I turn 41 this month and I’m officially in my season of strength.

Don’t get me wrong I still enjoy the occasional HIIT cardio session where I push myself through an intense, heart-racing, quad-burning workout but in the past couple of years I’ve started to lean more towards strength training.

“It feels better in my body”

I think the main reason I’m lifting more weights is because it just feels better on my body. The fast, high-rep, and high-energy stuff I’ve done all through my 30’s felt good at the time and I loved it. I bounced around, it energised me, I got a huge buzz from it and my joints could handle it.

I just calculated that across my YouTube channel and The Body Coach app alone I have filmed and shared over 2,000 workouts. That’s not including all the live events, school tours and workouts I’ve done by myself off camera. That means I’ve easily done tens of thousands of lunge jumps, squat jumps, ice skaters and burpees over the past 10 years.

"I recover quicker"

Today though I feel like that repetitive impact just isn’t welcomed by my tendons, ligaments, joints or muscles anymore. By slowing reps down and focusing on the tempo, control and form of each exercise I just feel like everything moves and feels better and I recover quicker.

I’m lifting more weight than ever which is a sign that I’m getting stronger. I’m (fingers crossed) currently injury-and pain-free which is wonderful. I’ve gradually and progressively increased the weight over time whilst doing less volume and less of the bouncy, bouncy plyometric stuff I’m famous for.

I guess I’m also thinking more long-term now too. I want to have good joint health and mobility for the future, so strength training feels most suitable for me to achieve that long-term goal.

"I'm in the season of slow plodding"

This gradual mindset shift towards training has also affected the way I run. I used to love a tough challenge like running a sub-20 minute 5K. Now the idea of that feels like hell and just unnecessary. I’m in the season of slow plodding and love nothing more than a gentle 40-minute 5K pace. I want the mental health and mood-boosting benefits of movement without the physical impact, fatigue or wear and tear.

“Strength training will still be a staple part of my physical activity in 10 years”

I imagine 10 years from now I’ll be writing another blog about the next season of my life and how I am adapting things but one thing I am certain of is that strength training will still be a staple part of my physical activity.

Why? Because…

Strength training is one of the best things we can do to help keep our bodies strong as we get older. Research shows that regular muscle-strengthening activity is associated with a lower risk of dying from any cause, and it can help us maintain muscle mass and strength as we age.

It can also help maintain strong bones, improve balance and physical function, and support our joints. Building and maintaining muscle can have benefits for our metabolic and cardiovascular health too, including improving insulin sensitivity and helping to manage blood pressure.

"The benefits aren’t just physical"

And the benefits aren’t just physical. Strength training can support our mental health too, with research linking it to improvements in symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as sleep.

As you can see the benefits of lifting are huge and so important for a healthy mind and body. Whatever stage you are at now in your fitness journey, do your best to incorporate some strength training into your life, your body will thank you for it later.

For help and support and a plan to follow, check out my Strength in Menopause Series or Joe and Rosie’s Strength Challenge in the app.