I was discouraged from trying weight training. “If you lift weights you might start to ‘bulk-up’ like a man”, my girlfriends thought. Certainly I didn’t want to look like a body builder; I just wanted to lose some weight and tone up. My doctor suggested it after diagnosing me with low bone density. He explained to me research that demonstrates that strength training (or resistance exercise as he called it) has profound effects on the musculoskeletal system and can reduce osteoporosis and lower back pain problems.

I started with very light weights and at least ten to fifteen repetitions per set. By using lighter weights with a greater number or repetitions, my personal trainer had suggested this would be a good starting point to improve muscle tone. I only was able to commit half an hour three times a week, but that was all it took to notice a difference.

I wasn’t losing much weight, but my clothes were looser and my body felt firmer. The slacks that required a deep breath to fit into now felt comfortable. My personal trainer had suggested my posture needed improving so I was working to improve my stabilizing muscles across my back, neck, shoulders, hips and abdomen. I am starting to notice the difference. I have been plagued by headaches and migraines for much of my life but I have been fortunate to have had relatively few of these since trying the weight training.

One aspect I am falling down on is improving my diet. My doctor wants me to increase my intake of dairy products (particularly cheese and yoghurt) to improve my calcium intake and to increase my protein intake. I find it quite hard to get a good amount of protein in my diet as I rarely eat meat or eggs. My personal trainer has suggested protein supplements. There seem to be vast number of types available - soy protein, whey protein, and a vast number of brands. My plan is to try a single serve of a protein supplement each day when I find one I enjoy the taste of and which works for my body.

If you’ve struggled with weight loss and haven’t tried weight training I would thoroughly recommend it. And my girlfriends (and partner) think I am looking great!

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 8th, 2011 at 9:16 pm and is filed under Exercise, Nutrition for Adults, Osteoporosis, Weight Management. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.