Strength training is becoming increasingly popular among women, which is a good thing for their health and quality of life. In fact, maintaining a regular strength training routine as part of an overall fitness plan has many science-backed benefits for women. Here are six that will inspire you to hit the weight room.
Research shows that women who do resistance training tend to live longer Compared to those who don’t.
A 2024 study followed more than 400,000 adults in the United States over a period of 20 years. Data showed that women who did strength training two or three times per week had a 26% reduced risk of death compared to women who did not do strength training. (Interestingly, men who did strength training got similar benefits, but only saw an 11% lower risk of mortality on average.)
Strength training isn’t just good for your muscles — it’s good for your heart, too.
The same large 2024 study that found a longevity boost for female strength trainers also showed that this group was less likely to experience fatal cardiovascular events. In fact, a few weekly sessions reduced their risk by 30%.
Other research found that Strength training may improve blood pressure Readings in men and women with high blood pressure (hypertension) after just a few months. However, the benefits were greater for men.
The primary goal of weight training is to build strength and increase muscle mass. An important part of this is abstinence age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia.
While people over the age of 65 are most susceptible to sarcopenia, your muscle mass can begin to decline as early as age 35. This means it’s never too early to establish a strength-training routine for women.
For women who have experienced sarcopenia, strength training may also help. regain strength and physical abilities. A recent review and meta-analysis found that older women with sarcopenia who did resistance training had improvements in grip strength, knee extension strength, and other fitness metrics.
Osteoporosis, a condition that weakens the bones And that makes them more susceptible to fractures, which become more common as they age, especially in women. Of the 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, 8 million are women.
In addition to not smoking, limiting alcohol intake, and eating a balanced diet containing adequate calcium and vitamin D, older women can improve their bone strength and Reduce the risk of osteoporosis With weight training.
A 2025 research review found that women who did strength training after menopause experienced a significant increase improve bone densityA measure of bone strength.
Even for women who are still decades away from menopause and osteoporosis-related concerns, strength training can potentially reduce injury risk. One study found that female college athletes who established a strength-training routine in high school or junior high were less likely to suffer stress fractures.
Functional strength training refers to activities meant to build strength and balance for activities that people perform every day.
Even if you’re not necessarily training with functional strength in mind, exercise makes many everyday activities easier. For example, bending over to pick up a heavy box from the floor is a deadlift, and placing an item on the top shelf of a cabinet is an overhead press.
For both men and women, weight training can build the functional strength needed to complete daily tasks, live independently, and avoid falls as we age.
If you feel invincible after a set of heavy deadlifts, you’re not alone. A study on the relationship between physical activity and women’s sense of self-efficacy found that resistance training was the top-ranked activity for inspiring feelings of empowerment. It made women feel more accomplished than other forms of exercise.
This may be due to seeing the steady progress that comes with lifting weights regularly – either an increase in muscle size or definition, or an increase in the amount of weight lifted. Additionally, by becoming stronger, women can feel more confident and be better equipped to handle physical obstacles, whether it’s moving furniture, carrying luggage, or shoveling a walkway.
All this can improve a woman’s physical, mental and social health.
If you’re new to strength training or trying to work out more effectively, consider the following tips:
- Aim to do this twice a week: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults should engage in muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week to keep themselves healthy.
- Save time with full body workouts and compound movements: Instead of having a designated “leg day” or focusing on just one area of the body with each session, save time with full-body workouts that activate more than one muscle group at a time. For example, the dumbbell squat-to-overhead press strengthens the legs, glutes, core, shoulders, and arms in a single exercise.
- Start with bodyweight exercises: Before you add dumbbells, kettlebells, or other external resistance, practice Strength-training moves with only your body weight. This allows your body to adapt to a new activity and master proper form.
- Prioritize nutrition: Muscle growth and recovery require adequate nutrients, especially protein. Yours accurate protein needs This will depend on individual health and activity factors, but current federal guidelines recommend that adults consume 1.2–1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
