Why I Began Weightlifting

There's a lot of stigma around the female body, particularly in the way we, as females, are 'suppose' to view ourselves. We're meant to aspire to skinny (but not too skinny) with just the right amount of curves (not too many) in only the right places (careful where) – it's a mind-fuck! The female form, for centuries, has been seen as weak, frail, passive. But we're women – we grow small humans for 9 months, birth them, feed them, carry them... all with our bodies. These strong, resilient bodies are neither frail nor weak. They're made to withstand this life and all it has to throw at us. We're women and we're strong.

DISCLAIMER: This doesn't mean to say you're only strong if you have children. Our bodies are created to withstand life, whether that includes bearing children or not, and we all have the fortitude of a bull inside us.

When I was younger and growing up in nature where there were trees to climb, rocks to scale, and paths to hike, I was fit and athletic. But since being back in the big city I have become lethargic, inactive, and haven't been using my body the way it was intended. And boy can I feel the difference; the sluggishness, the heaviness, the . And that's not to say that I am overweight or unhealthy in any way (in fact I am considered slim and physically healthy), but I feel like the urban jungle has softened me and I just don't use the same range of motion or muscle groups I did as a child.

So I want to remedy that.

I started weightlifting because I want to use my body again. Truly use it. See it grow and strengthen and push myself to my limits over and over again until the goalpost moves.

Weightlifting not only tones and strengthens the body, but it calms the mind, reduces stress, improves posture, reduces back pain, increases the quality of sleep, improves heart health (including lowing risk of heart disease and diabetes), and increases bone density (reducing risk of osteoporosis).