Dear MNHQ, please can we have a weightlifting topic?

How heavy are those weights Dawn?

Oh yes please! I'm just about to get started and there's nothing like this I've found anywhere else

MNHQ here's a challenge for you - and an appeal to think about what you want MN to represent.

As women we are constantly told to lose weight, so yes lots of people looks t weight loss topics.

However, teenage girls are the biggest drop outs from exercise. Something like only one in five women will exercise their whole life. Diseases like osteoporosis are made worse by lack of weight bearing activity. It's a BIG DEAL.

And ok perhaps right now there aren't so many women who are interested in weights as in dieting. That's because a lot of them don't know about it. There's a wee growing headsail of us who do though. We know you won't end up muscle bound and there's so many benefits to being stronger, including burning calories! But there isn't anywhere to discuss it and spread the word that's largely female dominated.

So how about you lead Thr way? Give us a place specially for us to start the discussion? Regardless of whether it will get 40k hits a week or not, at least to start with?

Would definitely be interested in a weights forum

big I understand that. I am using it as an example to Elizabeth who is adamant that each sport shouldn't have its own section and yet each diet has its own topic.

The weight loss section is huge. But Elizabeth objects to having similar for exercise. Its doesn't make sense. Mumsnet is know for having a lot of weight loss support for women. Why not build the exercise section? I wasn't having a go at 5:2 itself. Also alot of people were discussing 5:2 on mumsnet because over time the weight loss section built up. People who use mumsnet know there is lots of help and advice on weight loss, but not exercise.

shewept I think Mumsnet allocates Topics to whatever subject they think gets a lot of hits. Mumsnet Towers told me the 5:2 threads had 40,000 hits per month, hence a very busy Topic. Our main thread whizzes along at warp speed.

If we are given a new Lifting Topic, then we must publicise it to get the hits, to keep it. I have the impression the Exercise board isn't very active compared to others

We should encourage women to do sport and lifting for health, rather than focusing on weight loss.

I would be interested - I am into kettlebells myself and I am more a lurker myself but I would certainly be interested.

Remembers tedious partronizing man commenting on my 5kg chest flies asking if I was recovering from an injury. When he volunteered the fact he did 50kgs I said ' why are you telling me that?'

Weights are not about losing weight. Or at least not only!

Thanks for continuing to bump this Elizabeth we may not agree. But its definitely helping.

Totally agree with Sleep and Bwiw

get you and your posters

So why isn't weight loss just one topic? Post you opinion and we will answer. Its a public forum. Having the topic doesn't affect you, so why bothered?

We have a thread in exercise. All of whom are saying we struggle to find somewhere to ask the many questions we want to and share experiences and advice.

Having a huge topic for losing weight through diet but not an equivalent exercise is not good. And goes to show that the studies are right women shy away from exercise. Its shouldn't be that way.

Why are so against it, Lizzie?!

It would be like telling all my Bootcamp posters to just post in 'weight loss' instead - amongst the million other threads about low calorie/Lighter Life/Slimming World threads.

Much easier to find what you're looking for if it has a dedicated thread.

no one has even tried using exercise.... try that first

It doesnt bother me.. its a web forum where people post opinions

Also, the problem with long standing threads is they can be difficult to keep up with, things can be missed and new posters don't alway want to just jump in.

Separate boards makes it more accessible for everyone and means people who are just dipping their foot into the sport have somewhere they can ask their inital questions.

Elizabeth Yes. Except there are lots of long running threads in exercise for all different sports and this will cover them all. Not sure why this bothers you so much. You have the option of hiding topics.

This website has a huge section for weight loss. Why not the equivalent for exercise. There is a social problem of women concentrating too much on what they eat and not enough on exercise. The 'this girl can' campaign is attempting to tackle the problem about girls shying away from sport.

If we can have a whole topic with sub topic for different diets, why not one exercise? Why does the 5:2 deserve its own topic but a sport doesn't. It doesn't make sense.

So a total topics reorganisation for one theme that hasn't even got a long running thread of its own?

I agree she wept, and with the current "this girl can" campaign it would be a great time to show just what mums (and women in general) can do.

I think a proper sports and exercise board would be fantastic.

Yay, yes please!!!!
I regularly lift but am reliant on male colleagues or random strangers at the gym to help me out with new ideas or techniques.
All those in favour raise a glass of protein shake and flex your guns!!!