STRENGTH TRAINING FOR WOMEN OVER 40: WHAT YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO DO

Women over 40 should generally include strength training at least twice a week, covering the major muscle groups and gradually increasing the challenge as they become stronger.

That is the useful answer.

It does not require a six-day “menopause workout plan”. You do not need to abandon cardio, avoid anything that raises cortisol or suddenly start lifting weights that frighten you.

You need regular resistance, sensible progression, enough recovery and a plan that fits your life.

Why does strength training matter after 40?

From our 30s onwards, adults gradually lose muscle unless we give the body a reason to maintain it. For women, the hormonal changes associated with perimenopause and menopause can also affect bone health, body composition, sleep, temperature regulation, mood and recovery.

Strength training cannot “balance your hormones” in the way social media posts often promise.

It can, however, help you maintain or improve:

• Muscle mass

• Physical strength

• Bone-loading stimulus

• Balance and stability

• Confidence in everyday movement

• Your ability to carry, lift, climb and get up from the floor

• Metabolic and cardiovascular health as part of a broader active lifestyle

Resistance training has also been shown to improve functional capacity in postmenopausal women, while research continues to support its role in maintaining muscle and bone health.

The goal is not simply to change how your body looks.

It is to preserve what your body can do.

Do women need to train differently after 40?

Not completely.

The principles that make strength training effective remain the same:

• Train the major movement patterns

• Use a resistance that feels challenging

• Practise good technique

• Progress gradually

• Recover between sessions

• Repeat the process consistently

However, the plan may need to become more responsive to the individual.

Perimenopause can affect two women very differently. One may feel almost no change. Another may be dealing with poor sleep, heavy periods, hot flushes, joint discomfort, low mood or a noticeable change in energy.

That does not mean exercise is unsafe. It may mean the volume, intensity or timing needs adjusting.

The answer is not a special collection of “female” exercises. It is better coaching and a plan that responds to the person in front of you.

Should women over 40 lift heavy weights?

Yes, but “heavy” is relative.

A weight is heavy enough when it meaningfully challenges you within the intended number of repetitions while you can still perform the exercise with control.

For one person, that could be a bodyweight sit-to-stand. For another, it could be a loaded squat or deadlift.

You do not need to reach failure on every set. You do need the exercise to become more challenging over time if you want your body to keep adapting.

Progress might mean:

• Adding a little weight

• Completing another repetition

• Improving the range of movement

• Slowing the lowering phase

• Using a more demanding variation

• Performing the same work with better control

Lifting two-kilogram dumbbells forever will only take you so far if they no longer challenge you.

Equally, putting a heavy barbell on your back in your first week is not a badge of honour.

Start where you are. Then progress.

How often should women over 40 strength train?

Two or three full-body strength sessions a week works well for many women.

The NHS recommends strengthening activities for all the major muscle groups on at least two days each week, alongside aerobic activity.

A simple week might look like:

• Monday: full-body strength training

• Tuesday: a walk or gentle cardio

• Wednesday: Pilates, mobility or rest

• Thursday: full-body strength training

• Friday: a walk, cycle or conditioning session

• Weekend: enjoyable activity and recovery

This is an example, not a prescription.

If you are new to exercise, twice a week may be plenty. If you are experienced, recover well and enjoy training, three or four sessions may be appropriate.

More is not automatically better.

What exercises should women over 40 do?

A balanced programme should train the major movement patterns rather than obsessing over individual body parts.

That normally includes some form of:

• Squat, such as a sit-to-stand, goblet squat or barbell squat

• Hinge, such as a deadlift or hip hinge

• Push, such as a wall press-up, dumbbell press or overhead press

• Pull, such as a cable row or pulldown

• Step or lunge

• Carry

• Bracing and trunk control

There is no compulsory exercise.

If a movement is painful, unsuitable or intimidating, a coach should be able to change it while still training the same broad function.

Machines, resistance bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells and bodyweight can all build strength. The best tools are the ones that allow you to train the target movement safely and progress it over time.

Is strength training good for bone health during menopause?

Strength training and weight-bearing activity can form an important part of looking after bone health.

Bone responds to load. Resistance training places controlled demands on the skeleton, while weight-bearing and impact activities can provide a further stimulus when appropriate.

Research reviews support resistance training as part of improving or maintaining bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. However, the best programme depends on the individual, and this does not mean every exercise is suitable for everybody.

If you have osteoporosis, previous fragility fractures or a high fracture risk, seek guidance from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional or exercise specialist. You may still be able to strength train, but exercise selection and technique matter.

You can read more about the wider importance of training as we age in Are You Ever Too Old to Start Strength Training?.

Should women over 40 stop doing cardio?

No.

The idea that women over 40 should avoid cardio because it raises cortisol is an oversimplification.

Cardiovascular exercise supports heart, lung and metabolic health. Walking, cycling, swimming, running and conditioning can all have a place.

The issue is usually balance.

If all of your exercise is high-intensity cardio, you may have little time or energy left for strength and recovery. If you only lift weights and barely move outside the gym, you are also missing important benefits.

A sensible plan combines:

• Strength training

• Moderate aerobic activity

• Some higher-intensity work if it is suitable and enjoyable

• Regular walking and everyday movement

• Mobility or balance work where needed

• Rest and recovery

You do not have to choose between being strong and being fit.

What about Pilates and yoga?

Pilates and yoga can improve control, mobility, balance and strength, depending on how they are taught and progressed.

They can complement resistance training extremely well.

However, if maintaining muscle and becoming meaningfully stronger are your primary goals, you will usually benefit from training that allows resistance to be measured and gradually increased.

That resistance may come from weights, machines, bands or suitably challenging bodyweight exercises.

At Gather, many members combine Small Group Personal Training with Pilates, yoga, conditioning or walking.

Can strength training help with menopause symptoms?

Exercise may help some women manage aspects of their physical and mental wellbeing during menopause, but it is not a cure-all and experiences vary.

Training can support mood, sleep, confidence, physical capacity and body composition. It will not make severe symptoms imaginary or remove the need for medical support.

Speak to your GP or an appropriate healthcare professional if symptoms are disrupting your life. Exercise and medical treatment do not have to be competing options.

What if I have never lifted weights before?

You are not late.

You also do not need to learn everything before walking into a gym. If it has been a long time since you exercised, our guide to starting exercise again after years off may help.

A good starting process should:

1. Ask about your health, goals and previous experience.

2. Teach you a small number of basic movements.

3. Choose loads you can control.

4. Record what you do.

5. Progress one thing at a time.

6. Leave you capable of returning for the next session.

You should feel challenged, but not punished.

You should also know why you are doing an exercise and what progress will look like.

Strength training for women over 40 in Greenwich

Gather is a coaching-led gym in North Greenwich, built for people who do not feel at home in conventional gyms.

Our Small Group Personal Training sessions are capped at six people. This allows our coaches to adjust exercises, teach technique and help each member progress.

Many of our members are women in their 40s, 50s and beyond who want to become stronger without fitness taking over their lives.

Every new member starts with Foundations. This is a three-week introduction that includes an individual onboarding session, up to nine coached Small Group Personal Training sessions and unlimited classes.

You do not need experience with weights. You need an appropriate starting point and enough support to keep going.

Find out more about Foundations, or contact us to book a quick call and talk through your goals, symptoms, confidence and training history.

Evidence referenced in this article

• NHS exercise guidance

• Resistance training for postmenopausal women: systematic review and meta-analysis

• Resistance-training protocols and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women