Stepping Into Your Strong Girl Era Could Change Your Future

Triniti Dancy is the founder and co-owner of Southampton Chiropractic Clinic, a rehab chiropractic and wellness space in Southampton. Graduating with a Master's of Chiropractic (MChiro) degree, Triniti empowers people to live healthy, independent, and limit-free lives through her evidence-informed and personalised approach. 

Triniti Dancy

Stepping into your Strong Girl Era isn't just about building your dream body - it's about creating a strong and resilient foundation that can support you for years to come. While we often think about strength training as a great way to get bikin-body ready, the truth is it offers something far more valuable: long-term health and independence.

It's no secret that our bodies change as we age, but some of those changes can have a bigger impact than we might expect. In the UK, around 22% of women over 50 (compared to 6.7% of men) develop osteoporosis, a condition characterised by low bone density, that increases ones fragility and susceptibility to fractures. Women are especially susceptible, due to the hormonal shifts that begin in menopause - in particular, the reduction in oestrogen, which plays a vital role in maintaining bone strength.

At the same time, there's sarcopenia - the natural loss of muscle mass that happens as we age, which actually starts earlier than most people think. From our 30s onward, we can lose around 3-8% of muscle mass each decade, and by the time we reach 80, nearly half of all women will have clinically significant muscle loss. This decline can make everyday tasks feel harder and increases the risk of falls, fractures, and loss of independence.

But here's the good news: These problems aren't guaranteed to interfere with our lives - and strength training is one of the most effective ways to protect our muscles and bones.

So, how exactly does strength training help? When we challenge our bodies with resistance, our muscles and bones respond by getting stronger, in a process of adaptation. Applying mechanical load stimulates muscle and bone-remodelling, which over-time increases our muscle mass, strength, and bone density.

Beyond this, strength training can improve confidence, coordination and balance, joint stability, and increase our longevity - which reduces risk of falls, injury, and improves quality of life.

If I can squat, I can get up and down from my sofa.

If I can calf raise, I can reach the top shelf.

If I can deadlift, I can pick up my shopping bags.

If I strength train, I can be independent.

Here's my quick guide to getting started:

1. Start with 2 or 3 workout sessions per week (each ~45 minutes) and decide if you want to do full-body or a split e.g., back and biceps, glutes and hamstrings.

2. Choose 4-6 exercises for each session and stick with them. Here are some to chose from:

   Upper Body

   • Back Exercises: Lat Pull-Down, Pull-Up, Cable Row

   • Chest Exercises: Bench Press, Push-Up, Chest Flys

   • Shoulder Exercises: Overhead Press, Lateral Raises, Face Pulls

   • Core Exercises: Farmer's Carries, Standing Dumbbell March, Pallof Press

   • Bicep Exercises: Dumbbell Bicep Curls, Cable Curls, Hammer Curls

   • Tricep Exercises: Tricep Push-Down, Tricep Dips, Skullcrushers

   
   

   Lower Body

   • Glute Exercises: Hip Thrusts, Romanian Deadlifts, Bulgarian Split Squats

   • Hamstring Exercises: Deadlift, Hamstring Curls, Kettlebell Swings

   • Quad Exercises: Goblet Squats, Lunges, Step-Ups o Calf Exercises: Calf Raises, Bent Leg Calf Raises, Calf Press

3. Perform between 5-8 reps and 3-4 sets of each exercise

   Note: If you are aiming for 5 reps, the last rep should feel challenging.

   
   

4. Progressively overload a.k.a increase the difficulty of your strength training exercises over time e.g., increase weight, number of reps.

   
   

5. Stay consistent and you will start to notice a difference!

   
   

If you're completely new to strength training or want more structure, consider working with a coach or join a beginner class to learn how to perform each exercise, with confidence.

So, if you've been waiting for a sign to step into your Strong Girl Era - this is it. Your future self will thank you.

Triniti Dancy (MChiro, Rehab Chiropractor)

The ethos at Southampton Chiropractic Clinic evolved from their experiences navigating barriers to comprehensive care. Inspired by their own journey, they embraced the opportunity to create a clinic where people feel valued.

Want to find out more? Go to www.southamptonchiropractic.co.uk

Instagram: @southampton_chiropractic @thewellnesschiro_