Menopause Strength Training & Fitness | 40+ Fitness for Women

It's a new year, and a chance for a fresh start.  I challenge you to capitalize on the new year's energy to add one of these four unsexy habits.  Because these are the big rocks for mastering midlife.  In this episode I share what these are, and how to more easily incorporate them into your life.  Enjoy the show! Resources mentioned on the show:  Episode 100: Benefits of Lifting weights...

If you’ve been lifting consistently and suddenly can’t increase your weights anymore, this episode will help you understand why and what to do next. I explain why stalling is a normal part of the strength-building process and share four practical adjustments you can make to keep progressing. P.S. If you missed the last two episodes in this series, I covered what progressive strength training is an...

If you want to get stronger, look toned again, improve your metabolic health, and age well, you need to be building muscle. And to build muscle, you have to keep challenging your body as it gets stronger. And one way to increase the challenge is to increase weights.  But how fast should you be increasing your weights? In this episode, I break down:  • Why form always comes first • When you’re actu...

If you're a woman in midlife and you are looking to get your body back to start feeling strong, looking toned, and recognizing the woman in the mirror again, then you need to be doing progressive strength training. Progressive strength training is a very systematic way of lifting weights where you apply progressive overload - one of the keys to building strength and muscle effectively.  In th...

If you want to get stronger, build muscle to look toned, and feel like yourself again, progressive strength training is the most effective method for women in perimenopause and menopause. In this episode, I explain what progressive strength training is and how it’s different from the "strength training" workouts you may be doing. You'll understand how it enables you to actually trig...

This is the second half of my conversation with yoga therapist Cheryl Gordon , where we move beyond yoga poses and talk about how mindfulness and small daily “micro-rests” can completely change how you feel in midlife. You’ll learn simple, science-backed ways to restore your energy, regulate your hormones, and calm your nervous system - even on the busiest days. You’ll learn: How short “micro-rest...

Your body changes in midlife and that means how you approach yoga needs to change too. In this episode, I talk with yoga therapist Cheryl Gordon about how to keep getting all the benefits of yoga in menopause without over-stretching, overheating, or causing unnecessary strain on your joints and connective tissues. You’ll learn: Why hormonal changes in midlife mean your yoga practice should evolve...

You want to start strength training, but where do you actually begin? If you’ve found yourself asking this question (maybe in a Facebook group or while staring at some dumbbells), this episode is for you. I break down the five essentials you need to start strength training successfully. This isn’t rocket science, but you do need to have the right pieces in place to get the results you're afte...

If you ever feel like your strength workouts take forever and wonder if there’s a faster way to get them done, this episode is for you. I’m breaking down 8 practical ways to save time in your training sessions without cutting corners or compromising results. These small, strategic tweaks can make a big difference when you add them up - helping you get stronger, stay consistent, and make the most o...

If you feel like your body changed overnight - and your old playbook stopped working  - this episode is for you. I’m sharing five fitness and lifestyle shifts that helped me feel steady and in control again. It's the high-level roadmap I wish I’d had. You’ll hear: The mindset shift I had to make to work with my body in this new stage of life. How changing my fitness priorities transformed how...

In honor of Menopause Awareness Month, I’m sharing my personal story of perimenopause and hormone replacement therapy. This is part two of my two-part series on HRT. If you haven’t yet listened to part one, Perimenopause and HRT my personal story ( episode 139 ), please start there first. In this episode, I talk about what it was really like — the symptoms I experienced, how life changed after sta...

For years, I had no idea what was happening to me. I was falling apart, and had no idea why. I thought this was just how life was when your marriage wasn’t great and you were juggling kids and a demanding job. I knew I was going through menopause, but neither I, nor the doctors who were treating me, realized that my changing hormones were wreaking havoc on my life. In this episode, I’m sharing my...

Starting strength training can feel confusing with so much conflicting advice online. In this episode, I answer the questions women most often ask when they’re just beginning their lifting journey after 40. You’ll learn: If women over 40 can build muscle without a calorie surplus Whether one set of dumbbells is enough to get started How often to switch exercises for real results What to prioritize...

Want to start strength training but worried about getting hurt?  In this episode, I share my tips for starting safely. These are drawn from guiding women through my programs plus lessons from my own experience starting in menopause.  The goal: get strong, stay safe, and keep making progress you can feel. You’ll learn: Why I recommend starting with 2–3 sessions per week The exercises I wouldn’t pro...

This episode is a little different — I’m sharing a clip from one of my recent masterclasses where I busted some of the most common myths about strength training. These myths hold so many women back from building the strength, muscle, and confidence they want in midlife. In this episode, I explain why they aren’t true — and what to do instead. The 5 myths I bust in this episode: Soreness and “feeli...

Not all workouts build muscle even if they feel hard. In this episode, I look at ways to tell if your training is actually helping you build muscle and strength or just making you sweat. You’ll learn: Why soreness, sweat, and ‘feeling the burn’ don’t mean you’re getting stronger 4 real signs your workouts are building strength and muscle How to track your workouts (and why that matters more than y...

If you’re a woman in your 40s or 50s thinking about starting strength training (or trying to figure out why it’s not working the way you hoped), this episode is for you. At 49, I realized that the workouts I’d been doing for years - BodyPump, bootcamp, and follow-along "strength training" videos - weren’t enough to build real muscle or get the toned, athletic look I wanted. In this episo...

If you want to stay active, independent, and thriving into your 50s, 60s, and beyond — the type of exercise you do matters. In this episode, I walk you through the three types of exercise every woman should include in her routine: strength training, cardio, and balance. These three types of movement work together to help you protect your body, keep you functional, and enjoy the lifestyle you want...

Feeling confused about what “lifting heavy” really means? Social media is full of advice — one post says women in midlife must lift heavy. The next warns us not to. So… what’s the truth? In this episode, I get personal and real about a question I hear all the time: How heavy do I actually need to lift? I walk you through the three biggest factors that influence how much weight you should be using...

Vacation season is here - and with the kids around and more fun things to do, you want to enjoy it all. But what should you do about strength training? In this episode, I discuss your options: 1. Take a break from training If you decide to take time off, I share tips for how to get back on track after your vacation ends - without guilt or overwhelm. 2. Scale back your workouts Learn how to adjust...

Trying to lose weight but not seeing the results you want? In this episode, I’m breaking down three of the biggest mistakes that are still holding midlife women back when it comes to fat loss. If you’ve been frustrated by your lack of progress, this will help you get clear on what actually matters. Here’s what I cover: Why cardio alone won’t do it - because you can’t out-run your fork! Why simply...

In this episode, I’m answering five frequently asked questions that come up again and again in my programs, my inbox, and my DMs. These questions cover the nuances of strength training in midlife, and I share practical advice to help you train smarter — especially if you're new to lifting or have unique concerns like arthritis. You'll hear my take on: Do you really need to train to failu...

Struggling with poor sleep? You’re not alone — and it might be affecting more than you think. When your sleep is off, everything is harder — from your mood and energy to your cravings, focus, and ability to recover from strength training. It doesn’t matter how dialed in your program is… if your recovery is poor, your results will be too. In this episode, I’m walking you through: Why sleep matters...

Full show notes here >> Not seeing the results you want from strength training? It might be something you're doing during your training session that's slowing down your progress in gaining strength and building muscle. I’m sharing seven mistakes I see all the time, why they matter, and how to fix them: Not resting long enough Poor form Not controlling the eccentric Mini-rests betwe...

Full show notes & Connect with Jenn here >> If you’ve ever leaked a little when you laugh, sneeze, or lift something heavy — or felt pressure “down there,” this episode is for you. Pelvic floor dysfunction affects over 52 million women in the U.S. alone. But most women don’t realize that’s what it is. They assume it’s just a normal part of getting older, or something that happens after k...