Your 6 best strength exercises for mid-life
Many of the clients I meet are confused about their different exercise options, and which they should be doing at this time of their lives.
While all exercise can be a bonus, there’s one type that’s especially important - strength training.
So here’s a quick explanation of what it is, plus my top 6 recommendations.
What is strength training?
Strength training simply means using resistance to build stronger muscles (and bones).
This resistance could be your own bodyweight (think push-ups or pull-ups), a resistance band, free weights such as dumbbells and kettlebells or fixed equipment at the gym.
Women need to strength train from the age of 30 onwards, as we start losing muscle mass from that time. This loss peaks three years prior to the menopause (and during one year afterwards), but the good news is there’s lots we can do about it!
And it brings lots of benefits, because not only can we feel fitter now, but weaker muscles and bones can cause problems later on in life, and you’ll be helping to reduce the effects of related conditions like sarcopenia or osteoporosis.
How much do I need to do?
Women need 2-3 strength sessions per week and these only need to be 20-30 minutes each.
So think 4-6 exercises x three sets after a mobility warm-up.
The heavier the weights the fewer the reps so it really is an efficient workout. Just make sure you inhale on the way down (e.g. a squat or push-up) and exhale on the way back up, to activate your core properly and take your pelvic floor with you on your strength journey!
For me, strength is about functional movements that we all carry out every day and that use lots of muscles at the same time. With that in mind, here are my top 6:
1) Squat
The squat is the king of all exercises and it uses several main muscle groups including the quads, hamstrings and glutes. The squat is a functional movement that we all do every day such as sitting down and getting up from a chair or toilet. To get the most out of it, focus on:
Keeping the feet hip-width and sending the hips back as if you’re about to sit down on a chair, aiming to keep the knees and hips in line.
Aligning the knees with the toes so that the knees don’t cave in.
Maintaining a neutral spine with an open chest and your core (the central part of your body) engaged.
Variations: sumo squat (toes turned out), single-leg squat and squat jumps.
2) Hinge
The hinge is another great functional move that is often misunderstood. Whilst the squat uses a bend at the knees, the hinge moves from the hip crease. This means that the squat uses more quad muscles whereas the hinge uses more hamstring and glutes as well as the back muscles aka the posterior chain.
If you’re new to this move, start off using light weights until you’ve got the movement pattern down and then add heavier weights. To get the most out of it, focus on:
Keeping the legs hip-width and straight with a soft bend in the knees.
Folding from the hips and tucking the pelvis under slightly.
Maintaining a neutral spine and the core engaged.
Variation: split squat, Romanian deadlift and single-leg Romanian deadlift.
3) Lunge
The lunge is a great unilateral exercise that will benefit everyday movement such as walking and running. It’s also a helpful exercise for noticing any muscle imbalances between the left and right sides. To get the most out of it, focus on:
Keeping the feet straight and the knee over the ankle.
Maintaining a neutral spine and the core engaged.
Leaning slightly forwards in order to engage the glutes more on the front leg.
Variation: side lunges, forward and reverse lunge and jumping lunges, also step-ups.
4) Pull
Pull moves work several muscles in the upper and middle back including the lats. They are useful for improving posture and balancing out strong and/or tight chest muscles. In order to do a basic pull move such as the single-arm bent over row, focus on:
Stand in a split-squat hinge position with a neutral spine and core lightly engaged.
Drive the elbow back and up in order to activate the big lats muscle.
Exhale on effort i.e. when pulling back.
Variation: rows can be combined with a plank into renegade rows (using two dumbbells) or done seated with a resistance band around the feet.
Push
Push moves use the chest (pec) muscles as well as the shoulders and arms (triceps). One common push exercise is the chest press and you can use dumbbells at home in order to do this exercise.
During a chest press, it’s also possible to lift the feet off the floor into tabletop in order to get core activation as well. To get the most out of it, focus on:
Starting lying supine with the knees bent and the feet on the floor.
Bending at the elbows and bringing the dumbbells close to the chest.
Driving the arms straight up and away from the chest.
Variation: push-ups, front and lateral raises and overhead presses are other examples of push exercises.
Plank
Plank is the final functional movement and I like to include side plank here in order to also cover the rotational or transverse plane of motion.
The key is to find and maintain one long strong line i.e. the plank is a full-body exercise. To get the most out of it, focus on:
Spread the fingers and pushing the ground away while sending the heels back.
Go into posterior pelvic tilt i.e. tucking the tailbone under and squeezing the glutes.
Engage the core throughout.
Variation: plank on your knees, spiderman plank, mountain climbers and side plank.
Final handy tips
If you can, aim to do at least two strength sessions per week which include the above functional movements.
Your number of reps/time will depend on your fitness and amount of weight used but as a general guide, you can start by doing 30-40 seconds per exercise, times three sets.
Once you increase the weight, reduce the number of reps to 8-12.
The heavier the load, the lower the rep range. (Remembering to inhale on the way down and exhale on the way up, in order to build a functional pelvic floor!)
If you’d like specialist, 1:1 support to help you to make healthy changes during the perimenopause, get in touch, I’d love to chat.
