Many women are afraid to do any kind of resistance training (e.g. weights) because they think that they will get too bulky, like a body builder. I can safely say that you won’t bulk up unless that is your goal. The type of training used for hypertrophy (bulk) is very different from L.M.E (Local Muscular Endurance, i.e, toning).
Another important point is that women don’t have a high level of testosterone like men and that makes it more difficult for women to bulk up. That fear of getting too much muscle leads many women to neglect resistance training and stick to only cardio exercises.
Cardiovascular training (e.g. running, walking, swimming) is very important because it improves coronary circulation, lowers heart rate, helps to reduce blood pressure, improves circulation, strengthens the heart, improves cholesterol levels by reducing the LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), burns calories, improves cardio respiratory system, increases oxygen carrying capacity of the blood and improves overall conditioning.
Resistance training (e.g. exercises with free weights, or machines, or body weight, etc) brings a series of benefits such as improvements in muscular strength, muscular endurance, prevents osteoporosis, improves circulation, burns calories, improves body composition (percentage of muscle mass, fat, etc), improves posture and body image, reduces back and neck pain, enhances performance, and improves quality of life. Thanks to resistance training, you will also find it easier to do routine tasks such as holding your kids or lifting things.
Muscle is more metabolic active than fat. By increasing your muscle mass, you will increase your metabolism and consequently you will burn more calories even while resting. The body has to work harder to maintain that new muscle mass, subsequently the body will burn more fat.
Resistance training has the advantage of burning calories for longer after you have finished your workout in comparison to cardio. The more muscle mass you have, the bigger will be your caloric expenditure. As we age we lose muscle mass and as a consequence it makes our metabolism slower. Therefore it is important to do some resistance training in order to maintain/improve muscle mass and metabolism.
If your goal is to lose weight you should combine cardio and resistance training, supported by a well balanced diet as part of your routine.
Last but not least... Don’t forget to stretch! Many people tend to skip the stretching part of fitness classes. People often feel that stretching is a time-waster or feel the important part of the class is over. However, it is essential to stretch after your workout, because you need to stretch your muscles back to their original length and because tight muscles can cause muscular imbalance, poor posture and injury. Stretching can improve your sports performance by improving your ROM (Range of Motion) around a joint or number of joints. It can also prevent injuries and reduce muscle aches caused by poor posture and/or over training. You should hold the stretch for at least 15-30 seconds to mild tension, maintaining your normal breathing. You should stretch all muscles involved in your workout.
