[As published in July/August BayBuzz magazine.]
In the realm of fitness, stereotypes often shape our perceptions.
Think of a meditative yoga class, a serene Pilates session, or an energetic cardio-based fitness class, and you’re likely picturing a predominantly female group. On the other hand, envision the weights section of a gym, and the mental image tends to skew toward a male-dominated space.
While these are generalisations, they reflect an historic trend: women have often gravitated towards cardio and bodyweight exercise options while shying away from strength training.
This reluctance, particularly among women over 40, is rooted in societal conditioning that for generations has equated thinness with health. However, this mindset comes at a significant cost to our long-term wellbeing. As we age, especially during our perimenopause years (the decade or so before menopause), prioritising strength training becomes not just beneficial but essential.
Why do we need to change our approach?
As women approach perimenopause, hormonal fluctuations introduce a host of physiological changes that impact metabolism, muscle synthesis and fat distribution. Declining estrogen and progesterone levels slow metabolism, increase insulin resistance, and elevate inflammation, making weight management more challenging.
Furthermore, these hormonal shifts can lead to elevated cortisol which predisposes women to store fat, especially around the abdomen, exacerbating the risk of metabolic disorders, and often making us feel confused and frustrated about our changing bodies.
Strength training builds resilience and vitality
This is where strength training comes in. Because the most critical part of this change – the catalyst to this whole potential midlife chaos – is muscle loss. After the age of 30, women experience a gradual decline in muscle mass, averaging between 3-8% per decade, but this decline accelerates during perimenopause.
Muscle drives our metabolism, meaning it determines how many calories we burn at rest. Unlike cardio exercises, which primarily burn calories during the activity, strength training stimulates muscle growth so we can burn calories constantly. This boost to our metabolism enhances fat loss and improves overall body composition.
Muscle is the currency of ageing well. The 70 or 80 year old women who looks and feels at least a decade younger doesn’t achieve this by being thin. She does this by building muscle. And odds are that she is able to live her life with greater energy and functionality than many people younger than her.
Osteoporosis poses a significant risk for women post-menopause, with declining estrogen levels accelerating bone loss alongside muscle loss. Around 40% of women will have an osteoporatic fracture post-menopause. Hip fractures are associated with a 15-20% increased mortality rate. Incorporating weight-bearing exercises into your fitness regime increases bone density, reducing this risk of fractures and promoting skeletal strength.
Your brain gets a boost too! There is a growing body of evidence showing that strength training has profound effects on cognitive health, including enhanced cognitive function (reduced brain-fog!), memory retention and overall brain health, offering protection against age-related cognitive decline.
Perhaps most notably for many women, strength training boosts confidence and fosters a positive body image. By challenging societal norms and rebuking smallness as the primary goal of exercise, women who intentionally grow their muscle cultivate a sense of empowerment and self-assurance that has to be experienced rather than described.
What can I do now?
• Embrace strength training: This is a must! If you aren’t doing this already start today. No matter what age you are – it is never too late to improve and no matter what your limitations are, there is something you can do. For beginners, bodyweight exercises such as push ups, squats, lunges and hovers in your living room can be a great place to start. Stand up out of a chair without using your hands. If this is easy, try it on one leg. Mastering functional bodyweight movements can be a great start before moving on to lifting heavier weights.
• Prioritize nutrition and eat enough: Nourish your body with adequate protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates to support muscle growth and recovery. Focus on getting good nutrition before and after workouts to optimise performance and recovery. Ditch dieting for good. Restricting food will slow your metabolism further, increase stress, kill your energy and make building that precious muscle impossible.
• Manage stress and inflammation: Implement stress management techniques, such as meditation, yoga or deep breathing exercises, to reduce cortisol levels and mitigate inflammation. Prioritise quality sleep to support muscle repair and recovery. With the right approach you really can build muscle while you sleep!
• Reframe your mindset: This one is huge! By this stage of life many women feel like they have ‘tried it all’, and deep down don’t see themselves as someone who is able to master their health and fitness. It is time to challenge any limiting beliefs you have about your body and your ability, and recognise that there is a pathway to vitality for you. This can be deep work. Having the right people around you is crucial. Seek out a supportive community that celebrates strength and inspires you.
• Seek professional guidance: It can be so helpful to consult with a qualified professional who specialises in the unique needs of women at different life stages.
When it comes to information on health and exercise there is a lot of advice based on research done using male data, as women are often excluded from studies due to our beautifully complex and fluctuating hormones. Hence, the available research does not always translate to the best advice for women. Gender differences in response to fasting is just one great example of this, but there are many others. Seek advice from people who are invested in staying informed about the latest research and best practices for women.
Time for a new narrative
As women, our journey through life’s different stages is multifaceted and unique, encompassing physical, mental and emotional dimensions. By understanding the changes occurring in our bodies as we age, embracing the transformative power of strength training, and taking proactive steps to prioritize our health and well-being, we can navigate every life stage with vitality, resilience and unwavering confidence.
Women are strong. We have been doing hard things throughout the entire course of history. We don’t need to settle for outdated ideas connecting ageing with weakness. We don’t need to settle for incomplete information based on a male-dominated research landscape.
Let’s redefine the narrative of ageing as the opportunity it is. Each decade we are here gives us the gift of becoming more fully ourselves. Let’s use this gift to empower ourselves and each other to embrace our inherent strength, celebrating every milestone along the way.
Janine Couchman is a personal trainer and fitness coach specialising in strength training women of all ages and stages. As well as private coaching, she delivers an eight week group programme at Peak Fitness and Health. She can be found at janinecouchman.com and @JaninecouchmanPT
