From the time I got serious about fitness in my early 20s, you could find me cranking out cardio. It didn’t matter much if I was riding a bike, hitting the elliptical at the gym, or running a 15k. As long as I got my heart rate up, I felt I was doing the “work” of working out.
To my credit, for the last 20 years or so, I’ve been pretty consistent—and have reaped the benefits! My cardio routine has helped me maintain a healthy weight, regain my energy after three pregnancies, and keep me in excellent cardiovascular shape. By this point, I’d say I even consider this form of exercise a cornerstone of my identity. I’m proud to say I’ve hiked everywhere from the Arizona desert to the English countryside and have earned a place on the winners’ podium at several local running races. Neighbors know me as “the walking lady” for my daily treks around the neighborhood.
Still, I always knew my exercise regimen was technically incomplete. As a nutritionist and health writer, I’m well aware of national physical activity guidelines for adults. These include not just 150-plus minutes of moderate-intensity cardio, but two-plus days per week of strength training all major muscle groups. Yet throughout my 20s and 30s, I never darkened the door of a weight room.
If I’m honest, this was rooted partly in my perception of gender roles, partly in simple ignorance. Lifting weights, it seemed to me, was a man’s domain. And even if I had wanted to lift, I wouldn’t have known where to begin. I really didn’t want to look like some sort of sitcom joke trying to figure it out at the gym. (In my imagination, I saw dumbbells crashing to the floor or myself getting pinned beneath some behemoth of a weight machine.) So, for years, I stayed away from strength training.
Noticing Age-Related Changes
Along the journey of my 40s, though, I’ve noticed some age-related changes that cardio doesn’t seem to address. It’s become harder to maintain a weight where I feel comfortable. I haven’t been sleeping as soundly. The muscles in my arms and legs aren’t as defined as they once were. Meanwhile, telltale symptoms of perimenopause, such as night sweats and mood swings, have hit me like a ton of hormonal bricks.
Read More: What To Expect During Perimenopause
After passing my 40th birthday nearly four years ago, I began to wonder: Is it finally time to bench my fear of weight benches? I had heard that building strength could ameliorate many of the health concerns common to 40-something women. In over four decades of life, I’ve done plenty of other things that scared me. They’ve often turned out to be less intimidating than they seem. Maybe lifting weights would be the same.
Doing the Research
Health nerd that I am, I also began to dive into the research behind why strength training is so critical in middle age—especially for women. Muscle losses begin (eep!) as early as our fourth decade of life. From around our 30th birthdays onward, we lose about 3-5% of muscle mass per decade.
Read More: How To Avoid Muscle Loss As You Age
That may sound like a pittance, but it’s actually no small thing. Muscle losses over time tear down our health in some insidious ways. Later in life, people with less muscle are at higher risk for falls, mobility challenges, and even all-cause mortality (also known as, um, death). Adding strength training to combat these issues not only bulks up our muscles, it puts stress on the bones, increasing bone density and reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
The more I researched, the more I realized that the benefits of strength aren’t just for my distant, nursing home-dwelling future. In the here and now, smack dab in my perimenopause era, weight training has a lot to offer. Research shows that lifting weights may temper metabolic and hormonal changes during this stage of life, including lowering heart rate and blood pressure and even decreasing hot flashes. It’s also a win for sleep, improving nighttime rest.
And the creeping weight gain and squishier, less-toned muscles I’ve noticed? They’re likely to get a lift from lifting, too. Strength training builds muscle, which is more metabolically active than fat. The more muscle on my frame, the more calories I burn. Plus, for muscle composition, strength training may provide more benefits than long endurance exercise.
How I’m Adding Strength Training
To me, the research all added up to motivation to cross my final frontier of fitness: lifting weights. Now the question became exactly how to go about it.
In my quest for greater strength the last few years, I’ve gotten a gym membership. There, my three teen athlete kids have shown me the ropes of lifting. I’ve tried my hand at the various machines and benches that work my muscles. Surprisingly, it’s not nearly as intimidating as I expected. (I have yet to wreak any havoc with dumbbells.) I’ve even grown to enjoy certain machines, like the ones for chest flies and ab crunches.
That said, I’m more the DIY fitness type, so my strength training routine has been built more at home than in a weight room. Gradually, I’ve incorporated one to two days of 30-60 minute strength workouts with the help of YouTube and free weights. It’s a game-changer to realize that’s all it takes! I’ve acclimated to weight-based routines my former self would have balked at. My favorite? Weight-based Pilates, which blends lifting with flexibility, balance, and (yes) even a little cardio.
As an extra incitement, I’ve started leaving my weights around the house where I can easily grab them any time. I often find myself squeezing in a few reps after dinner or as a work-from-home break.
The Results
My foray into weight training has absolutely yielded results. In fact, I can pinpoint the moment I first realized my strength had increased. I was doing difficult yardwork, chopping wood and wheelbarrowing it up a hill. This type of heavy lifting and pushing would formerly have tuckered me out, sidelining me after a few trips. Yet now I found I was able to power a full load up the steep hill time after time—interspersed with bouts of chopping and throwing heavy planks of wood. “Who is this badass and what has she done with my former self?” I wondered.
Other touchpoints also tell me my efforts are paying off. Whereas a few years ago I could only perform about 10 “girl” pushups, I can now knock out 20 or more. My muscles have reacquired a more chiseled look, and the weight that hovered ever higher is noticeably easier to keep in check.
Don’t get me wrong—I’m still doing cardio. My runs are indispensable for my mental health, and biking is still my go-to activity on a weekend of nice weather. But by incorporating both cardio and strength, I have a sense of “restoring balance to the force” of my fitness.
Another unexpected boost? Greater confidence. Strong is a wonderful feeling. There’s deep self-assurance in knowing I’m more physically powerful than ever in my 40s. It gives me hope that I’m shoring up benefits for my future—even as I enjoy them in the here and now.