Weight Watchers recipes and Success Stories: Exercises for Women Using Hand Weights

Handweights for women are a great way to get a good workout. Women can develop osteoporosis or bone loss as they age.

Fortunately, resistance training or strength training can help prevent osteoporosis. It is not necessary to lift heavy weights to keep the bones and joints strong.

Exercises with handweights for women will result in stronger bones and muscles.

Hand Weights For Women

Hand Weights for Women

Women who are just starting their strength training program can exercise with light handweights or dumbbells weighing between 2 to 5 pounds.

As your strength develops, you can gradually increase the to between 5 and 20 pounds.

When working with lighter hand weights, women can do 10 to 15 repetitions. As you increase the poundage, you can do 8 to 12 reps. This will help prevent injury while you build your muscles and bones.

Proper Form

Women who are exercising with handweights should always maintain proper form and technique. This is true regardless of the poundage.

Your back should be straight and the stomach should be pulled in. When standing, remember not to lock your knees. Work with handweights that are appropriate for you.

If you have to swing your body for momentum when lifting the weight, it means your weights are too heavy.

Exercises with Hand Weights for Women

Women can do exercises with small handweights to improve muscle tone and built stronger bones and joints. Here are some workout routines using small handweights for women.

Walking Lunge

Women can do the walking lunge to tone and develop the hamstrings, quads and glutes. This exercise also tones the inner thighs and legs.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms straight down holding the weights. Step your right foot forward and bend both knees.

Keep your upper body straight and point your left knee down. Keep your arms and weights at your sides.

Straighten your legs and return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise with the other leg.

Overhead Tricep Extension

This exercise is done while holding a dumbbell between both hands. The exercise may be done while standing or sitting down.

With elbows bent, hold a dumbbell vertically behind your head.

Keep your elbows squeezed toward your head. Slowly lift the dumbbell over your head without moving your elbows forward. Lower the dumbbell to the starting position. Repeat.

Biceps Curl

The biceps curl requires handweights and allows women to exercise the upper arms or biceps.

The exercise can be done while standing or sitting. Hold a hand or dumbbell in each hand and let your arms hang straight down at your sides.

While keeping your elbows close to your side, lift the dumbbell up to your shoulder. Slowly lower the hand back to the starting position. Repeat.

There are many other exercises with handweights for women, such as fly, hammer curl, shoulder lift, preacher curl, and many more.

Don’t forget to do some stretching before and after strength training exercises using your handweights for women to reduce the risk of injury.

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