Why Young Girls Should Lift.
Lifting Empowers Young Women
Young girls giggle. It sometimes indicates that she is having fun, its joyful! But girls often giggle to alleviate stress and tension. We want girls to be empowered by their own actions to be confident in their abilities, and to be motivated by their successes. When a girl lets out a nervous giggle she receives a positive reaction, but she also takes herself less seriously.
Weightlifting creates a more stable body physically, mentally, and emotionally.
One in four women are dispensed medication for a mental health condition. That is about 10% higher than the male population. Women are twice as likely to use anti-anxiety medication to handle life stressors like relationships, work related issues, and economical distress. Exercise produces natural endorphins that can delay, decrease or remove the need for medication for mental health conditions. Lifting weights can be stressful. Young girls will experience failure in the weight room. But she will be stronger, and she will overcome each challenge she faces. Anxiety and other mental health conditions can be truly debilitating, so if we can use exercise as preventative medicine, than 25% of girls can live a happier and healthier lifestyle.
Weightlifting will increase a girl’s self-confidence.
I have seen young girls accomplish lifts that defy reason. That feeling of accomplishment transcends to other aspects of life. You may have seen Hayley Reichardt's 86k clean and jerk video below, but you should watch it again. You may see her smile, but her face reads perseverance, determination and will power. Girls often seek out others to validate her self worth, sometimes a boyfriend, coach, or family member.
The weight room provides young girls with a place for her to see that she earns whatever she works for. When a girl knows she is good. You will have a hard time convincing her otherwise, and you don’t need to fluff her up.
Everyone needs these things; self worth, a positive self-image, self-efficacy. But especially young girls.