Women and heavy weight lifting: Pros and cons

It would be wrong to deem heavy weight lifting an inherently risky thing unless you’re using an incorrect technique or using wrong weight. Although during pregnancy, women aren’t supposed to lift heavy weights, healthy women can train overtime to lift heavy weights without injuring themselves. If you’re planning to include heavy weight lifting in your fitness regimen, it is pivotal to seek advice from a fitness professional before you go ahead with it and also make sure to consult your doctor whether you’ve any health issues that could make weight lifting unsafe for you.

Benefits of heavy weight lifting

If you want to add muscle mass, weight lifting is just the thing for you. It improves your metabolism and prevents weight gain. On the other hand, it can benefit those as well who are trying to lose weight as it prevents muscle loss, making sure the weight you lose is only fat.

If you’re a healthy woman, you can get several benefits from safe and appropriate weight lifting such as better bone and skeletal health and reduced chances of osteoporosis. Not to mention, women are more likely to develop osteoporosis, a bone-thinning condition as compared to men. Furthermore, weight lifting can cut down the risk of depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes or high cholesterol.

During pregnancy

As stated above, pregnant women should strictly avoid lifting heavy objects let alone heavy weights. According to an article published in the September 1997 in Medical Anthropology Quarterly, lifting heavy weights during pregnancy increases the chances of miscarriage, premature labour and perinatal death.

Medical conditions

If you’re suffering from certain health conditions or diseases, regardless of your gender, it is safe not to go for heavy weight lifting. The elderly are less likely to be able to lift heavy weights safely because of the increased risk of bone weakness.

Safe weight lifting

It is important to follow safe weight-lifting guidelines in order to prevent or minimise the risk of injury. It is important to lift weights that are suitably heavy -- a good starting point is a weight you can lift between 12 and 15 times without distress. Use the correct form in your lifting, remember to breathe, and wear shoes with a good degree of traction to avoid slipping.

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