10-22-2023 12:52am

5 Reasons Why Women over Age 40 Need to Strength Train (Updated)

Darlene Cancell Editor

By Erin Colleran

I see it all the time, I tell my female clients to bring a mat and dumbbells to class and they bring 3 to 5-pound dumbbells. I speak to them about how strong they actually are, and I offer my heavier weights. Why? Because I know they can lift more. They just don’t know it yet.

I know that when a 45-pound first-grader is crying from a scraped knee, my client can pick up the child and carry the child into the house. Yet, when women come to my class, they bring the lightest weights they can find, as that is what they think they can and should be lifting. There is such a gap between what women are capable of lifting and what they think they are able to do.

That thought process needs to change. Why is giving women confidence in strength training so important? Because strength training for women is not just about the way we look. It’s literally lifesaving as we age. Sure, it’s nice to have a bit more definition in our arms and legs, but really, it’s critical for creating the body we can confidently grow older in.

Below are five reasons why women over 40 need to strength train:

1. Decrease Muscle Loss

On average, sedentary women lose between 3 to 8 percent of their muscle every decade after 30 years old, with the decline increasing during perimenopause and post-menopause. This decline can lead to an increased risk of falls and injuries as well as just overall weakness. Lifting weights can help preserve that muscle or even reverse any loss as you gain muscle mass.

2. Increase Bone Density

After 40, women lose an average of 0.4% bone density per year. Decreased bone density can lead to osteoporosis, especially post-menopause. Lifting weights actually makes your bones stronger. It helps maintain bone density and ward off osteoporosis.

3. Increase Functional Movement

Lifting can help improve physical function in simple everyday activities like carrying in groceries from the car, getting down on the floor to play with children or grandchildren, walking up the stairs, or carrying a heavy item. These are all daily functions that we need to be able to do with ease, well into our 80s. So, doing them now with weights allows us to do that. Strength training preserves that ability to move and improves our quality of life as we age.

4. Improve Quality of Life

Having strong muscles lowers the risk of pain in our backs, shoulders and necks. Lifting weights can improve hot flashes and night sweats, and improve quality of sleep and mental health for women during perimenopause and menopause.

5. Mitigate Weight Gain

As we age, we tend to move less. A common misconception is that cardio is the way to go for weight loss. I see it in the gym all the time - the men are lifting weights and the majority of women are on the elliptical, treadmill, or stair machine. There’s a misconception among the way women are going about their weight loss. While cardio is important for overall heart health, lifting weights is the best option for mitigating the middle age weight gain.

It’s never too late. I hear women say it all the time, feeling as if they are too old to start lifting weights now, but it’s actually the exact opposite. It’s because you are aging that strength training becomes critical for your overall well-being. Strength training is one of the most powerful things a woman over 40 can do to stay healthy and strong, especially as she enters menopause.

Thanks to Erin Colleran, owner of Colleran Coaching, for contributing this article to Westwood Minute. She teaches bootcamp and strength training classes throughout Westwood and can be reached at collerancoaching@gmail.com.

Updated 10/22/2023 at 1:31 p.m.