Happy Monday – hope the weekend has been good to you!
This email is a bit of a PSA (Public Service Announcement).
A call-to-action.
For so long, there's been an unfair stigma attached to women and getting in the weight room to lift, which may have led to a bit of a reluctance to engage with it.
A preference for other forms of movement began to prevail: running, Pilates, yoga and more.
"I don't want to get too bulky" is often the fear.
Or that even men think it makes women 'too masculine' (which is nonsense by the way).
Well ladies, I can tell you this: lifting weights won't make you bulky or any less feminine.
In fact, what we are now seeing in terms of scientific knowledge and practical application is that lifting weights is arguably the best intervention for women in terms of living a long and healthy life.
And we are slowly now seeing more and more women finding huge value in lifting weights.
This might actually be one of my more important emails to date, so if you are a lady reading this – or a man who has important ladies in their life (which invariably you do) buckle up, because the info in here could dramatically improve your life.
So, why should women lift weights?
There are three key reasons that if you're on the fence about lifting should help you be converted.
They don't actually involve aesthetic reasons and how you look (although if that's a reason you train then that's great), but more about quality of life.
Stronger bones = lower fracture risk
"Don't we all have a risk of fracture as we get older?"
Yes - we do.
But women are at greater risk, because once 30 hits, bone density starts to decline quicker than men – a factor that accelerates around menopausal age because of the drop in estrogen.
Osteoporosis – the weakening of bones making them susceptible to fractures – disproportionately affects women (I believe the number is 1 in 2 women who will have an osteoporotic fracture at some point in their life).
This detailed study from 2023 showed that for women either diagnosed with or at risk of osteoporosis, progressive exercise training (through an approach that included both weight and non-weight bearing exercises) was a promising intervention for the management and prevention of osteoporosis, enhancing bone mineral density and to some extent improving quality of life.
To me, that's a great thing to hear.
For context – the way improving bone mineral density through weight training works is that when you bear load through an exercise – let's say a squat – your muscles and your tendons pull on your bone, which in turn strengthens them.
We also see a ton of studies around this in menopausal women as well, and it's a fantastic intervention to continue improving quality of life.
Menopause support + hormonal balance
The drop in estrogen creates a massive hormonal shift for women going through menopause.
Muscle mass begins to decline, insulin sensitivity drops, and body fat can redistribute around the midsection.
This is where strength training comes into the game.
It helps to maintain lean muscle mass and insulin sensitivity – improving your ability to respond to the hormone insulin and maintain healthy blood sugar levels – as well as potentially helping to reduce excess body fat.
Mood and sleep quality are also two things that are often disrupted by menopause, and weight training can help to improve these two things as well – yet another win for weights in this context.
Quality of life + healthy ageing
One of my favourite recent genres of content on social media is seeing women in their 50's, 60's, 70's and even their 80's engaging in strength training, and shouting from the rooftops about how it has improved their quality of life immeasurably.
So many women in their 50's and beyond are getting locked into the weight training game and going from frail, tired and lacking in energy – to robust, strong and limitless in capacity.
I think it's so cool to see.
I've come to believe this in recent years: the best "anti-aging" tool in your toolbox is really a consistent weight training routine.
And if you think about your later life, it becomes even less about the aesthetic (which can admittedly be a welcome by-product for many people), and more about what weight training allows your body to do:
- Go up and down stairs without assistance
- Be in a better mood
- Have more energy
- Play with grandkids
- Be able to manage some of the symptoms associated with menopause
In many ways it is truly the 'hack' (hate that term but it kind of works here!) that is needed in order to age well.
If you're reading this and are already in the gym and getting value from it, amazing – keep it going.
But if you've been somewhat on the fence about getting in the gym and lifting, there are so many benefits you're potentially missing out on.
It's near-enough impossible for a lady to get too bulky from lifting weights – just know that there are men who have been lifting for 10+ years who still aren't bulky!
But what women stand to receive is an endless stream of benefits that help hormonal health, provide menopause support, and build strong bones – all of which will improve female health for years to come.
Get lifting ladies! 😄
Stay healthy,
Jeff
*PS - if you found value from this email, do me a favour and forward it to two of your friends (or more if you want). Thank you for reading and being a part of this community!