Girls Gone Strong

It’s so much fun to watch clients in Alexandria, VA, get fit and make changes not only in their body, but also in their life. Whether it’s going from fitness zero to fitness hero or helping someone make the changes to extend their lives, it all brings satisfaction. It’s also why I do it. One of my biggest pleasures is seeing girls gone strong. Just thinking back and reading about the lives of women 30, 40 or 50 years ago, building muscles wasn’t encouraged or even suggested in many cases. Stick thin women, like Twiggy in the 1960s and the scary skinny models in the 2010s are gladly out of vogue and healthy and strong women are now a hit.

Healthy with lean muscle mass is what it’s all about today.

I love seeing women come into the gym, a little intimidated by the strength building workouts. It always makes me smile when they realize how great they feel when they do strength building and learn all the workouts that involve barbells and dumbbells. I’ve seen them go from intimidated to getting excited when it’s strength building day. I’ve even caught some flexing in front of the mirror and smiling. That’s okay. I do it too.

Why is getting strong important. Let’s start with weight loss.

One of the best types of exercise for weight loss is strength building. While running and other aerobic workouts will burn tons of calories, there’s no discrimination in whether those calories came from burning fat or muscle tissue. In fact, running will burn lean muscle tissue. Strength building burns lots of calories, too, but it also helps build muscle tissue. Why is that important? The more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you’ll burn 24/7. That means strength building will not only burn calories now, it will build muscles to burn more later.

How can getting stronger help keep you healthier.

Women are protected from high blood pressure and even bone loss, with hormones before menopause. Unfortunately, after menopause, that protection disappears. It’s at that time, that they’re more susceptible to these conditions, particularly osteoporosis, which can make bones fragile and impact lifestyle dramatically. Getting stronger at an early age and maintaining that strength, helps reduce the potential for both high blood pressure and osteoporosis.

• Seriously, one of the great motivators to do strength training is the fact that exercise helps slow the aging process. It does it in a number of ways, from lengthening cellular telomeres to increased circulation.
• Getting strong can help keep you safer. While you may never need to defend yourself, you’ll be fit enough to do it. Best of all, you’ll look more confident and feel more confident, which is a huge deterrent to anyone planning harm.
• Being safer by being stronger is more than just defending yourself from others, it also prevents injuries from doing every day tasks. You’ll be functionally fitter when you get stronger, no matter whether you’re a male or female.
• At the Worx by Maia, we offer a free week of boot camp to let you see how great getting strong and fit can feel. Try it. You’ll be hooked on that feeling.

For more information, contact us today at The Worx by Maia