We all have goals. What are yours? To lose 20 pounds? Get in shape? Buy a new house? Make more money? Having a goal is the easy part. Reaching it? Well, that’s something else entirely. If you’re frustrated because you feel like you keep coming up short when it comes to realizing your dreams, maybe it’s time to try a different approach.

When setting a goal, ask yourself first of all if your goals are realistic and if you are really ready to make the changes in your life necessary to reach those goals.

“Most people don’t take into consideration whether they’re ready to do what it takes to achieve their goals,” says Steven Rosenberg, PhD. Rosenberg is a behavior therapist, the team psychotherapist for the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, and author of I Hope the Hell I WIN! Turning Hope into Reality…How Winners Win! If you’re going through a stressful time at work, for example, this may not be the best time to start a weight loss program; maybe you’d do better to wait a few months and start on, say, your birthday.

Be realistic as well, says Rosenberg. You can’t lose 40 pounds in two weeks, or even a month. Set an achievable objective, such as 1 to 2 pounds a week; by the end of the year, you will have lost the 40 pounds.

Be Committed

“Goals that get reached are those that are firm, well-defined, and to which the individual is truly and completely committed,” says Susan Schachterle, director of the Denver-based Ahimsa Group, which provides consulting and coaching services to individuals and organizations worldwide. “Without that commitment, trying to reach goals is like grabbing Jell-O — you think maybe you have it, but there’s really nothing to hang on to.”

Schachterle suggests that you check your commitment. Ask yourself why you want to achieve that particular goal. What will that do for you? Why is it important? What will your life be like when you have reached it? How will achieving your goal change things for you?

“If you’re having trouble making a strong commitment,” says Schachterle, “make sure it’s the right goal and the right time for you.”

The Art of Saying ‘No’

Another reason many people don’t reach their goals is that they just can’t say no — to everyone else. “Many of us, especially women, put other things and people first,” says Susan Newman, PhD, a social psychologist at Rutgers University and author of The Book of NO: 250 Ways to Say It-and Mean It and Stop People-Pleasing Forever. We’re unable to refuse when asked for our time, our talent, our expertise, or merely our presence.

“Saying yes is a habit we’re not even aware of,” says Newman. “Think ‘no’ before you think ‘yes’ (not the other way around). By adding the word ‘no’ to your vocabulary, you open up vistas of time, not only to work toward a goal but also to think about how to reach it,” Newman says. “In short, you put boundaries in place and establish priorities in the correct order [for you].”

If you haven’t mastered the art of saying “no” and you think that’s derailing your efforts to reach your goals, Newman suggests taking these steps:

· Make a list of how many times a day you say ‘yes.’ “You’ll be startled,” says Newman.

· Pay attention to how you parcel out your time. “For most of us, it just disappears. … Who’s monopolizing the time you could otherwise spend on reaching your goals?”

· Set priorities. Who has first dibs on you and your time?

· Look at your limitations. When do you start to lose your stamina? “Don’t keep pushing until you run out of steam and collapse altogether,” Newman advises.

· Let go of control. You don’t have to do it all yourself. “If you’re doing everything else, there’s no time for you to get back to your goal.”

Be Specific

There are two tricks to properly setting your goals, says University of Alabama at Birmingham clinical psychologist Joshua Klapow, PhD. Klapow is co-author of Stop Telling Me What-Tell Me How: The Simple Answer to Better Health.

First, turn goals into specific behaviors, says Klapow. “To say that you are going to exercise doesn’t tell you which exercise to do, for how long and how frequently. If you don’t know what to do, you are less likely to do the behavior. Be specific. Saying that you plan to walk five minutes a day — and increase the time by one minute each week until you are walking 30 minutes per day — is better than just saying that you plan to exercise.”

Klapow’s second tip is to make sure you are successful at reaching your goals right from the start. “Resolutions need to be things you can actually do,” he says. “This is important because you are more likely to repeat the behaviors in which you are successful. Set short- and long-term target goals and make the short-term goals easy to reach.”

At this time of year, when many of us are making New Year’s resolutions, Klapow reminds us that resolutions are basically a set of new behaviors. Because the behaviors are new, and not learned habits, we have a tendency to slip back into our old behavior patterns.

“The best way to keep track of what you are doing every day,” says Klapow, “is to get a calendar and write down every time you perform your new habit. Don’t leave it up to your mind because your mind can play tricks on you. Three days without performing your new habit is your sign that you may be slipping.”

The Benefits of Intuition

Using your intuition can also help you reach your goals, says Lynn A. Robinson, MEd, author of Real Prosperity: Using the Power of Intuition to Create Financial and Spiritual Abundance. Robinson offers three tips for achieving a specific goal:

· Stay focused on the positive. Pay attention to what is working, not what isn’t. Perhaps a friend called to cheer you up, or your child got off to school this morning without a major tantrum, or you had a really nice lunch with a colleague. “Find those precious slivers of appreciation in each day.”

· Take small steps. There is a two-part trick of working toward a goal: No. 1, just begin, and No. 2, start small. Take a first step toward what you feel excited about and then take another one, and then another one. “Remain centered in the present.”

· Make your intuition your ally. Intuition is “quick and ready insight” and it’s one of the most helpful tools to use when faced with any kind of decision making. It’s also a skill that can be developed. The more you practice it the better you get at it. How does your intuition speak to you? Do you receive information in words, feelings, a flash of insight, a body sensation? Do you just know? “Intuition is the secret weapon of many successful people who describe it as knowing something directly without going through a long analytical process,” says Robinson.

Getting your friends and family involved can also help you reach your goals, says Sandra Beckwith, leader of “Finding the Courage to Change” workshops. “You need someone who will reject your usual excuses — ‘I can’t afford it,’ ‘I don’t know how,’ etc. — and help you see that there’s a way around every obstacle,” says Beckwith. “He or she can brainstorm with you. … This allows you to see a situation from a different perspective, through fresh eyes.”

Actually seeing your goal written down can also help you keep it in the forefront of your mind, adds Newman. “Tape reminders all over the house so your goal will always be in front of you — literally.”

Be Positive

Visualization and mindfulness (including approaches such as meditation and hypnosis) are also ways to help you achieve your goals. Mindfulness trainer Maya Talisman Frost explains that goal-setting is only one aspect of getting what you want. “It’s the intention that gets us where we want to go,” says Frost.

Goals tend to be arbitrary and number-oriented, says Frost, such as the number of pounds lost, amount of money earned, number of hours spent in the gym, and so on. Intentions, on the other hand, are “big-picture” statements about what fulfills you.

Yes, your goal is to lose 20 pounds in six months, but what’s your intention? How about, “I feel strong, healthy, fit, confident, attractive, and sexy,” says Frost. “The number on the scale isn’t what matters most — it’s how you feel each day.”

Positive thinking is often more effective than negative thinking when it comes to changing health behaviors. For example, people quit smoking more readily when the positive aspects of health are emphasized, rather than the negative side.

“Intentions allow us to picture ourselves — and how we’ll feel — when we are successful,” says Frost. “There’s no room for failure in the picture. We focus on the positive and powerful feelings we’ll have.”

Picturing Success

The most effective way to change our beliefs is to create a mental story of success, Frost says. We need to picture ourselves as we want to be, and we need to talk about it. Her basic formula: See it. Say it. Hear it.

· See yourself in the circumstances you desire. Picture it perfectly.

· Craft a one-sentence story that you would like to be true, and say it in the present tense, as though you are describing your life right now.

· Keep repeating yourself. Demand to hear that same story every night before you go to sleep.

“When it comes to achieving your goals, being positive is so important,” agrees Rosenberg. “When you see in your mind’s eye what you want to achieve, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

By Carol Sorgen

WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy

No doubt about it, exercise is a big plus for both you and your baby (if complications don’t limit your ability to exercise throughout your pregnancy). It can help you:

• feel better. At a time when you wonder if this strange body can possibly be yours, exercise can increase your sense of control and boost your energy level. Not only does it make you feel better by releasing endorphins (naturally occurring chemicals in your brain), appropriate exercise can:
  • relieve backaches and improve your posture by strengthening and toning muscles in your back, butt, and thighs
  • reduce constipation by accelerating movement in your intestine
  • prevent wear and tear on your joints (which become loosened during pregnancy due to normal hormonal changes) by activating the lubricating fluid in your joints
  • help you sleep better by relieving the stress and anxiety that might make you restless at night
  • look better. Exercise increases the blood flow to your skin, giving you a healthy glow.
• prepare you and your body for birth. Strong muscles and a fit heart can greatly ease labor and delivery. Gaining control over your breathing can help you manage pain. And in the event of a lengthy labor, increased endurance can be a real help.
• regain your pre-pregnancy body more quickly. You’ll gain less fat weight during your pregnancy if you continue to exercise (assuming you exercised before becoming pregnant). But don’t expect or try to lose weight by exercising while you’re pregnant. For most women, the goal is to maintain their fitness level throughout pregnancy.

While the jury’s still out on the additional benefits of exercise during pregnancy, some studies have shown that exercise may even lower a woman’s risk of complications, like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

What’s a Safe Exercise Plan During Pregnancy?

It depends on when you start and whether your pregnancy is complicated. If you exercised regularly before becoming pregnant, continue your program, with modifications as you need them.

If you weren’t fit before you became pregnant, don’t give up! Begin slowly and build gradually as you become stronger. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes (that’s 2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week for healthy women who are not already highly active or doing vigorous-intensity activity. If you’re healthy, the risks of moderate-intensity activity during pregnancy are very low, and do not increase risk of low birth weight, preterm delivery, or early pregnancy loss.

Before you continue your old exercise routine or begin a new one, you should talk to your doctor about exercising while you’re pregnant. Discuss any concerns you may have.

You may need to limit your exercise if you have:

• pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
• early contractions
• vaginal bleeding
• premature rupture of your membranes, also known as your water (the fluid in the amniotic sac around the fetus) breaking early

Exercises to Try

That depends on what interests you and what your doctor advises. Many women enjoy dancing, swimming, water aerobics, yoga, Pilates, biking, or walking. Swimming is especially appealing; as it gives you welcome buoyancy (floatability or the feeling of weightlessness). Try for a combination of cardio (aerobic), strength, and flexibility exercises, and avoid bouncing.

Many experts recommend walking. It’s easy to vary the pace, add hills, and add distance. If you’re just starting, begin with a moderately brisk pace for a mile, 3 days a week. Add a couple of minutes every week, pick up the pace a bit, and eventually add hills to your route. Whether you’re a pro or a novice, go slowly for the first 5 minutes to warm up and use the last 5 minutes to cool down.

If you were a runner before you were pregnant, in many cases, you can continue running during your pregnancy, although you may have to modify your routine.

Whatever type of exercise you and your doctor decide on, the key is to listen to your body’s warnings. Many women, for example, become dizzy early in their pregnancy, and as the baby grows, their center of gravity changes. So it may be easy for you to lose your balance, especially in the last trimester.

Your energy level may also vary greatly from day to day. And as your baby grows and pushes up on your lungs, you’ll notice a decreased ability to breathe in more air (and the oxygen it contains) when you exercise. If your body says, “Stop!” — stop!

Your body is signaling that it’s had enough if you feel:

• fatigue
• dizziness
• heart palpitations (your heart pounding in your chest)
• shortness of breath
• pain in your back or pelvis

And if you can’t talk while you’re exercising, you’re doing it too strenuously.

It also isn’t good for your baby if you become overheated because temperatures greater than 102.6° Fahrenheit (39° Celsius) could cause problems with the developing fetus — especially in the first trimester — which can potentially lead to birth defects. So don’t overdo exercise on hot days.

When the weather is hot, try to avoid exercising outside during the hottest part of the day (from about 10 AM to 3 PM) or exercise in an air-conditioned place. Also remember that swimming makes it more difficult for you to notice your body heating up because the water makes you feel cooler.

Exercises to Avoid

Most doctors recommend that pregnant women avoid exercises after the first trimester that require them to lie flat on their backs.

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, it’s also wise to avoid any activities that include:

• bouncing
• jarring (anything that would cause a lot of up and down movement)
• leaping
• a sudden change of direction
• a risk of abdominal injury

Typical limitations include contact sports, downhill skiing, scuba diving, and horseback riding because of the risk of injury they pose.

Although some doctors say step aerobics workouts are acceptable if you can lower the height of your step as your pregnancy progresses, others caution that a changing center of gravity makes falls much more likely. If you do choose to do aerobics, just make sure to avoid becoming extremely winded or exercising to the point of exhaustion.

And check with your doctor if you experience any of these warning signs during any type of exercise:

• vaginal bleeding
• unusual pain
• dizziness or lightheadedness
• unusual shortness of breath
• racing heartbeat or chest pain
• fluid leaking from your vagina
• uterine contractions

Kegel Exercises

Although the effects of Kegel exercises can’t be seen from the outside, some women use them to reduce incontinence (the leakage of urine) caused by the weight of the baby on their bladder. Kegels help to strengthen the “pelvic floor muscles” (the muscles that aid in controlling urination).

Kegels are easy, and you can do them any time you have a few seconds — sitting in your car, at your desk, or standing in line at the store. No one will even know you’re doing them!

To find the correct muscles, pretend you’re trying to stop urinating. Squeeze those muscles for a few seconds, then relax. You’re using the correct muscles if you feel a pull. Or place a finger inside your vagina and feel it tighten when you squeeze. Your doctor can also help you identify the correct muscles.

A few things to keep in mind when you’re doing Kegel exercises:

Don’t tighten other muscles (stomach or legs, for example) at the same time. You want to focus on the muscles you’re exercising.

Don’t hold your breath while you do them because it’s important that your body and muscles continue to receive oxygen while you do any type of exercise.

Don’t regularly do Kegels by stopping and starting your flow of urine while you’re actually going to the bathroom, as this can lead to incomplete emptying of your bladder, which increases the risk of urinary tract infections.

Getting Started

Always talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program. Once you’re ready to get going:

Start gradually. Even 5 minutes a day is a good start if you’ve been inactive. Add 5 minutes each week until you reach 30 minutes.

Dress comfortably in loose-fitting clothes and wear a supportive bra to protect your breasts.

Drink plenty of water to avoid overheating and dehydration.

Skip your exercises if you’re sick.

Opt for a walk in an air-conditioned mall on hot, humid days.

Above all, listen to your body.

Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD

1. Beginner Squats: for Thighs

   If you’re new at this, get started with a beginner version of squats using an exercise ball. Stand against a wall with the ball at your low back, feet hip-width apart and out in front. Slowly lower your body by folding at the hips and bending the knees, dropping glutes toward the floor; slowly move back to the starting position. Your knees should remain over your heels. Perform 10 challenging repetitions.

2. Squats: for Thighs

   Once you’re ready, try squats without an exercise ball. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your back straight. Bend your knees and lower your rear as if you were sitting down, keeping your knees over your ankles. To target more muscle groups in less time, add an overhead press at the same time. With a dumbbell in each hand, rise from the squat position and push weights overhead, palms out. Really focus on good form. Perform 10 repetitions.

3. Forward Lunge: for Thighs

   Standing with feet hip-width apart, take a big step forward with one leg, then lower your body toward the floor, front knee aligned with ankle, back knee pointing to the floor. Return to the starting position, and repeat by stepping forward with the other leg. For more challenge, hold a free weight in both hands and complete the lunge with a rotation in the torso, twisting the body toward the forward leg. Perform 10 repetitions on each side.

4. Romanian Dead lift: for Hamstrings

   To perform a dead lift holding a body bar or free weights, stand up straight with feet hip-width apart. Fold at your hips, moving the hips backward as you lower your upper body parallel to the floor. Keep the legs straight without locking the knees, and keep the back level and the spine in neutral. Lower the weight to just below your knees, then slowly return to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

5. The Bridge: for Hamstrings

   The bridge works the glutes (butt), hamstrings, and the core. Lying on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart, peel your spine off the floor, starting at the tailbone, forming a diagonal line from knees down to shoulders. Slowly return to the starting position. Target your triceps at the same time by holding light weights, lifting your arms ceiling ward, bending your elbows, lower the weights towards the floor. Perform 10 repetitions.

6. Push-Ups: for Chest & Core

   Now, let’s move on to the upper body. Push-ups strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core muscles. Lying face-down, place hands a bit wider than your shoulders. Place toes or knees on the floor, creating a smooth line from shoulders to knees or feet. Keeping core muscles engaged lower and lift your body by bending and straightening your elbows. To boost the workout, add an exercise ball under the hips, knees, or feet. Perform 10 repetitions.

7. Chest Press: for the Chest

   Instead of push-ups you can try the chest press with weights. Lying face-up on a bench, with knees bent or feet on the floor, spine relaxed, press a body bar or free weights from your chest toward the ceiling. Extend your arms but don’t lock the elbows, and move slowly in both directions, keeping shoulder blades on the bench. For an extra challenge, do the chest press with your head and upper back on an exercise ball. Perform 10 repetitions.

8. Bent-Over Row: for Back & Biceps

   The bent-over row works all the major muscles of the upper back, as well as the biceps. Begin the exercise in a bent-over position with your back flat, one knee and one hand on the same side of the body braced on a bench. Hold a free weight in the other hand with arm extended. Lift the weight toward the hip until the upper arm is just beyond horizontal, then slowly lower weight to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

9. Shoulder Press: for Shoulders

   A shoulder press works the shoulder muscles and can be performed standing or seated. For extra back support, use a bench with a back rest. Begin with elbows bent and weights at shoulders. Slowly reach toward the ceiling, keeping the elbows under the hands and the shoulders away from the ears; slowly lower back to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

10. Cable Pull Down: for Upper Back

    For the last upper body exercise, do the cable pull down, which works the upper back. Using a cable machine, sitting straight with a neutral spine, slowly pull the bar down past the face and toward the chest. Only go as far as you can without leaning back, and control the weight on the way back up. Perform 10 repetitions.

11. Bicycle Crunch: for Core & Abdominals

    Lying on your back on the floor, fold knees toward the chest and curl the upper body off the floor. With hands behind head, slowly rotate upper body to the right while drawing the right knee in and reaching the left leg out. Then rotate left and pull the left knee in and extend right leg out. Focus on bringing the shoulder toward the hip (rather than the elbow to the knee), and keep the opposite shoulder off the floor. Perform 10 repetitions.

12. Side Plank: for Core or Abdominals

    For another abdominal alternative, lie on your side with a bent elbow directly under your shoulder, and use your torso muscles to lift the body up into a side plank. Then lift the hips higher, then back to the plank, then lower. Do as many as you can with proper form, then repeat on the other side.

13. Have You Completed 20 Minutes?

    Before moving on to the cardio portion of the workout, be sure you’ve completed 20 minutes of resistance training (You can reverse this workout as well by starting with 10 minutes of cardio, then circuit train). If you haven’t, go back and start the circuit over again until you reach the 20 minute goal.

14. Cardiovascular Training

    Once the 20 minutes of resistance training are up, move right into 10 minutes of cardio. Use intense intervals during your cardio session, taking about a minute to get from moderate speed to intense. Whether you’re on the stair-stepper, the elliptical trainer, or the treadmill, do:

    • 30 seconds of the highest speed you can tolerate.
    • Then 30 seconds of normal speed.
    • Then 30 seconds of the stiffest resistance you can handle.
    • Then 30 seconds of normal.
    • Keep moving back and forth between speed and resistance until you’ve completed 10 minutes.

Frequency of Workout

Perform this 30-minute workout routine every other day, or do it two days in a row if that better suits your schedule. These are not hardcore bodybuilding-style routines where the high degree of muscular overload requires full rest to recover.

• Chest press. 3 sets of 8 repetitions.
• Bent over row. 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
• Triceps. 3 sets of 12 repetitions.
• Biceps. 3 sets of 12 repetitions.
• Knee extensions. 3 sets of 12 repetitions.
• Calf raises. 3 sets of 25 repetitions.
• Push ups. 3 sets of 20 repetitions. (If you can do more in a repetition, then go for it.)

Weight Training Schedule

– 3 times a week is a good starting point when determining your needs for strength training. Your muscles need time to recover.

Seek guidance from a properly qualified trainer or coach.

It is easy for teens to injure themselves when strength training due to the fact that their joints, bones, muscles and tendons have not finished growing. Any sudden pain, or popping feelings or sounds, should be immediately checked out by a doctor.

Don’t forget that a well rounded fitness program will also include some aerobic activity like running, walking, skating or swimming, to keep those lungs and heart fit and healthy as well.

1. Stretches are vital in both warming up and cooling down.  Stretches are also invaluable for loosening up stiff muscles from a day or two before.
2. Warming up. To avoid injuries, strains or muscle tears, it is important to warm up properly before lifting those weights.  A 5-10 minute stretch routine and/or a cardio warm up is plenty to get the heart pumping harder.
3. Cooling down. 5-10 minutes of stretching out all those muscle groups at the end of your workout will both increase your flexibility and keep injuries to a minimum.
4. Sore muscles mean you need to take an extra day or two as a rest before training that muscle group again.  Listen to your body.  Aerobic exercise mixed with your weight training routine is a smart way to reach your health & fitness goals.
5. Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water before and after a strength training session.
6. A spotter is highly recommended when lifting heavy dumbbells.  Firstly, to ensure that you movements are correct.  Secondly, to avoid dangerous scenarios involving dropped weights and trapped bodies.
7. Eat a sensible diet. Cut down on the saturated fats.  Ensure your diet includes lean high quality protein such as chicken and fish, and plenty of complex carbohydrates.

After 2-3 hours, you should consume a regular healthy meal (with protein in it) to continue aiding in the muscle rebuilding process. Remember ‘You Are What You Eat’? That is especially true on the days you exercise. If you can eat properly after a workout and stay away from ‘treats’, your results will come faster than you expect.

The extent of the weight control “problem” is very serious. Here’s some amazing statistics found by American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM):

1. Americans eat 5-10% fewer calories than 20 years ago, yet weigh approximately 5 pounds more.
2. In the U.S., 50 million men and 60 million women ages 18-79 are overfat, including more than 12 million who are considered severely obese.
3. One out of five children ages 5-17 is obese.

As you can see, this is a serious problem. At any given time, approximately 20 million adults in the U.S. are dieting to lose weight and another 20 million think they should. Not surprisingly, it is estimated that Americans spend more than 30 billion dollars annually on diet books, products and services.

The key question is, “How did Americans reach this point?” Obesity can be caused by several factors, including eating too many calories, eating a high-fat or high-sugar diet, genetics, having a sluggish metabolic rate and leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Working out with weights has been shown to be important in maintaining bone strength. This is even more important for women over the age of forty and any men who may be suffering from calcium depletion. The older the female, the more significant the weight training becomes. Older females who lift weights weekly have much less incidence of spinal fractures (Dowager’s hump), and fractured hips. Pre-Diabetics

and those with type 2 diabetes can actually dramatically improve their blood sugar readings by including strength training in their weekly workouts, along with a sensible eating pattern. Research in the US has shown that pre-diabetics who join a weight training program and modify their eating habits will often do better in the long term than those who just start medications and do nothing about their exercise routine or diet (if you are pre-diabetic, or diabetic do not change your medications without consulting your doctor first).

Seniors

have been shown to have markedly better balance and coordination when lifting even light weights weekly. This can be important for minimizing falls, and maintaining day to day independence.

Increased Strength

Resistance work will ensure that those pesky lids and heavy loads will become easier to manage over time. Your strength will increase, making day to day activities much easier and more pleasant.

Conclusion

Strength training programs provide many health benefits to all age groups, from the senior to the teen. Stronger bones, increased metabolism, improved coordination, better performance and endurance are only a few of the advantages to be gained from strength training. Be Smart, Be Healthy & Train Safely!

By Paul Rogers, About.com

While weight training has traditionally been a male activity, over the last twenty years women have taken to the weight rooms of gyms and health clubs, and to their own spare rooms at home, with increasing enthusiasm. The benefits of strength training for women should not be underestimated. Although large muscles tend not to be one of the acquisitions women get from weight training, increased strength, balance and bone density are.

Women Don’t Get Huge Muscles From Weights

Strong Women Stay Slim was a best selling book for Miriam Nelson because she was one of the first authorities to make weight training a contemporary issue for women with promises of fat loss, strength increases and bone density benefits as a buffer against the onset of osteoporosis and other age and lifestyle related afflictions.

For men, these issues are somewhat different because men are protected to some extent by the male sex hormone testosterone which tends to enhance muscle and bone growth. Yet even men suffer from age-related osteoporosis and loss of muscle. Exercise, including strength training, is one solution.

Even though women produce testosterone — it’s important for female sex drive — they don’t produce as much as men, and that’s why women don’t grow big muscles under weight training stimulation or at any other time. Yet strength improvements and the stimulation of bone growth through weight training is not necessarily a product of muscle size — one reason why weight training still works for women, and can work for you, even though huge muscles won’t happen unless you take steroids. You can relax about that aspect.

Physical Activity, Weights, Protect Against Breast Cancer

One of the main risk factors for breast cancer is obesity. The American Cancer Society reported this in its January 2007 report. The report also found that physical activity protects against breast cancer and perhaps also the return of cancer after treatment. It‘s easy to see that slimming down with a diet and exercise program, including weights, could reduce your risk of breast cancer, notwithstanding inherited family risk. In fact, if you do have breast cancer in the immediate family, an exercise program may be one thing you can do to reduce your risk.

In addition, women diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing treatment are being advised to take up weight training. Some studies show an improved quality of life with no adverse effects. An all-round exercise program may substantially reduce your risk of breast cancer re-appearing. This is what the American Cancer Society had to say:

3,000 breast cancer survivors in the Nurses’ Health Study showed that higher levels of post-treatment physical activity were associated with a 26% to 40% reduction in the risk of breast cancer recurrence, breast cancer-specific mortality, and all-cause mortality. The risk reduction was seen with as little as 1 to 3 hours per week of moderate intensity activity with further reductions for those performing 3 to 5 hours per week.

Weight Training at Menopause

Many women understand that they are somewhat protected from various afflictions like heart disease and osteoporosis by a plentiful supply of estrogen until menopause. With the waning of this female hormone, cholesterol readings may get worse, bone density can decline and weight can start to rise. If you have never been physically active or have been inactive for some years, this is a good time to start exercise in general and weight training in particular. Exercise improves the health of women in a number of ways at or around menopause. This is what a scientific review found of the benefits of a combined aerobic and resistance training program for women at that time. (Sports Med. 2004;34(11):753-78.)

The training described is likely to preserve normal bodyweight, or combined with a weight-reducing diet, preserve BMD (bone mineral density) and increase muscle strength. Based on limited evidence, such exercise might also improve flexibility, balance and coordination, decrease hypertension (blood pressure) and improve dyslipidaemia (blood fats).

You don’t have to be concerned that you may be required to start running marathons or become a bodybuilder either. Regular walking combined with a well-designed strength training program at home can bring good results according to this review study. It’s also worth noting that although additional effort usually results in greater benefit, starting out with a modest program is the key to success. The bottom line is: do what you can do, but just do it.

References

Kushi LH, Byers T, Doyle C, Bandera EV. American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention. CA Cancer J Clin 2006; 56:254-281.

Ohira T, Schmitz KH, Ahmed RL, Yee D. Effects of weight training on quality of life in recent breast cancer survivors: the Weight Training for Breast Cancer Survivors (WTBS) study. Cancer. 2006 May 1;106(9):2076-83.

Asikainen TM, Kukkonen-Harjula K, Miilunpalo S. Exercise for health for early postmenopausal women: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Sports Med. 2004;34(11):753-78.