Stacy London is just one of many celebrities — including Halle Berry, Naomi Watts, and Oprah — bringing awareness to midlife and menopause, helping to demystify this natural life stage that many women know very little about until the hot flashes and aches and pains begin.
In preparation for her Making Over Menopause retreat at Canyon Ranch, the 54-year-old entrepreneur had been hosting daily live videos on her Instagram account with healthcare professionals and industry leaders about what you can do to optimize self-care before, during, and after menopause. London also recently posted an Instagram story of herself flexing her biceps (slay, honey) at the eWomenNetwork ICON Conference 2023.
“I got to show off all the hard work I’ve been putting in at @breuckelenathletic. (Strength-training in mid-life is so important!),” London wrote.
According to Tina Tang, a New Jersey–based certified personal trainer who works with women in their 40s and 50s, London is absolutely right that strength training in midlife is essential.
“While we lose approximately 3 to 5 percent of muscle mass per decade, the rate accelerates after the age of 50,” Tang tells DailyOM. “Estrogen plays various roles within our body, including the development of new muscle tissue. During menopause, estrogen fluctuates and eventually undergoes a sharp decline, which affects a woman’s physical capacity to build muscle.”
Despite these declines, engaging in strength training during menopause can help you maintain your muscle mass and stay healthy, Tang says. Lifting weights and doing body-weight strength exercises, like squats, push-ups, and bench presses, provide the impetus for building your muscle fibers, she explains.
“Actively building muscle tissue amid the backdrop of aging and estrogen decline establishes a robust foundation for a healthy and strong body,” Tang adds. Research shows that resistance training can help prevent injury and decrease the severity of menopausal symptoms. Strength training can result in stronger, denser bones and cut down on falls because it conditions your bones to take on stress and stimulates bone-forming cells, according to Harvard Health. Other studies show that strength exercises can help reduce the frequency of menopausal symptoms like hot flashes in postmenopausal women.
Convinced you want to start lifting weights? That’s good news, because it’s never too late to start a new strength-training routine.
The Best Strength-Training Exercises for Women in Midlife
The best way to reap the benefits of strength training is to maintain a consistent weekly exercise routine, Tang says. Simply do what works for you. Maybe that’s 30 to 45 minutes in the morning, afternoon, or evening (but even shorter workouts that are 10 to 15 minutes can be just as beneficial). Perhaps you go to the gym (and find a trainer) or maybe you get some at-home equipment and find an online strength-training class that you love.
But before you pick up those weights, Tang advises warming up to prevent injury: “Warm-ups (which include some mobility-type exercises) are crucial when we get older. The warm-up not only brings blood flow to the muscle tissues we will be utilizing; it also prepares the nervous system for what is about to come.” Injuries happen when we do anything too fast, too much, or too soon, she explains.
“For novices or those unfamiliar with weight training, the focus would be on understanding the fundamentals of strength training, specifically the Big 6 (squats, lunges, hinges, pushes, pulls, and carries), while maintaining a consistent weekly exercise routine,” she says.
In general, for women in midlife, Tang recommends compound strength exercises, which work multiple muscle groups at once. These exercises “offer the greatest benefits as they optimize workout efficiency,” she says.
Here are some of the best strength exercises for women in midlife:
Tang adds that adjustments might be necessary for people diagnosed with spinal osteoporosis, and in that case, doctors could advise lighter weights for overhead presses.
Before you start a new workout routine, make sure to consult your doctor.
Interested in learning more? Check out Shedding Your Menopausal Middle in 10 Days
How to Become More Active in Daily Life
Tang notes that most people assume that midlife means weight gain, but it doesn’t have to be that way. “What is actually happening is that gradually we become more sedentary due to our jobs (career advancement), family responsibilities, and life,” she explains. “Often, when I ask people to check their average step count (on their phone), it’s commonly under 3,000. The most important aspect of healthy aging (or midlife health success) is to stay moving.”
A great way to stay moving — aside from strength training — is to prioritize NEAT, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis, Tang says. This includes anything we do when we’re not sleeping or sitting, including walking, gardening, playing with your dog, vacuuming, or dancing to your favorite song in your living room. A great way to make sure you’re staying NEAT is setting a periodic timer on your phone that reminds you to get up and move.
Don’t Forget to Prioritize Pelvic Floor Health in Midlife
Menopause can also lead to some not-so-desirable pelvic floor–related issues. “As estrogen levels decline with menopause, the pelvic floor muscles also become thinner and less flexible,” according to the Sydney Pelvic Clinic. With this can come bladder issues, vaginal dryness, more frequent UTIs, and pain during sex. That’s why it would benefit us to strengthen our pelvic floor muscles — but how?
“A pelvic floor physical therapist can provide tailored exercise suggestions based on an individual’s symptoms,” says Tang. “Among these recommendations, the physical therapist will always advocate for engaging in strength training. Lifting weights fortifies core muscles, including the pelvic floor.”
If you want some targeted pelvic floor exercises, check out physical therapist Doctor Jo’s YouTube page.
