Whether you are training for a health or an aesthetic goal (or both!) as long as you are lifting weights we are happy!
And to be quite frank, any goal that makes you feel good about yourself is great.
As long as you are lifting weights and associating this with positive feelings (not guilt or shame or punishment!), your goal is valid!
We’ll never get tired of promoting resistance training, mostly to women and the ageing population.
The older we grow, the more we need to keep strong, mobile and active.
Our muscle mass starts decreasing already from the age of 30, but it’s in our power to prevent this.
And as we women approach menopause, we are at higher risk of losing muscle and bone density, leaving us vulnerable to related diseases, falls and injuries. Men, you run towards the same risks if you don’t workout though so lift weights!
Lifting heavy weights will help you prevent this.
Look at your parents and grandparents. Do you want to be a grandparent that can run around after your grandchildren or someone who is frail and needs help to complete even the smallest tasks?
It’s really a no-brainer for us and the two simple yet effective things you can do are: lift some weight and consume enough protein CONSISTENTLY.
It doesn’t have to be fancy and you’ll see that with consistent effort your strength and confidence will grow. It is important that you follow some sort of a programme so that you can progressively overload your muscles. You always need to be progressing. This can be done in a number of ways – in the form of continuously lifting heavier weights (safely!), by increasing reps or even by decreasing tempo.
The gym and the weight area can still feel quite intimidating to some, but let this not be the reason not to exercise.
Nowadays, there are endless ways to work out if the gym and weights feel scary, and sometimes all you need is the right support.
A personal trainer could come to your own home (just like our wonderful trainers!), and plenty of them have private studios (like us!).
If you are limited on space or equipment, finding a small gym or training during quieter times can be really helpful.
Training is not only for the body, but the mind too!
Keeping your muscles active and used to reacting quickly will help in situations like a fall. Your mind will stay sharp, and your body will be able to follow. So instead of falling like a tree trunk, you might just find your arms and legs get in the way reducing the impact of the fall.
And if the worst should happen and you do fall, muscle acts like your body armour, minimising your injuries and speeding up your recovery.
We at aceLIFESTYLE are on a mission to get more and more people lifting weights. If you are new to this all, or just want some guidance and support, our inbox is always open! info@ace-lifestyle.com
And if you want to listen more on this, here’s a podcast we recorded with our good friend and coach Glen aka @thekbsix