Stronger after 40: Five reasons every woman should be strength training

There is a point in every woman's life where staying active stops being enough on its own. Where the body needs something more intentional, more targeted, and more specific to what is happening hormonally and physiologically. For women over 40, that something is strength training.

At Run Fit Fordingbridge, strength training is woven into almost everything we do, from our HIIT and Sweat & Condition classes to indoor cycling, Pilates and PureStretch. It isn't a separate goal sitting alongside your fitness - it is the foundation of it. And for women in Breamore, Fordingbridge, and the local New Forest area, it's something we are here to help you build.

Here's why.

Strength training

First, a word from the science

Dr Stacy Sims, exercise physiologist and leading researcher in female-specific training, is unequivocal on this point: women over 40 need to be lifting heavier and training harder, not less. As oestrogen declines through perimenopause and menopause, women develop what Sims describes as anabolic resistance, meaning your muscles become less responsive to the signals that build and maintain them. The result, if you do nothing, is a gradual loss of muscle mass, bone density, and metabolic function.

The good news is that resistance and strength-based training directly counteracts this process. You don't need to accept it as inevitable. But you do need to train with intention.

Reason 1: You'll protect your bones and your future

Bone density peaks in your late twenties to mid-thirties and begins to decline from there. For women going through perimenopause and menopause, that decline accelerates. Osteoporosis and stress fractures don't just happen to other people, they happen to active women who assumed that being fit was enough protection.

The NHS recognises strength and weight bearing exercise as an important factor in managing bone health during menopause, and the evidence is clear that doing nothing is not a neutral choice. Strength training, particularly weight-bearing and resistance work, places stress on the bones in a way that signals them to maintain and rebuild density. It is one of the most evidence-backed interventions available for long-term bone health in women, and it's something you can act on right now, in a small group class in Fordingbridge, without any specialist equipment.

This matters whether you're a runner out on the New Forest trails, a cyclist, or someone who simply wants to be strong and capable well into later life.

Reason 2: You'll become a better, more resilient runner

This is one I feel strongly about, both as a coach and as someone who runs ultra marathon distances myself. The women I coach across Breamore, Fordingbridge and the New Forest who do consistent strength work alongside their running are the ones who stay injury-free, who run more efficiently, and who feel stronger in the final miles of a long event.

The research backs this up. Strength training improves running economy, meaning you use less energy to maintain the same pace. It builds the glute, hip, and core strength that running alone doesn't develop, and those are precisely the areas that break down when training loads increase.

Dr Stacy Sims also makes a compelling case for concurrent training, the combination of strength and endurance work, as being particularly beneficial for women over 40. Rather than treating your strength sessions and your running as competing priorities, they are complementary. One makes the other better.

Reason 3: Indoor cycling, Pilates and PureStretch count, and for runners they're brilliant

Strength training doesn't mean barbells only. Indoor cycling, Pilates and PureStretch are genuinely powerful strength and conditioning tools, particularly for runners, and they're ones that tend to get overlooked.

Cycling builds quad and glute strength in a way that directly transfers to running performance. It raises cardiovascular capacity and trains your aerobic system without the repetitive impact stress that running places on your joints and soft tissue. Pilates builds the deep core strength and postural alignment that makes every run more efficient and every movement more controlled. PureStretch addresses the flexibility and mobility that active women over 40 genuinely need, keeping muscles supple, reducing injury risk, and supporting recovery between sessions.

For women who are building their running mileage in and around the New Forest, recovering from a niggle, or training for a longer event like a half marathon or beyond, all three are an intelligent addition to the training week, not a compromise.

At Run Fit Fordingbridge, our indoor cycling, Pilates and PureStretch classes are coached, structured, and designed to work alongside your other training. They are not just a way to burn calories. They are part of building a body that can do more.

Indoor cycling for strength

Reason 4: It will change your body composition more effectively than cardio alone

This is the one that surprises people most. If changing your body composition is one of your goals, hours of steady state cardio is not the most effective route. Strength training is.

The NHS acknowledges that weight gain, particularly around the middle, is a common and frustrating experience during menopause, and that regular exercise including strength work plays an important role in managing this. Understanding why helps. Muscle tissue is metabolically active, meaning it burns more calories at rest than fat tissue does. Building and maintaining muscle mass through resistance training raises your resting metabolism, supports fat loss, and improves insulin sensitivity. Research cited by Dr Stacy Sims shows that women who combine strength training with appropriate nutrition see significantly better body composition outcomes than those relying on cardio alone.

This doesn't mean abandoning the activities you love, whether that's running the New Forest trails, cycling, or attending classes at the studio in Breamore, Fordingbridge. It means adding strength work as the foundation that makes everything else more effective.

waist measurement

Reason 5: The mental and psychological benefits are just as significant

I've seen this with my own eyes, in every class I teach and every woman I coach, there is something that shifts when a woman realises she is stronger than she thought she was. That she can do things she didn't believe were possible six weeks ago. That her body, at whatever age and stage, is capable and adaptable.

The research on strength training and mental wellbeing is compelling. Regular resistance training is associated with reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, improved sleep quality, and greater overall confidence. The NHS recognises that menopause can have a significant impact on mood, sleep and mental wellbeing, and exercise is highlighted as one of the most effective tools for managing these symptoms. For women across Breamore, Fordingbridge and the New Forest navigating perimenopause and menopause, a phase of life that can feel destabilising in many ways, having a consistent strength practice provides a sense of agency and physical confidence that extends well beyond the studio.

So where do you start?

If you're new to strength training, or returning after a long break, the most important thing is to start somewhere manageable and build from there. At Run Fit Fordingbridge, our FitStart programme is designed precisely for this, a small group of maximum 4 women, coached in every session, that builds confidence and technique before you step into regular classes.

If you're already active but want to understand how to add in strength work alongside your running or other activities, a Let's Chat consultation is a good starting point. We can look at what you're currently doing, what your goals are, and how to put it all together in a way that fits your life.

Our small group classes in Fordingbridge, including HIIT, Sweat & Condition, and indoor cycling, are all 7 people or less and coached in every session. You will never be left to figure it out on your own.

Strength training for women over 40 isn't optional. It's one of the most important investments you can make in your long-term health, your running, and your quality of life. And it doesn't have to be complicated.

About the Author

I'm the founder of Run Fit Fordingbridge, a boutique fitness studio based in Breamore, serving women across Breamore, Fordingbridge and the local New Forest area. I'm a qualified nurse, personal trainer, sports massage therapist and England Athletics Endurance Event Coach. I have coached women of all ages and abilities through everything from beginners running courses to ultra marathon events. I run ultra marathon distances myself, with recent events including the Jordan Ultra Challenge in Wadi Rum. My approach to coaching and fitness is rooted in the belief that every woman is capable of more than she thinks, and that training should fit your life, not the other way around. At Run Fit Fordingbridge we offer small group fitness classes, run coaching, sports massage and wellness sessions, all designed to help women feel stronger, healthier and more confident in their own skin.

About the author

References

NHS (2024) Menopause. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/

Sims, S.T. (2022) Roar: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health and a Strong Body for Life. Revised edition. Rodale Press.

Sims, S.T. & Huberman, A. (2024) Dr. Stacy Sims: Female-Specific Exercise & Nutrition for Health, Performance & Longevity. Huberman Lab Podcast, 22 July. Available at: https://www.hubermanlab.com

Westcott, W.L. (2012) Resistance training is medicine: Effects of strength training on health. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 11(4), pp. 209-216.