Recently there's been plenty of news suggesting lifting weights is very good for us and experts have recommended that regular exercise and weight training at home for ladies should be encouraged in the over-60s. But if you don't know a dumbbell from a kettlebell, how do you do begin weight training at home for ladies negotiate what to do whilst avoiding injury.
Weight training for women is a great way to stay fit, sculpt and tone your arms and body, without making you bulky. Plus there are plenty of exercises you can do in your own home without buying any specialist equipment. Read on to find out how to start using weights at home.
Why should I use weights?
We’ve long been told to count steps and move everyday for prolonged health, but a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has found that lifting weights – just once a week – helps preserve muscle mass and, in turn, reduces the risk of frailty as we age.
If your idea of lifting weights makes you think of muscle-bound men bench pressing in a gym, then it’s time to think again. Everyday activities, things you are probably already doing, constitute weightlifting: every time you fill the kettle and carry it across the kitchen, shift compost in the garden or lift a basket of washing you are performing a weightlifting move.
Rowan Feilden-Cook, Personal Trainer and Mindset Coach at The SHE Collective says, “Weights are incredibly helpful with gaining functional fitness. This is the kind of fitness that benefits you in day-to-day life, for example doing household chores such as hoovering or carrying shopping bags. Once your functional fitness improves, you will find it easier to achieve these tasks and as a result you are likely to do more of them, which will in turn, will improve your fitness – it's a full circle.”
Aside from the evidence that adding weights into your routine will improve strength, Rowan lists several other advantages: “Weights help with confidence on a number of levels. Firstly, after using them for a while, you will notice the physical changes – more energy, feeling stronger, clothes fitting better. But you will also notice the mental changes: lifting weights is an extremely empowering wellbeing activity, it reduces your cortisol (stress) levels and increases your endorphins.”
What are weight training exercises?
Given that you are already probably lifting some weight in your everyday routine, Rowan has tips to increase what you are doing – and the good news is you don’t need to buy any specific kit or adjustable dumbbells to begin with: everything you need is already in your home.
“There are lots of household items that can be used to get you started. Cans or water bottles make good light weights, or you can fill them with sand for more of a challenge. Liquid detergent bottles with a big handle make an excellent alternative to a kettlebell.”
Rowan tells us we’re aiming to lift something that isn’t back-breakingly heavy: “The key is that you need enough weight to create "progressive overload' – this is where the muscle fibres are overloaded and therefore break down and grow back stronger.”
How to start lifting
You might be feeling ambitious but learning how to use weights is not an overnight process. Rowan warns: “You should also be careful to not lift anything too heavy so that it causes injury – a good starting point is to be able to achieve 12 - 15 unbroken repetitions of an exercise with your chosen weight.”
She adds, “The key is to start small and once you feel comfortable with lifting household objects repeatedly and have the correct form, then progress onto weights. When it comes to purchasing weights, the price increases with the amount of weight you are buying, so you should be able to pick yourself up a set of 1 or 2kg dumbbells very reasonably.” It’s possible to add a set of weights to the supermarket trolley as you do your usual shop.
Avoid lifting weights every day. Rowan explains: “When you are starting out it is far better to start slowly and for short amounts of time. If you do too much too soon, you are likely to experience more setbacks with injuries and a quick dip in motivation. Instead, set yourself up for success. Aim to do just 10 minutes 2/3 times in the first week and build from there. The motivation will come when you start to gain the consistency and feel the results so stick at it, and remember, this is a long game not a short fix.”
When you are performing any exercise, comfort is key. As Rowan says, “Focus on being comfortable. There is no need for expensive clothing or footwear, as long as you can move easily and have good grip, (perhaps with weightlifting gloves) pretty much anything goes.”
Neither is it essential to join an expensive programme or enlist a trainer. While a personal trainer or gym instructor will offer you help and correct technique, you can also find assistance online. Rowan explains, “If you want to try something for free from the comfort of your own home YouTube has a huge variety of workouts. When you are looking for workouts, search for key words such as 'low impact' 'low intensity' or 'beginner'.”
Will weights tone up the areas I want to improve?
“Once you have been lifting weights for a while and have gained confidence in the moves, if you are particularly concerned about the appearance of your arms or legs, for example, you can specifically target these areas.”
But Rowan warns that using weights isn’t a route to shedding pounds, as you’ll be building muscle. It can help to build muscle and change the appearance of bingo wings.
“If your specific goal is for fat loss, it is really important you focus on losing inches, not pounds. Muscle weighs more than fat and the lack of movement on the scales can be triggering and off-putting for some. It’s important to note that you can't target fat with weighted movements and focus on your nutrition alongside exercise to gain the best results.”
It’s also wise to remember that how you feel and what you can do is the key with weights. Rowan reminds us, “Remember that gaining tone, strength and overall fitness is far more important than the number on the scales. Lifting weights can be one of the most positive changes you can make to your life, so remember to see it as a journey and take it one step at a time.”
Rowan Feilden-Cook is a Personal Trainer and Mindset Coach who is both pre and post-natal qualified.