Strength Over Stamina: The Essential Fitness Shift for Women

In the pursuit of fitness, the debate between strength training and cardio often rages on, and is a particularly hot topic as women move through menopause and start to experience body composition changes. While activities like running, cycling, and swimming hold undeniable benefits (and trust me I love them all), the importance of strength training for women is often woefully overlooked. As a personal trainer, triathlon coach and multi sport athlete, I've witnessed first-hand the transformative power of strength training in women's fitness journeys. Yet so often I see women prioritising long, mid HR zone bike rides or runs, thinking that this will help them to lose weight, feel and look better etc.. Let’s look at why women need to prioritise strength training over cardio for lifelong fitness.
 
Strong Bones, Strong Women: One of the key benefits of strength training is its role in promoting bone health. As women age, they become more susceptible to osteoporosis, a condition characterised by weakened bones. Did you know that in the UK one in two women over 50 has osteoporosis and will suffer a fracture because of it? Strength training helps counteract this by increasing bone density, reducing the risk of fractures and osteoporosis-related complications.
 
Metabolic Health and Efficiency: Unlike cardio, which primarily burns calories during exercise, strength training revs up your metabolism long after the workout is over. This is due to the muscle repair and growth process, which requires energy. Strength training helps women build lean muscle mass, leading to a higher resting metabolic rate and more efficient fat burning.
Strength training also plays a vital role in improving metabolic health by enhancing insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. This is particularly important for women, as they are more prone to conditions like insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome as they go through the hormonal changes of perimenopause and menopause.

Empowerment Through Strength: Beyond physical benefits, strength training fosters a sense of empowerment! As you witness your body getting stronger, lifting heavier weights, and conquering new challenges, you experience a profound boost in confidence and self-esteem. This empowerment transcends the gym, influencing various aspects of your life. So  if you are someone who is driven by PBs in terms of speed or power in your chosen sport, direct that same motivation towards strength training!
 
Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation: While cardio activities like running can be high-impact and lead to overuse injuries, strength training helps prevent such injuries by improving muscle strength, joint stability, and flexibility. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in rehabilitation post-injury, aiding in the restoration of strength and functionality. This is one I can say first hand has helped me. I have gone from dreading my running workouts due to recurring achilles injuries and niggles, to embracing hill reps due to increasing my strength training!
 
Functional Fitness for Everyday Life: Strength training enhances functional fitness, enabling you to perform daily tasks with ease and efficiency. Whether it's lifting heavy bags, carrying children, or maintaining good posture, the strength gained in the gym translates into improved quality of life outside of it.
 
Hormonal Harmony: Traditional cardio training can sometimes exacerbate hormonal imbalances in women, particularly in relation to cortisol and oestrogen levels. Strength training, on the other hand, offers a more balanced hormonal response, promoting overall wellbeing and hormonal harmony. Research has also shown it often helps with menopausal symptoms, especially vasomotor ones such as hot flushes.
 
Longevity and Independence: Building and maintaining strength is essential for promoting longevity and independence as we age. It equips us with the physical resilience and independence to lead active, fulfilling lives well into their later years, reducing the risk of age-related decline and dependence.
 
Better Body Composition: While cardio may lead to weight loss, it often results in a loss of both fat and muscle mass. Strength training, however, preserves lean muscle tissue while targeting fat loss, resulting in a more favourable body composition and toned physique.
 
Enhanced Athletic Performance: Strength training serves as a foundation for improved athletic performance across various sports and activities, including triathlons. It enhances strength, power, and endurance, leading to better performance and reduced risk of injury during training and competition. Remember, menopause is a time when our power and strength can go into a decline, we want to keep our PB potential!

Stress Relief and Mental Wellbeing: Just as cardio activities are known for their stress-relieving benefits, strength training offers its own form of mental rejuvenation. The focused, repetitive nature of lifting weights can be meditative, providing an outlet for stress and promoting mental wellbeing.
 
Empowering the Next Generation: By prioritising strength training, women set a powerful example for the next generation. They inspire younger girls to embrace their strength, challenge societal norms, and redefine traditional notions of femininity and fitness.
 
So remember, whilst cardio activities undoubtedly offer numerous health benefits, women MUST prioritise strength training to ensure they are fit, strong, and resilient for life. From bone health and metabolism to empowerment and longevity, the advantages of strength training will allow you to unleash your full potential whatever your goals!
BUT remember, to really hit that strength aspect in your resistance training programme you need to be working with weights that you can work within a range of 1-6 of. I am afraid that things like bodypump (low weights, high reps) don't cut it!