July 19, 2023
Empowering Women Through Strength
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July 19, 2023
Celebrate Women’s Appreciation Month with us! Women are STRONG, mentally and physically. Did you know that the majority of gym-goers are female? According to The IHRSA Global Report, 50.5% of gym memberships belong to women. From acknowledging women’s fitness accomplishments to reflecting on the power of strength training, we’re breaking down barriers with amazing women.
Abbye “Pudgy” Stockton“People used to say that if women worked out, they would become masculine looking. We just laughed because we knew they were wrong.”
Abbye is known as the first woman body builder. She organized the first Amateur Athletic Union sanctioned lifting competition for women, wrote for Strength and Health magazine and opened several gyms with her husband. She’s known as the original Muscle Beach woman and could lift her 180-pound husband doing a handstand above her head. Her personal records include a 100-pound press, 105-pound snatch and a 135-pound clean and jerk.
“Whatever kind of workout you settle on, it should include the Big Three of exercise for health and fitness-aerobics, resistance exercises, and stretching.”
The original "fitness queen" who popularized aerobics in the 1980s. In addition to being a famous actress, she used her workout book and, later, tapes to become a successful fitness entrepreneur. Her first fitness book, Jane Fonda’s Workout Book, was on The New York Times best seller list for multiple years and her videos have sold over 17 million copies. Her motivation for fitness was to give women a quality workout on their own terms.
“In the sports arena I would say there is nothing like training and preparation. You have to train your mind as much as your body.”
She’s more than just one of the most well-known and awarded tennis players ever. She fought for equal pay in prize money for women, built a design firm named V Starr Interiors and created her own workout apparel brand called EleVen. To help women keep and build muscle and recover after a workout, she also created a line of plant-based protein shakes named Happy Viking.
Strength training has many benefits for women, from improved heart health to decreased risk of injury and improved mental health. If you aren’t actively strengthening your muscles as you age, you can lose 3-8% each decade.
When you strength train, the muscle you’re building also helps make your joints stronger and improve balance which reduces risk of injury. With aging comes the risk of bone density loss, but weightlifting supports strong healthy bones, too. Improved posture is also a benefit. But strength training is not just about physical benefits. It can also have a positive impact on mental health and mood as we’ve mentioned in a prior blog. Women who strength train report feeling more confident and empowered in their daily lives and this confidence can translate into other areas of life, such as work or relationships. At Fitness Connection, we’re all about empowering women through fitness and helping everyone reach their full potential. We believe that when women are strong, they can change the world. Celebrate Women’s Appreciation Month and work out with other strong women on March 8th for our International Women’s Day Group Fitness classes! Check your gym’s class schedules here.
