You can turn 40, 50, 60, or older and still get functionally younger and stronger the next 10, 20, 30 years, or more. Strength training is the most effective way for women over 40 to stay young, fit, and strong to enjoy life year after year as they age. Unfortunately, it is too common to see women back off from doing serious workouts as they age and regress to walking as their only exercise. 

No matter your age, you can achieve amazing results in your health and lifestyle by improving your fitness level, increasing your physical strength and endurance, and improving your aerobic capacity. Even people in their 80s who start lifting weights can get stronger with each workout. It’s never too late to start.

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Myth: Lifting Weights Will Make You Big and Bulky

The key to aging strong is to build muscle so, yes, you will get stronger, firmer, and fitter. You’ll also gain muscle because that’s the goal. The only way to look and more importantly feel fit is to build some muscle. You can’t be afraid of muscle. In fact, as we age, we need to be afraid of not building muscle because of sarcopenia (Age related muscle loss). Muscle gain will give you strong joints that will last for years doing the activities you love in life. Get ready to push yourself in the gym, lift enough weight to build muscle, and watch your body change and become stronger as you age.

Myth: Women Shouldn’t Lift Heavy Weights as They Age

As we age, being weak is more dangerous than being strong. In these times, women are realizing their strength. A characteristic called training age refers to how long you’ve been on a structured, consistent strength training program. Starting now (however old you are) is key to building the strength to take you into your golden years feeling confident in your abilities. If you progress properly with the right program—and ideally a coach overseeing your form—you will not get hurt. Build slowly. Your goal is to challenge yourself to lift heavy with proper form and realize your strength. 

Myth: Women Get All the Benefits They Need From Aerobic Activities Such as Walking and Running

Cardiovascular activities are good, and living an active lifestyle is great! Walk all the steps, go running if you enjoy it, but realize that none of that is building any strength or muscle. In fact, if you aren’t lifting weights and incorporating in progressive overload, you may lose some muscle by running or walking it off. Prioritizing strength training will improve your efficiency with your cardiovascular activities along with all the benefits of lifting weights. 

Myth: Women Don’t Need a Specific Program

Yes, we do. Some priorities need to be addressed for women that are not as crucial for men, including specific core-strengthening, building the posterior chain to use the glutes and hamstrings better, increasing upper-back strength, and highlighting single-leg exercises since women have a higher likelihood of ACL and hip labrum injuries. 

Myth: Lifting Heavy Weights Will Make You Immobile and Muscle Bound

No, it won’t. Immobility happens when you cannot move properly. By performing strength training exercises through a full range of motion, you’ll improve your ability to move. By including active stretches as part of your warm-up and recovery with self-massage and flexibility moves, you’ll become more mobile as you get stronger. More muscle will not make you less flexible. Not moving will.

Myth: Muscle Turns to Fat if You Stop Strength Training

If you stop strength training, the muscle you’ve built will provide a buffer so you can take some time off while still getting the benefits of the muscle you have. It will keep you from gaining fat. You will lose muscle over time if you don’t use it, but it does not turn into fat.

Header photo by Karolina Grabowska

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