6 Reasons Strong is Better Than Toned

Many women come to me looking for exercises to help them get “toned.” They want to see “more definition and less jiggle.”

When clients point to their arms, bellies or hips and plead for my help in toning them up, I know we have to back up a few steps.

Why do you want this muscle tone? What are you focusing on? What are you saying to yourself about your appearance right now?

Your “why” matters. You need a solid why to create lasting change.

Are you you trying to change your body because you are unhappy with it, or are you taking care of your body because you love it?

If your focus is on tone and definition, you are probably chasing a goal that won’t bring about the results you expect. I’ve never met someone whose life was magically transformed because they firmed up their backside.

I have, however, worked with many women who experience powerful shifts when they discover their own strength.

Strong is SO much better than toned.

Strong isn’t focused on appearances. It goes deeper. It’s about function. It’s about power. It’s born of a love and respect for your amazing body.

(NOTE: This month’s FREE Online Community class is all about building strength. It’s available this week only! Get yourself registered here.)

Here are six reasons you should focus on improving your strength that have nothing to do with how you look on the outside:

1. Strong legs, specifically strong hamstrings, are important for your knee, pelvic floor and back health. This muscle group is often neglected with our modern moving habits, but your hamstrings should be strong enough to pull your thigh backwards (relative to your pelvis) when walking.

When you use that motion to propel yourself forward (instead lifting your thigh and falling forward), you support your long-term knee, pelvic floor and back health.

2. Strong hips, specifically the muscles of the lateral hips, support not only the health of your hip joints, but also your ankles, knees, pelvic floor and back, too. These muscles should be working with every step you take to lift the opposite leg off the ground.

When they do, you are less likely to experience things like hypermobile hips, hip dislocations or fractures, labral hip tears, hip bursitis, sacroiliac joint pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, lumbar disc issues, medial meniscus and ACL tears, and even ankle sprains…just to name a few.

3. Strong glutes are also important for your knees, pelvic floor and back. The glutes should be working with the hamstrings to pull your thigh backwards when walking. They should also work to stabilize the sacrum.

When the glutes are doing their job, you put less wear and tear on the knee joints. And, the stabilization of the sacrum is critical for your pelvic floor and back health.

4. Strong abdominals do important work in supporting the health of your entire trunk. They help protect the abdominal organs and should work as stabilizers all day long.

A strong core works to stabilize the spine, pelvis and rib cage when you are moving your head, arms and legs. The abdominals not only shape the movements of your head and limbs by stabilizing the trunk, their action also helps keep you free of back pain.

5. Upper body strength is important for so much more than tank top wearing. When these muscles work and contract they get the lymph system (waste removal) working to keep your breast tissue healthy.

Upper body strength also allows you to do the functional work of carrying things (or little people) without pain an injury! It also helps protect you from hypermobility in the elbows and shoulders.

6. Mental and emotional power and resilience can increase with physical strength. Let’s face it. Life is HARD. You will encounter challenging situations and seasons.

When you know that your body is strong enough to support your physical health and well-being, you are also able to see the power and grit you possess to overcome life’s challenges. You know without a shadow of a doubt that you can do hard things!

***

Your body is AMAZING. And increasing your strength is a wonderful goal. But, focus on the physical, mental and emotional gains that go far beyond how you look on the outside.

This month’s FREE community class is all about building strength. It will be available for five days only. Get yourself registered here!