No, women do not need punishing workouts<\/p>\n
\u00a0The workouts don\u2019t need to be extreme to make a difference. This assumption, is what holds women back from starting at all. It doesn\u2019t need to be intense, to be effective.<\/p>\n
\u00a0It just needs consistency. \u201cThe most beneficial approach is a combination of moderate aerobic activity, like brisk walking, cycling, swimming, strength training (to preserve muscle and bone density), flexibility and balance exercises (like yoga or Pilates),\u201d explains Dr Al Ani.<\/p>\n
\u00a0As both agree: The most protective approach is a balanced routine that includes regular cardio, like brisk walking or cycling to support heart and metabolic health, strength training a few times a week to maintain muscle and bone density, some weight-bearing movement (like walking or light jogging) for bone health, and simple balance or flexibility exercises such as yoga.<\/p>\n
\u00a0And the message both doctors repeatedly return to is simple: You need to be consistent.<\/p>\n
The ‘protective’ benefits<\/p>\n
The ‘most’ protective benefits would come from getting stronger. This requires weight training with progressive overload, explains Sarah Lindsay, founder of Dubai’s ROAR. The programs need to be periodised, monitored over several weeks to make a significant change. “This is a process that I believe can last a lifetime. Getting strong once can result in being stronger forever,” she says.<\/p>\n
It’s much easier to maintain\u00a0once you get there and your perception of effort and difficultly adjusts when you really know what your body is capable of. All this said, any and all exercise is worth doing. Even walking, movement, mobility, sport, dancing all add up.<\/p>\n
Why resistance training suddenly matters so much<\/p>\n
Resistance training sounds intimidating, but it’s really about moving your muscles against an opposing force.<\/p>\n
That force could be dumbbells, resistance bands, kettlebells, weighted balls, or simply your own body weight through movements such as squats, lunges, planks, or push-ups. It means any movement that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance. And in midlife, that muscle strength becomes critical. <\/p>\n
For years, women were encouraged to focus almost exclusively on cardio and shrinking their bodies. But doctors and trainers now stress that preserving muscle mass may be one of the most important ways women can protect themselves against ageing.<\/p>\n
Moreover, as Dr Rajul Matkar, specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist had earlier told us: Resistance training converts fat to lean muscle, which is particularly important for older women, who generally tend to lose muscle mass after turning 50, especially in the menopausal stage. They are at risk for osteoporosis. <\/p>\n
Strong muscles help support strong bones. They improve balance, stability, posture, and mobility. They reduce the risk of fractures and falls later in life.<\/p>\n
And yet, despite these benefits, midlife is often the exact stage when women stop prioritising movement altogether.<\/p>\n
Why so many women stop prioritising themselves<\/p>\n
\u00a0The reality is that midlife women are often stretched in every direction. There\u2019s work, family, children, ageing parents, household responsibilities and hormonal exhaustion. It adds up to lack of sleep. <\/p>\n
\u00a0By the end of the day, exercise can feel impossible. The result is that women often spend years putting themselves last, exactly when their health needs more support.<\/p>\n
However, Lindsay adopts a rather empathetic approach. “I don’t want to sound non empathetic to people\u2019s busy lives and I completely understand that some people are under huge stress and limited time,” she says, adding that in almost all cases the biggest barrier is that women do not prioritise themselves. “We put ourselves last on the list of who around us matters when we should be first. Nothing is more important than your health even if your reasons are so that you can take care of loved ones. Women deserve to be healthy, protect and look after themselves and of course feel good.”<\/p>\n
And so,\u00a0the smartest approach may be the most straightforward one. The doctors say women do not need dramatic overhauls or complicated fitness routines to benefit. \u201cThe easiest way for women to stay active without feeling overwhelmed is to build movement into everyday routines instead of treating it like a separate workout,\u201d says Dr Thomas.<\/p>\n
\u00a0That means small, sustainable movement counts. \u201cShort bursts of activity\u2014like 10\u201315 minute walks, taking stairs, stretching while doing chores, or moving during phone calls\u2014add up over the day and still meet health goals,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Dr Thomas describes it as a \u2018small steps often\u2019 approach,\u2019 adding that it \u201cworks better than waiting for long, dedicated workout sessions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0The advice feels almost radical in a culture that constantly tells women health must look dramatic to matter.<\/p>\n
It is never too late to begin<\/p>\n
\u00a0For women who feel they are starting late, doctors say the most important thing is simply to begin.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cThe most important step is to make regular movement a fixed part of your week that you can stick to long-term, even if it starts small,\u201d says Thomas.<\/p>\n
\u00a0In midlife, exercise becomes an investment in the next 20 or 30 years of life, \u00a0and in the woman who will one day live them.<\/p>\n
Some resistance training exercises:<\/p>\n
While lying on your side, brace your stomach.<\/p>\n
Bend your top knee and place your top foot in front of your bottom knee.<\/p>\n
Raise your lower leg off the floor. Do not bend backwards.<\/p>\n
Concentrate on keeping your core engaged and feel this on the inside of your lower leg. Repeat 10 times, and switch to the other side.<\/p>\n
Lie down on your stomach and brace the core muscles.<\/p>\n
Raise your body up on your toes and elbows.<\/p>\n
Lower your hips down until level with your shoulders. Squeeze your navel toward your spine. This engages the core. Make sure your hips stay low.<\/p>\n
Hold for 30 seconds and increase the hold to two minutes as you improve. Alternatively, you can hold for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times. The plank can be modified so you put weight on your knees instead of your toes.<\/p>\n
Make sure that you stand with your back up against a wall and your legs shoulder width apart. Place a medicine ball, or two rolled towels, between your knees.<\/p>\n
Brace your core, and pull your stomach in, towards your spine.<\/p>\n
While keeping your core engaged, slowly slide your back down the wall, until your knees are bent to approximately 60 degrees.<\/p>\n
Restricting the bending of the knee, will decrease the pressure on your knees and still work your quads. Hold in the bent position for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times. Do two sets.<\/p>\n
While you lie flat on your back, you can engage your core.<\/p>\n
Bend one leg up at the knee and keep the other leg straight. Tighten the quad muscle of your straight leg, raise it up off the floor until your thighs are parallel. Hold this position for five seconds, and then lower your leg until it almost touches the floor. Be careful not to let your back sway up off the floor. Repeat 10 times. Do two sets, and switch to the other leg.<\/p>\n
Lakshana is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist with over a decade of experience. She covers a wide range of stories\u2014from community and health to mental health and inspiring people features. <\/p>\n
A passionate K-pop enthusiast, she also enjoys exploring the cultural impact of music and fandoms through her writing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"No, women do not need punishing workouts \u00a0The workouts don\u2019t need to be extreme to make a difference.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":410971,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[565,134,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-410970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=410970"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410970\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/410971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=410970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=410970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=410970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}