You’re running every week, hitting the elliptical, or doing Zumba, but you still feel sluggish and aren’t seeing much progress.
If you’re a woman 40-plus, this scenario is more common than you might think. When hormones shift during perimenopause, your body starts responding differently to exercise, stress, and recovery. So while you might’ve been able to skip a meal and handle a 1-hour HIIT class in the past, all it might do now is leave you drained.
That’s just part of why strength training has become so popular among women lately — it’s a workout that can be tailored to work better with your body. Instead of pushing your system into overdrive, weight lifting preserves lean muscle mass, boosts metabolism, balances blood sugar, and can even help with menopause symptoms.
So no, you don’t need hours of cardio to lose weight after 40. What you need is an approach that honors your hormones, builds strength from the inside out, and leaves you feeling better — not burned out.
Read on to learn how traditional cardio might be working against you, the type of strength training needed to support long-term weight management, and nutrition to keep you fueled, not depleted.
The 70s and 80s created a boom in cardio like aerobics and running. Since then, we haven’t fully been able to shake the belief that a healthy weight comes from intense cardio that “burns calories”.
The problem with any fitness fad is that our bodies are simply too complex to follow any singular rule. The idea of “calories in, calories out” or “cardio for fat loss” dangerously oversimplifies how we work (especially as we age). Hormonal shifts, stress, sleep, genetics, age, activity and health level, nutrition, even your environment (and much more) affect your weight.
Cardio is a part of a healthy lifestyle, but it depends on how you do it. Excessive cardio can:
A healthy weight comes from a variety of actions, from what’s on your plate, to a good night’s sleep, to allowing yourself time to relax and recover. If that sounds overwhelming or impossible, it’s usually because we’re trapped looking at the big picture — at all the things we’re “supposed” to be doing. Long term, though, our habits mostly change from tiny daily actions.
So as you go through this list, think of just one area you’d like to start with. From there, choose the tiniest habit that would slowly move you towards your goal — and work on just the first step. For example, you can add 5 minutes of dumbbell work on your arms after your cardio or a walk (like some tricep extensions or curls).
Here’s what the science tells us about what truly drives fat loss during midlife:
No matter how much you love (or hate) cardio, doing something that strengthens your muscles will set you up for a longer, healthier life (i.e, longevity). Having lean muscle mass means:
NEAT is an acronym for all the movements you do in a day that aren’t a planned workout. For example, cleaning, cooking, running errands, or gardening. We don’t give NEAT enough credit — it can take up well over 15% of our daily energy expenditure. Even though planned workouts are great, simply getting more steps in your day or staying active at work can have a massive impact on your health (be sure to click those two links to get practical tips for making that happen).
Midlife is the time to really learn how to train with your body, not against it. With estrogen and progesterone fluctuating, you will start reacting differently to stress and exercise. These hormones help regulate muscle repair, energy production, sleep, mood, and more. Adjusting your intensity and volume to focus on workouts that don’t overstrain your body is key.
On days when you’re exhausted, it’s okay if you don’t push yourself as hard. Try gentler movement that calms your nervous system, like a walk in the park or yoga.
Tied into hormone-aware training is prioritizing your rest and recovery. Our bodies recover more slowly as we age, and women in particular need more rest between workouts than men. Stress and poor sleep also take their toll and can lead to reduced insulin sensitivity, more cravings, and lower energy levels.
You probably feel like there’s no way you can fit rest into your busy day, and that might be true. So instead of trying to overhaul your life and go to bed a whole hour earlier, what about 10 minutes? Or adding in one 10-minute break every afternoon with your eyes closed while you lie down? Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) videos are all over YouTube and can improve your mood and reduce stress (yes, in as little as 10 minutes).
Workouts alone don’t necessarily lead to a healthy body and mind. What we put into our bodies matters, but controlling how we fuel ourselves often feels impossible — and it makes sense as to why.
We’ve gone through plenty of nutrition fads, from calories in, calories out (CICO) to fat-free foods, and now to sweetener-filled “sugar-free” processed protein bars. There will always be some new fad for marketers to take advantage of, but as always, balance and quality are key.
Because of social conditioning, we never really learned how to listen to our internal cues — we’re always focusing on external rules (which, especially on social media, can be full of misinformation). Add midlife and fluctuating hormones that increase cravings to the mix, and it’s easy to feel lost about how to eat or when. That’s why we’re going to dive into the science behind nutrition for midlife, along with practical tools.
Strength and fat loss come from eating for your body, not a one-size-fits-all diet plan.
Perimenopause brings a shift in hormones and cravings, muscle and mental recovery, and how your body uses energy. It’s a time to learn how to shift your nourishment for your needs, not restrict.
Instead of stressing out about how many calories you’re eating, try focusing on getting enough nutrition to support yourself. Eating balanced throughout the day means fewer blood sugar crashes and cravings, faster recovery, and more energy. So before taking anything away, here’s what to try adding to your day:
Want more meal tips? Check out this article on the best diet for longevity.
If you still love your HIIT workouts or runs and your joints are doing well, there’s no need to give it up. But if you’re noticing more aches and pains or feel like you’ve hit a plateau, you might want to experiment with how you do it. Here are some ways to make cardio work for you:
If you’re not sure where to begin, ask yourself: if I didn’t have to do structured cardio, what would I do to move my body and have fun?
We’ve grown up in a society filled to the brim with rules and restrictions around food, exercise, and body image in general. After a lifetime of listening to external opinions, it can take some time to tune in to what your body and mind truly need for relaxed health.
Some mindset tips that can move you towards a healthier relationship with your body are:
It takes time to learn how to work with your body, so be gentle with yourself. If you overdid it (or are beating yourself up for not doing enough), that’s normal. Give yourself the space and time to learn how to be more compassionate with how you treat yourself. Remember, self-criticism is the fastest way to feel more anxious, depressed, and put yourself at risk for eating disorders. Improving mental health is a lot like going to the gym; it’s something we have to put effort into and train ourselves to do.
If cardio feels like a chore, take this as your permission slip: it’s not the main thing you need to reach a healthy weight. Unstructured cardio like walking, hiking, dancing, and bike rides also gets your heart rate up (and boosts your mood).
But one of the biggest missing factors in a healthy weight and longevity for women 40-plus is strength training. It improves muscle mass, metabolic rate, and bone health, which all contribute to easier weight management.
Meanwhile, intense cardio after hormones shift with perimenopause can instead drain your energy, hurt your joints, and not do as much for your metabolic rate as it used to.
If you’re not sure how to add strength training or you’re worried about hurting yourself (or feeling anxious about the gym), consider trying trainwell.
You get someone who creates a plan tailored exactly to your needs and goals — and they can even track your form. Accountability and a plan that makes you feel excited (and safe) is worth everything when you’re not sure where to begin or just feel frustrated with your workouts not having the same effect as they used to.
Get your 14-day free trial, and experience what it’s like to have a supportive trainer in your pocket.
Written by Jennifer Olejarz.
