Women encouraged to build muscles

The 46-year-old established athlete, Linda Stjernsten, prompts Swedish women to build muscles.

Linda Stjernsten became Hedemora´s first woman in 45 years to compete in fitness at the local athletic club, becoming an inspiration to local women.

Linda began strength training as a teenager and spent 30 years preparing for her triumph on the sports stage, winning two fitness competitions at the Lucia Cup last year.

“I think it’s cool and stylish. We also want to show our muscles,” stated an aspiring young athlete, Emelie Hammarström about women’s position in fitness. 

The main sports centre of Hedemora now has 20 per cent of women members and the 26-year-old Emelie is thrilled to work as a recruiter, empowering local women: “It’s not just big, tough guys who shout at the gym, she says.”

A recent study by Martha Gulati from Cedars Sinai, Los Angeles, proved the benefits of strength training for women.

“Of the 400,000 people in the study, only one in five women did regular weight training. And women who do muscle strengthening had a reduction in their cardiovascular mortality by 30%,” revealed Gulati.