5 Reasons Women Should Lift Weights – Especially Over 40 | Le Coach Fitness

Women lifting heavy weights isn’t about following the latest health trend. It’s about biology and understanding how the female body changes with age. So that women can build physical strength, mental resilience and independence to support them long term.

Here’s why strength training for women becomes increasingly important with age.

Strength Training For Women Over 40 

1. To Protect Muscle As You Age

Once women enter their 40s muscle doesn’t just disappear overnight. However without sufficient challenge it steadily declines. Particularly during perimenopause and menopause as oestrogen drops and the body becomes less efficient at maintaining muscle mass.

Over time, this muscle loss (also known as Sarcophenia) directly affects strength, balance and everyday capability. So for this reason alone, women should lift heavy weights.

It doesn’t need to be to a female bodybuilder extent, just enough progressive loading to give muscle a reason to stick around. 

2. To Support Bone Strength

The same drop in oestrogen levels also reduces bone density. Over time, this significantly increases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Without regularly lifting heavy things, bones just gradually lose strength. Particularly in vulnerable areas such as the hips and spine.

Progressively lifting heavier weights places controlled ‘good’ stress on the skeleton. The science behind this is because it stimulates osteoblast activity to reinforce bone mineral density. 

3. To Maintain Metabolism and Body Composition

As women get older, weight management often becomes harder. This is because as muscle mass decreases, metabolic rate follows it. In other words, having less muscle means the body burns less energy - crucially even at rest.

Lifting heavier weights therefore not only helps preserve muscle, but has the direct effect of using more energy. It’s a way more sustainable approach to weight loss especially when the goal is long term overall health too.

4. To Strengthen Joints and Reduce Aches

It’s a common fear that lifting weights damages joints. In reality, it’s simply not true. The science is that controlled resistance strengthens the muscles, ligaments and tendons that stabilise them.

Therefore with proper technique and progression, strength training will in fact reduce aches rather than cause them. Strengthening the core and glute muscles in particular has a direct link to improving back and knee pain. 

5. To Support Hormones, Mood and Confidence

Strength training for women a few times per week helps the female body handle hormonal changes better. Because not only does it support steadier energy levels, it improves blood sugar regulation which both have a positive impact on a mood. 

Beyond the physical benefits, lifting weights also builds confidence, giving many women a stronger sense of control in all areas of life as their bodies change. It’s less about chasing PB’s and more about feeling capable, which is why it matters so much for women over 40.

At Le Coach Fitness, lifting weights is approached with structure, progression and high standards. If you’re based around Cambridge and you’d benefit from more guidance with your training, our personal trainers can help you build strength properly from the start.