Importance of Exercise for Women
Exercise is quite often perceived as a way to look slimmer and to shed extra body fat. Yet exercise is the only non-pharmaceutical intervention that can simultaneously increase insulin sensitivity, improve cardiovascular health, increase bone mineral density, enhance cognitive function, lessen depression (1–5).
When we speak of exercise, what do we mean exactly? It is any repeated bodily exertion practiced to improve one or several parameters of physical fitness. It could be in the form of cardio, resistance training, or any sports. Each of these forms of training results in certain adaptations and benefits.
Influence of Exercise on Insulin Sensitivity
Exercise can affect insulin sensitivity both acutely and chronically. As short as 2 hours post-training, glucose uptake is improved due to insulin-independent mechanisms. Enhances in GLUT4 translocation is also observed after an exercise bout (1).
Influence of Exercise on Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease that leads to deterioration of bone tissue which in turn increases the risk of fractures due to this bone fragility (2). Women are at a higher risk of osteoporosis after menopause (6). This can be attributed to estrogen deficiency that follows menopause, where the resorption of bones is more than the formation of it. When assessing the effect of either aerobic exercise (at an intensity of ~60-80% maximum heart rate) or resistance training (~70-80% 1 rep-max) for around 3 times/week results varied greatly (2). But there was a trend of high effects on bone when there was a clear progression of the stimulus (7). Practically including both light aerobic and resistance training with proper guidance and progression will help improve bone mineral density (2,7).
Influence of Exercise on Pain
The physical demands from women have increased in our modern age. Where women are showing to be more independent by further integrating into jobs, living alone, being single mothers, and more reliant on heavy-duty work. If their bodies are not well accustomed to this increased load, this could lead to some aches and pains. As Tim Gabbett says: It’s not the load that causes injury it’s the load you are not prepared for. In general, women most commonly experience tight shoulders (8,9) as well as back pain (10). Back pain is also common during pregnancy.
When programmed properly, exercise can be an intervention aimed to alleviate some of this pain or help reduce the risk of it (4,7,11). This definitely depends on the modality of training and the specific condition of the patient.
Influence of Exercise on Skin and Hair Health
Physical activity is associated with improved skin, the structure of connective tissue, and attenuation of age-related skin problems. This is through the activation of the AMPK pathway (AMP-activated protein kinase), which is activated after engaging in endurance activities (12,13).
Influence of Exercise on Mood and Stress
So little as 20-40 minutes of walking 3 times per week for 6 weeks was successful at easing overall symptoms of depression (14). Exercise is effective in various populations (men and women of all ages) and even those who are originally more severely depressed (15).
Exercise is also helpful for:
• Aesthetic reasons (16,17)
• Easier labor (18)
• Cognitive function (19)
• Better sleep (20)
• Stronger muscles (21,22)
• Stronger Tendons and ligaments (13).
Will Women Look “Bulky” if They Lift Weights?
Let us first define the term “bulky”, in the fitness industry this is perceived as a muscular somewhat manly appearance. But in any case, it is a very relative term. Meaning a certain person’s perception of big is different than another person’s perception. Also, it could also be dependent on the size of the person making the observation.
Although women are capable of achieving similar relative (percentage) increases in muscle size as men, the difference lies in their absolute baseline values. Men generally possess greater initial muscle mass due to hormonal and physiological differences; therefore, even when both sexes experience a comparable relative gain (e.g., a 2% increase), the absolute amount of muscle gained will differ. For instance, if one individual begins with 10 kg of muscle and another with 100 kg, a 2% increase corresponds to 0.2 kg and 2 kg, respectively. In the same way, women’s muscle growth potential is proportionally similar but quantitatively smaller due to their lower starting point.
Takeaway
Engaging in physical activity can improve our quality of life and our health from the inside out. Starting from the physical aesthetic aspects all the way to how we feel and how our brain works. It doesn’t have to be any major change at first, easing into a schedule that works for you just to create adherence and get into the habit of moving more often is adequate at first.
When it comes to the type of physical exercise, the most important thing is to simply move, and engage in any type of sport or exercise that you find enjoyable; this way you will be able to stay consistently moving so that you can reap these amazing benefits that physical activity has to offer.
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Disclaimer: The information in this article is educational and does not serve as medical advice. Exercise can not be used as a replacement for medication for any type of disease or medical condition.
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References
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