Effective Muscle-Strengthening Exercises
Contrary to what many believe, women don’t work out simply to burn fat. While this is certainly an added bonus for those looking to lose weight, women are often more interested in the broader health benefits. One significant benefit that many strive for is gaining strength. If this is something you want to work towards, here are four effective muscle-strengthening exercises for women.
1. Sled Pushes
One of the best ways to build muscle in your lower body is doing sled pushes. It involves, as the name would suggest, pushing a sled that’s carrying weights. Other than strengthening your leg muscles, this exercise also provides some slight cardio.
When preparing to do a sled push for the first time, it’s important to remember that you may need to adjust the amount of weight you use.
While it should be hard to push the sled, especially before you have momentum on your side, the sled should move at least a bit. Try to get your body low to the ground and engage your core. If this exercise is beneficial to you, try looking for more leg workouts for women.
2. Push-Ups
Unfortunately, women generally have less strength in upper body muscles. However, it certainly isn’t impossible to improve in this area. A great way to work on it is doing some classic push-ups.
Knee strengthening exercises – Start on the ground, preferably on a mat, and get onto your hands and knees. Your hands should be in line with your shoulders.
Next, bring your feet out so that your body creates a straight line. You should be on the balls of your feet and your knees must be straight. Be sure to keep your hips tucked under and your shoulders down. In order to do the actual push-up, simply lower your body as far as possible while maintaining the correct position.
Bring your body back up and repeat the movement. When your arms gain enough strength, try pulling your elbows in to be parallel with your body. Keep in mind that you probably won’t go down far at first. That’s perfectly fine. What’s most important is that you stay in the right position.
3. Planks
If you’re looking for a simple way to build muscle, particularly in your abs, planks may be the way to go. For a regular plank, start off by getting in a push-up position and lowering onto your elbows. Put your hands into fists and place each one under your eyes.
During the plank, it’s essential to keep your core engaged more than anything else. Otherwise, you’ll be working the entirely wrong muscles. You should also try to tuck your hips under for the same reason.
If you’re having trouble holding the plank, or you’re getting extremely bored, you can rock forward a bit. This helps to engage your muscles even more while providing an activity. You can also do side planks, which strengthen your lateral abs.
As you work on your planks, steadily increase the amount of time you spend holding one. One minute is a great time to strive for.
4. Bridges
Bridges are excellent for anyone trying to improve glute strength. For a basic bridge, start by laying on the ground and bending your knees. Be sure that your feet are steadily planted on the floor or mat.
Begin the actual exercise by digging your heels into the ground and engaging your gluteus muscles. Next, lift your hips up until you’ve formed a diagonal with your body.
Be sure not to go too high. You can either continually lift your pelvis up and down or hold the position. If you’re looking for a more intense exercise, you may try one of the many variations. This includes lifting your heels or even doing the workout to the side.
Strengthening your muscles can be hugely beneficial in many ways. Not only does it provide a toned body, but it also increases bone health and lessens bodily aches. If you begin focusing on your strength regularly, you may start feeling healthier in no time.
