Weight Lifting, Not Dieting & Excessive Cardio, Helps Women Lose Fat, Keep Periods Regular

Strength Benefits

Strength training offers numerous benefits for women, particularly in enhancing hormonal balance and mental health. Dr. Elly Michelle emphasizes the importance of lifting heavy weights for optimal results, while also highlighting the need for adequate rest and recovery to prevent stress on the body 1. She shares her personal journey of transitioning from a plant-based diet to incorporating meat, which significantly improved her muscle-building efforts and overall health 2. Elly also stresses that strength training should be driven by long-term health goals rather than aesthetics, helping women overcome body image issues and achieve sustainable fitness 3.

For me, with strength training, I think what really was key for me was that the driver wasn't actually about my body image. Like, it wasn't an aesthetic driver. It was, I'm going to become an old lady with osteoporosis by the time I'm 40 if I don't do something right now.

--- Dr. Elly Michelle

   

Anxiety & Exercise

Exercise plays a crucial role in managing anxiety and hormonal health, but the type and intensity of exercise matter significantly. Dr. Elly Michelle notes that many women use cardio as a way to self-regulate anxiety, yet this can exacerbate hormonal imbalances 4. She highlights the significant impact of estrogen imbalances on mental health, suggesting that addressing these hormonal issues can improve overall well-being 5. Elly advises against excessive exercise, particularly for women with a history of eating disorders, as it can lead to further hormonal disruptions and mental health challenges 6.

I think it contributes quite significantly. Yeah. Whether they have that imbalance or whether they don't have they're just in a low hormonal state to begin with. Our hormones really contribute to our sense of well being.

--- Dr. Elly Michelle

   

Healthy Competing

Maintaining a healthy relationship with competitive exercise requires a personalized approach, considering individual histories and mental health. Dr. Elly Michelle discusses the pressures of fitness competitions, emphasizing that focusing solely on aesthetics can lead to unhealthy practices and stress 7. She advocates for a personalized health approach, akin to financial planning, where one's past and current health status are considered before adopting new fitness or dietary regimes 8. Elly believes that understanding one's emotional and psychological relationship with exercise is crucial for achieving sustainable health goals.

For someone to have a goal like that and to be able to go through something that's challenging and then get to the other side and accomplish it, that can be really great for a lot of people.

--- Dr. Elly Michelle