Five Things Every Midlife Mum Needs to Know About Exercise and Hormones
If you have been doing everything right and still feel like your body is not responding the way it used to, I want you to know something really important before we go any further.
It is not you. It is your hormones. And once you understand what is actually happening in your body, everything starts to make a lot more sense and the results absolutely follow.
I have been a women's health and fitness coach for over 14 years and I have worked with hundreds of midlife mums who felt exactly the same way. Frustrated, exhausted and wondering why the things that used to work just do not anymore. So here are the five things I wish someone had told every single one of them sooner.
1. Your metabolism is changing and you can absolutely work with it
In midlife our metabolism naturally shifts. Oestrogen starts to change, muscle mass needs a little more support and our bodies respond differently than they did before. This is not failure. This is biology. And the brilliant news is that once you understand it you can absolutely get incredible results by working with your body rather than against it.
The answer is not eating less and doing more. The answer is eating smarter, training smarter and giving your body what it actually needs at this stage of life. Women in their late 30’s 40’s and 50s get the most incredible results when they have the right plan and I see it every single day.
2. Strength training is the single best thing you can do for your body after 40
I know so many women who spend hours doing cardio and wonder why their body is not changing the way they want it to. Cardio burns calories in the moment but strength training changes your body composition permanently. It builds muscle, and muscle burns fat at rest. It strengthens your bones, which becomes increasingly important from your mid 30s and upwards. It improves your posture, your energy levels, your mood and your confidence in a way that nothing else really comes close to.
You do not need to spend hours in the gym. Three sessions a week done consistently is enough to completely transform how you feel and how your body responds. I have seen it happen for women in their 40s and 50s over and over again and it never stops being the most brilliant thing to witness.
3. Protein is your best friend and most midlife mums are not eating enough of it
Protein is the most important nutrient for women from their mid 30s and upwards. It builds and repairs muscle, keeps you feeling full for longer, stabilises your blood sugar and supports your energy levels throughout the day. Once you start getting enough of it the results can be quite remarkable.
Most women I work with are eating somewhere between 40 and 60 grams of protein a day when they come to me. The target for midlife mums who are training is closer to 90 to 120 grams. That might sound like a lot but once you start building it into every meal it becomes second nature very quickly. Eggs at breakfast, chicken or fish at lunch, Greek yoghurt as a snack. Small consistent changes that add up to a really significant difference.
4. Your cycle and your hormones can actually help your training when you understand them
If you are still cycling, the different phases of your menstrual cycle can actually work in your favour when you know how to use them. In the first half of your cycle your oestrogen is higher and your energy tends to be better. This is a brilliant time to push a little harder in training and your body will respond beautifully. In the second half, particularly in the week before your period, your body needs a little more rest and recovery and honouring that actually accelerates your results.
Working with this rhythm is one of the most powerful tools available to you. It is not about doing less. It is about doing the right things at the right time for your body and getting even better results because of it.
And if you are in perimenopause or menopause, understanding how your changing hormones can actually work for you in training and nutrition is something I build into every single programme I create. It makes an enormous difference.
5. It is never too late and midlife is genuinely one of the best times to start
This is the one I feel most passionately about. I hear women say all the time that they have left it too late, that their body is too far gone, that they are too old to see real change. And every single time I want to gently but firmly tell them they are completely wrong.
The women I work with who are in their 40s and 50s are some of the most motivated, most committed and most transformative clients I have ever had the privilege of coaching. They know themselves. They know what they want. They are done with quick fixes and ready for something that actually lasts. And their bodies respond. Every single time.
Your body has not given up on you. It just needs the right support, the right plan and someone in your corner who actually understands what it is going through. That is exactly what I am here for.
Ready to feel like yourself again?
If any of this resonated with you I would love to help. Head over to my services page to find out more about how we can work together, or drop me a message directly. I read every single one personally and I promise there is no hard sell, just an honest conversation about where you are and where you want to get to.
Lydia x