of injury.

@hby9628 could you please briefly outline what sort of training session/ weights you do?

Interested as I have 2 x 3 kgs hand bells and not sure what I should be doing

strength training has changed my life! I can’t life really heavy weights but I was in so much pain with sciatica and restless legs. I honestly can’t tell you how much better I feel. It’s really important for our bones as we get to this stage of life too. I would 100% recommend.

Yes it’s very, very important. Especially when you’re in a calorie deficit.

I’d recommend booking a few PT sessions to give you an idea of what to do. You might be able to find a small local gym that does group PT, which is 4-5 people with 1 PT, works out cheaper but you still get help with form, etc

Absolutely! The thought terrified me so I do them at home! I bought weights and resistance bands and use an app called Fiton. Your muscles are your biggest fried, metabolically! It’s not just about burning calories.