For years, I thought I understood my body.
I started going to the gym at 36. With a coach, consistent training, and better nutrition, I went from 73kg to 58kg in about six months.
I felt strong. I felt capable. And then, a year later, I signed up for a 21K trail run despite having absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. 😂
That one decision somehow turned into years of trail running, road races, and eventually ultras.
I never planned for any of it.
But I loved what my body could do.
Then my 40s happened.
After almost 10 years of staying active, I started noticing changes I couldn’t simply “work off.”
My weight began creeping up even though I was still strength training and paying attention to what I ate.
Then a knee injury forced me to step away from trail running and racing.
At the same time, life became heavier in other ways. Family responsibilities increased, stress changed, and suddenly I wasn’t able to train the way I used to.
And then there’s perimenopause.
Stress. Aging. Hormonal changes. Biology.
Things that don’t always show up in your workout log.
Things you can’t necessarily fix by adding another workout or eating less.
For a while, I found myself wondering:
“Why isn’t my body responding the way it used to?”
Maybe you’ve asked yourself the same question.
Maybe you’re in your 40s, doing your best to stay active, but the scale isn’t cooperating.
Maybe your recovery takes longer. Your energy feels different. Your body composition is changing. Exercises that used to feel easy suddenly require more recovery.
And perhaps, like me, you’ve started wondering if you’re simply not trying hard enough.
But what if that’s not the problem?
What if we’re judging our current bodies using rules that worked for a completely different season of our lives?
That doesn’t mean we stop caring about our health.
Quite the opposite.
We still need to move. We still need to build strength. We still need good nutrition, adequate recovery, and habits that support our health.
But maybe the goal needs to evolve.
In my 30s, I was very focused on what my body could look like.
In my 40s, I’m becoming more interested in what my body can do.
Can I lift something heavy?
Can I walk for hours?
Can I still run when my knee allows it?
Can I keep my independence as I get older?
Can I build enough strength and resilience to carry me through another 40 years?
Those questions matter more to me now than simply seeing a smaller number on the scale.
Fitness in midlife isn’t about giving up.
It’s about adjusting.
Maybe we train differently.
Maybe we recover more.
Maybe we stop punishing ourselves for needing to slow down.
Maybe we learn that consistency doesn’t always mean doing the same thing every week. Sometimes consistency means adapting and still showing up.
And most importantly, maybe we stop treating our changing bodies like they’re doing something wrong.
They’re not.
They’re changing because we’re changing.
So if you’re in your 40s and finding fitness a little different these days, sis, you’re not alone.
Don’t automatically assume you’re lazy.
Don’t assume you’ve lost your discipline.
Don’t assume you’ve failed.
Learn your body again.
Train it. Nourish it. Rest it. Respect it.
AND KEEP GOING!
Because this chapter isn’t about becoming the youngest or smallest version of ourselves.
It’s about becoming a strong, healthy, capable woman who can enjoy the next chapter of her life.
And honestly?
That’s a goal worth training for. ❤️
Padayon, sis. 💪
So much of this rings true for me. I’m 36 now and have been going to the gym for just over a year. I like how you’ve mentioned about being more interested in what your body can do rather than what it looks like. I feel like I’m very much in this mindset too. I think it’s genuinely interesting to see what we’re capable of. Keep going girl!!
Claire.X
http://www.clairemac.co.uk
you go girl!! keep going! When fitness becomes a part of your daily life, your body will crave for it 🙂
This is something a lot of women need to read. As we age our bodies change different eras mean different things, we need to look at the here and now rather than try to cling onto our 20’s it is about embracing our bodies and working with where we are now
Amen to that!! It takes awareness on what’s really going on with our bodies so it’s easier to embrace it and not get too hard on ourselves.
This was such a good reminder that our bodies can change as we get older, and sometimes our fitness routines need to change right along with them. I love the focus on listening to your body instead of being so hard on yourself when something that worked before no longer works the same way.
Super true! there were a lot of things I can do before in terms of routines and level of lifting that I find hard to do or finish at this point in my life. 😀 But we keep on pushing! The goal is to stay strong and capable!
I’m only 36 (almost 37) but after having a baby last year I’ve gotten so bad with exercise. Even though I have equipment at home I just haven’t found a routine that works yet for working out, I really need to as I know it will get harder the older I get x
Well done on losing weight with consistent training and better nutrition. It takes a lot of motivation, determination and perseverance to achieve that! Perhaps you could send some of that my way!
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
I love this post so much! The things we could do in our 20s are not the things we can do in our 40s. That goes for how fast our bodies react to stimulus, as well.
It’s so important to remember this! Just because things are different doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. Our bodies change on a basic cellular level as we age. Things do not stay the same.
Your body does change so much as you age, so it makes sense that your fitness would also change! Thank you for sharing all of these changes – they are useful to learn before I turn 40.
This is so very true and it does get harder as we creep closer to perimenopause and then ultimately menopause, I am struggling with the weight gain effects of it…. especially around my middle…but learning to love myself regardless. I have been practicing Tai Chi and loving the result lately in addition to walking, hiking and bike riding.
Oh wow! thank you for sharing! Glad that I am not alone experiencing this weight gain effect of perimenopause. It’s been a struggle so I thought myself to be patient and be reminded that this is just a phase. I have always been curious about Tai Chi!