Strength Training Essentials for Midlife Women

If you’ve heard rumblings that you should be strength training in midlife and beyond, then take note. Strength training is a life saver - literally.

According to an article in Science Direct released April 2023: “While performing resistance training (RT) is considered part of physical exercise, it deserves consideration as its own domain for health promotion”. 

Skeletal muscle makes up 30-40% of the total body mass, is metabolically active (burns energy/calories), connects bones via tendons and ligaments to facilitate movement and has a complex interconnection with the nervous system. 

For women from midlife or going through perimenopause and menopause, the aging process will have you losing up to 16% of your lean muscle mass from the age of 30. It's called "sarcopenia" and this happens with the decline in oestrogen and the down-regulation of receptors in your muscles that respond to oestrogen.

The oestrogen/muscle connection results in:

• Loss of muscle mass and response to stimuli (movement and weight training)
• A shift from Type 2 muscle fibres (fast twitch explosive dynamic) to Type 1 muscle fibres (slow twitch endurance)
• Reduced speed and efficiency
• A reduction in protein synthesis responsible for muscle repair, recovery and adaptation
• Higher sensitivity to muscular stress from training

If you have noticed an accelerated and unwanted fat gain, then you’ll want to keep reading.

Muscle plays a major role in the uptake of glucose from the bloodstream in response to insulin. When there is suboptimal glucose uptake, we can develop an insulin resistance which leads to increased fat storage, increased inflammation and the challenge with moving and recovering from exercise. That increased fat storage tends to accumulate around the stomach and hips.

I have a personal love-hate relationship with weight training. When I was a personal trainer in my 20's and competing as Ms Fitness New Zealand internationally, my workouts were heavily skewed towards weight training. I was 10kg heavier than I am today but significantly leaner. In my 30's I found marathons, group fitness back-to-back classes and any workout that would elevate my heart rate as fast as possible for the limited time I had due to career goals and having a family. I also cherished the rush of endorphins that cardio provided and to be honest, I was a bit burnt out from competing and dieting for 10 years of my life. The weights went untouched for many years. 

Enter my 40's and I'm the fittest I've ever been. Except that it's all feeling a little too hard and it's taking longer to recover. Two classes/day went down to one HIIT workout/day and a lot more yoga. The weights lay untouched and collecting dust. Once I realised I was in perimenopause (read all about it in My Menopause Memoir), the science unequivocally pointed back to weight training. And not some light weights that I can strap to my ankles to tone my booty or a resistance band to crab-walk up and down the room. I'm talking barbells, dumb bells and chin ups.

Here are my TOP TIPS to integrate weight training into your life to maintain muscle for healthy aging:

If you are a complete beginner, seek a personal trainer. Learning HOW to lift weights safely will ensure results and longevity.

Start with the basics - squats, deadlifts, pulls and pushes.

Lift weights that are heavy enough to fatigue the muscle at 8 -10 repetitions and 3-4 rounds of each exercise.

Compound muscle groups - where you are using more than one muscle in a movement. Don't waste your time on seated bicep curls. Chin ups will work your back muscles and your biceps simultaneously.

Ensure you get 72 hours rest between weight training sessions to fully recover. This allows for TWO focused weight training sessions per week.

Use light cardio, yoga, stretching and walking in between weight training sessions to maintain your cardiovascular fitness, mobility and flexibility. Only do this if you have the energy, otherwise REST.

Schedule a core workout at least once a week. Those core abdominal muscles are essential for your posture and injury prevention. This could also be a Pilates session.

For strength training workouts for women 40+ try out the Sexy Ageing Fitness and Lifestyle APP! Everything you need is there - FREE One Week Trial, 30 day and 3 month programs and monthly subscriptions.

Want to read more health and lifestyle tips like this? Check out my other guest posts on the Nature's Help blog here.