Women And Weight Lifting: Just Do It

The commonly held belief that men lift weights, women lift the weight of the world is true, kind of.  BU Today reports that just 17. 5 percent of American women meet the aerobic and strength training recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, compared with 23 percent of men. Yet weight-lifting is just as good for women as it is for men. It burns fat, tones muscles, and strengthens bones. And it’s particularly good for women of certain age, because it protects against such cripplers as osteoporosis. So why don’t more women lift? BU Today mentions that some research suggests that women shun lifting as a guys’ activity—and that they think those guys on the weight floor are passing unflattering judgment on weight-lifting women’s physiques. In fact, without a major testosterone boost, women are unlikely to bulk up with muscle. Researchers at Boston University surveyed women in gyms about their weight lifting habits and found two things: women are more likely to lift in women-only venues, and younger women are more likely to lift than older women. Read more in BU Today.