Thankfully, the notion that you are over the hill once you hit 40 has gone out of fashion.<\/p>\n
This decade can bring plenty of positives, but one downside is a gradual loss of muscle mass, which affects everything from your metabolism to your mobility and strength.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The best way to offset this is by resistance training\u2014lifting weights or using your bodyweight to rebuild strength and muscle, support your joints and stop your metabolism from slowing down.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need complicated moves, a new gym membership or fancy equipment to do this\u2014a simple set of home dumbbells is enough to make a difference.<\/p>\n Carly Harvey<\/a> is a trainer who specializes in helping women over 40 build strength and confidence, and recommends this four-move routine for beginners.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s perfect for women 40 and above who want to build lean muscle to support weight management and improve joint aches that are heightened in the peri and menopause phase of life,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n How to do the dumbbell workout<\/p>\n The workout in brief<\/p>\n Goblet squat: 3 x 10Shoulder press: 3 x 10Bent-over row: 3 x 10Chest press: 3 x 101. Goblet squat<\/p>\n Sets: 3 Reps: 10<\/p>\n Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing out, holding the weights in front of your chest.Inhale as you bend your knees and push your hips back to slowly lower.Pause when your thighs are parallel to the floor.Exhale as you push through your feet to stand.<\/p>\n Trainer tips: Imagine you\u2019re lowering yourself into a chair when you squat. Move slowly, taking two seconds to lower and keep your center of gravity over your heels throughout.<\/p>\n 2. Shoulder press<\/p>\n Sets: 3 Reps: 10<\/p>\n Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells by your shoulders with palms facing forward and elbows out to the sides.Engage youre core<\/a> then exhale as you push the dumbbells overhead, straightening your arms.Pause for one second.Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells back to the start3. Bent-over row<\/p>\n Sets: 3 Reps: 10<\/p>\n Stand with your feet hip-width apart, core engaged<\/a>, holding dumbbells by your sides.Engage your core and, keeping a flat back and shoulders pulled back throughout, hinge forward at your hips to lower your torso toward the floor to roughly 45\u00b0.Exhale as you bend your elbows to pull the weights up to your waist, squeezing your shoulder blades together.Pause for one second.Inhale as you slowly lower the weights.4. Chest press<\/p>\n Sets: 3 Reps: 10<\/p>\n Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding dumbbells by your chest, with your elbows bent and upper arms on the floor.Exhale as you push the weights straight up.Pause for one second.Inhale as you lower the weights back the start.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s best dumbbells deals<\/p>\n