Femme Fitness: Women and Performance

Lifescript.com—September 7, 2012

Women have been creating an increasing presence in the world of health and fitness. According to the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), women comprise 53% of health club memberships.

While in the past it was considered unfeminine for a woman to perspire, today's female athletes and workout buffs sweat right along with the best of them. This increase in female participation has raised some questions, though: Are there special considerations for female participants and athletes?

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What's Your "Fattern"?
One's "fattern," or pattern of fat distribution, seems to be an issue, too. Men's fattern tends to be highly abdominal, whereas women tend to carry heavier in their lower bodies. According to Robyn Stuhr, MA, an exercise physiologist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, abdominal and visceral fat appears to be more responsive to exercise than the fat on the hips, buttocks, and legs.

Read the full article at lifescript.com.