Women reap significant benefits from resistance exercise.(Brief Article)

2002 SEP 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- When the average woman wants to burn more calories, she typically hits the pavement running - in other words, jogging, climbing the Stairmaster, or playing tennis. But does she think about pumping iron, or weight lifting?

According to Nanette Santoro, MD, a noted women's health expert at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, "Strength training will improve bone density, improve endurance, reduce body fat, and improve the ability to perform daily tasks without any threat of injury."

Santoro adds that resistance training is particularly good for women entering middle age because it increases the blood flow to the bones and results in hormonal changes, which enhance bone nutrition and growth, resulting in fewer falls and fractures.

Resistance exercise can help with the problems of aging, too. "Preserving muscle mass prevents falls, fractures, and frailty. Studies show resistance exercise significantly improves physical endurance and aerobic power, which can help prevent or delay a number of diseases, including heart disease," ...