Simple and Sustainable Health Habits Part 3
Part 3: Daily Movement and the Benefits of Strength Training for Women
Hi there!
Welcome to part 3 of this series on Simple and Sustainable Health Habits!
Today let’s talk about movement.
Because our bodies were made to move. But for a lot of us, somewhere along the line, movement got hijacked by diet culture, and instead of moving to feel good, we were taught that movement was to try and change something about our bodies.
The messaging was less about moving to feel good and more that something about us wasn’t quite enough. But movement is about SO much more than just trying to change our physical bodies! From improving our heart health, and joint mobility, to healthier bones, better moods, more energy, and even improved sleep quality, the list of benefits is long!
Researchers have long been searching for a magic pill to slow aging and support longevity. But the best solution we currently have (at least for now) is a pretty simple one: Move more.
A walk outside, choosing the stairs over the elevator, a morning dance party, incorporating these mini movement breaks all have a big impact on our physical health.
Here’s the caveat.
While all movement is important, if you’re a female in your 30s or 40s, prioritizing strength training becomes even more important!
But it doesn’t have to be super complicated.
You can get all the benefits of strength training with good old-fashioned dumbbells or resistance bands at home.
And there are a lot of good reasons why you should.
Typically, as women our bone mass peaks sometime in our 20’s or 30’s, while muscle mass reaches its peak in our mid 30s. After that, our power and performance start to decline. Slowly at first, then faster as we enter menopause.
But incorporating a few days a week of strength training is an important way to prevent this decline in muscle and bone mass that happens naturally as we age.
And the best part is, it’s never too late to start!
In the past, it was thought that after our mid 30’s, we could use exercise to slow further bone loss, but not actually build new bone. But newer research has found that we can actually improve our bone and muscle mass at any stage of life. And both are very much associated with health and longevity for women.
More benefits of strength training.
Strength training is also a particularly effective method for helping us to maintain healthy hormones as we age by boosting testosterone and DHEA.
Testosterone is often thought of as a male hormone but it’s super important for women too! It helps support healthy bones, ovarian function, and of course building stronger muscles.
Strength training also helps to improve insulin sensitivity, meaning that it helps the glucose in our blood actually get into our cells so it can be used, resulting in more balanced blood sugar. And balanced blood sugar equals healthier hormones, fewer cravings, more energy and a decreased risk for metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes as we age. All good things!
Over the last few years I’ve become a lot more focused on strength training than ever before. Because if preventing some of that loss can keep me feeling strong and able to chase my kids around, I’m so in!
And as Peter Attia often reminds if we want to continue doing the things we enjoy now in our 70s and 80s, we need to step up our game now.
If the gym isn’t your scene, Alexia Clark is my go-to for at home strength training workouts. I love how she changes things up so I don’t get bored and have lot’s of options for how to challenge myself. It’s a paid monthly subscription but runs about the cost of one workout class at a boutique studio these days.
Starting with 2 sessions of strength training a week and working up to 4-5 is a good rule of thumb to get all the benefits, while still allowing your body time to recover.
Experiment and challenge your body in new ways. And most importantly, have fun! Because the more you enjoy the activity you’re doing, the more likely you are to stick with it. And at the end of the day, consistency is what matters most.
xx
Ashley
P.S. If you've never read Peter Attia’s book Outlive, it’s a really good one! I appreciate his balanced approach, how he breaks down the research into easy to digest pieces, and his focus on prevention.
P.S.S. To dive deeper into simple ways to support your hormone health, 👉 download my Essential Guide to Healthy Hormones—it’s full of simple, effective strategies to improve your health and your hormones (and it’s totally free).
Just finished Outlive...it was great.