| Ladies tend to shy away from working with weights | | | | other advantage of an exercise band is that it makes |
| for a number of reasons. Some fear that working with | | | | the muscle work both concentrically (shortening) and |
| weights will give them large and unfeminine muscles, | | | | then eccentrically (lengthening). In other words, you |
| some simply have no idea what to do, some think that | | | | must control the band as it goes both ways instead of |
| weight training will make the wrong parts of them | | | | just allowing gravity to finish the movement for you. |
| bulge, and others would like to have a go but are very | | | | And don't let go the end of the band whatever you do! |
| wary of walking into the male-dominated free weights | | | | Strength exercises should be performed for each |
| part of the gym. | | | | major muscle group, even the ones that you don't like. |
| Weight training is an essential component of every | | | | Ladies especially as they get older seem to detest |
| woman's fitness routine no matter how old you are - in | | | | performing shoulder presses where the arms are |
| fact working with weights get even more important as | | | | pushed above the head to strengthen the medial |
| you get older because your muscles start to waste | | | | deltoids. |
| with the passing of the years and you must work that | | | | This tends to be a muscle group that is neglected as |
| bit harder to maintain them and stay strong and active | | | | any lack of mobility in the shoulder joint makes the |
| and able to enjoy all the things in life that you always | | | | exercise very challenging. Perseverance is an absolute |
| enjoyed. Bear in mind that while ageing is inevitable, it | | | | must, and insisting that you can't do this exercise is a |
| can be slowed down dramatically by taking care of | | | | mistake; if you do not work your shoulder joint to its full |
| your body and training it to have the strength it needs. | | | | range of movement, which includes overhead flexion, |
| Finding something like a Pilates class near where you | | | | you will slowly begin to lose mobility in the joint and |
| live is a very good addition to your fitness regime. | | | | strength in the surrounding muscles and then you are |
| Pilates will teach you simple and very effective | | | | setting yourself up some real problems including |
| exercises to work and strengthen your muscles in | | | | impingement and frozen shoulder. |
| order to prevent them from atrophying. Some Pilates | | | | So don't wait any longer ladies. Get some light |
| exercises can easily be adapted for use with hand | | | | dumbbells (they even come in pink these days) and a |
| weights and elastic exercise bands are widely used | | | | good book on strength training for women or go to the |
| within classes as they are easy to transport and if you | | | | gym and glare at the sweaty men dominating the free |
| drop them on your foot, it does not matter! | | | | weights section; believe me they will move out of your |
| Using exercise bands you can get most of the | | | | way sharpish and are more than willing to assist when |
| benefits of strength training that you would get using | | | | you can't reach the bar of the Lat Pulldown. And while |
| hand weights, as women do not require heavy | | | | you're at it, find yourself a Pilates class and go every |
| weights to strengthen muscle tissue like men do. The | | | | week for the rest of your life. |