Despite a packed work schedule, journalist and Loose Women star Charlene White has made a concerted effort in recent years to prioritise an activity she credits with transforming both her physical and mental health: strength training.
‘I completely understood the concept of exercise making you feel better, but it never connected with me. It felt like a chore to add to the never-ending list of chores we must get done in everyday life,’ Charlene wrote in the i Paper in 2024.
‘But a year ago, something changed in me. I’d had enough of feeling sluggish all the time. It was less about weight loss and more about just feeling more like “me” again. Two kids in quick succession can do that.’
After speaking to a friend who ‘had gone through a sort of metamorphosis’ – not just physically, but in the way she carried herself – Charlene decided to commit to strength training.
‘She talked me through it all, but most importantly, she told me not to be afraid of it. She told me of the joy of feeling strong. From that day on, I’ve not looked back,’ Charlene wrote. ‘It’s the first time in my life that I’ve stuck with a particular exercise for a whole year and not given up.’
Why strength training finally stuck
Charlene credits the progression and ‘sense of accomplishment’ that come with weight training as key to her consistency – and one exercise in particular has helped her see just how far she’s come: squats.
‘I feel stronger, yes. I feel healthier, yes. But it’s the sense of accomplishment at succeeding in something I never thought I could that really makes me feel happy,’ she wrote.
‘When I started, I laughed in the face of heavily weighted squats – they just seemed like an impossible task I’d never crack. But my goodness, when I finally smashed through the 75kg squats this week [she’s since reached at least 100kg], I could have cried.’
Instagram / @charlenewhite
‘We often talk about women being emotionally strong, but being physically strong adds a whole new layer that I genuinely can’t imagine not having in my arsenal now. It’s a level of power that boosts mental well-being.’
Charlene also discussed the role strength training has played in her life on Loose Women last year, explaining how returning to the gym had helped her through a difficult emotional period.
‘You go back [to the gym] and realise that’s what actually makes you physically and emotionally strong enough to do stuff in life,’ she said.
And there are plenty of reasons to prioritise maintaining physical strength as we age. One recent study of more than 5,000 women aged 63–99 found that greater muscular strength was associated with a significantly lower risk of death. The researchers concluded that ‘strength and promoting its maintenance are instrumental for optimal ageing’.
Why squats are so effective
While heavy lifting, as Charlene has described, can be an effective way to build strength, squats offer plenty of benefits whatever weight you’re using – including just your body weight.
One of the ‘big five’ compound exercises, squats work multiple muscle groups at once, including your quads, glutes, hamstrings and core.
They also train a fundamental movement pattern that shows up throughout everyday life.
‘Squats are something you do every single day,’ sports scientist and strength and conditioning coach Andy Vincentpreviously told WH.
‘When you sit down onto the toilet, or onto a chair and back up again, or when you walk up a flight of stairs and come back down. Your ankles bend, your knees bend, and your hips bend – that’s the fundamental squat pattern.’
Whether you’re lifting heavy or starting with your body weight, mastering the movement first is key.
How to squat with good form
A) Rest a barbell across your upper traps and shoulders, or hold two dumbbells in a front-rack position. Stand with your feet just wider than hip-width apart and your toes turned slightly outwards. Brace your core and keep your chest lifted.
B) Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat, as though sitting into a chair. Keep your knees tracking in line with your toes and allow your torso to lean forwards naturally while maintaining a neutral spine.
C) Lower as far as you can comfortably while maintaining good form, then drive through your feet to return to standing. That’s one rep.
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Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.