Lifting weights

This is a step that many think is just for men, but this is where they are mistaken.  Lifting weights should be a staple part of any persons fitness regime whether male or female. A concern for some women is that they will become "bulky" but this is not the case. Women do not have the hormones needed for noticeable muscle growth without the use of anabolic steroids and so this should not be of concern to females when contemplating lifting weights.


For females the benefits of weight training are:

1. It is a great way to burn fat.  After lifting weights your body has a higher metabolism to recover from the training and so in the hours after weight training you will burn more fat. As well as this, a woman new to weight lifting will gain a small amount of muscle, and this additional muscle will cause you to burn more calories 24 hours a day!  This means more fat burnt in the long run.  Generally it is thought that a pound of muscle equates to up to 50 calories more burnt every day, that equates to over 5lbs of additional fat loss in a year.
2. You will gain strength. This isn't really a benefit that regards weight loss, but is something that can help you in all works of life from lifting children, carrying bags and doing housework. As these tasks become easier, you reduce your chances of injury from doing them.
3. Another benefit unrelated to fat loss is the reduction in the risk of heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis

For men, the same benefits as above apply, along with the huge benefit of a massively increased metabolism that muscle growth through weight training can bring.