Women age differently to men.  Menopause, with hormonal change often starting in your 40’s, results in changes at cell level, and its fast as a speeding bullet.

Menopause can feel like you went flabby and got a spare tyre overnight. Or maybe you just notice you’re weaker. 

Previously, you might have been able to reverse this by dropping a few treats and taking a few moderate workouts.  But here’s why that might not work after 40. 

Oestrogen for women is like testosterone for men.  It gives you strength.  

As Oestrogen drops in menopause, your moderate 60min sweaty zumba, bums & tums, aquarobics or treadmill may not be enough to combat the loss in muscle strength. 

As you lose muscle, your metabolic rate drops.  That means you burn less energy every day, so you store more of what you eat.  And that gets worse with every month that you don’t exercise for strength. 

In addition, exhaustive long gym or workout sessions can create inflammation or irritation in the body, leaving you with that “tired but restless” feeling. You’ve also got to consider the rise in stress which stimulates cortisol, making your fat cells even more greedy to store your food. 

Strength or women doesn’t have to be lifting lumps of iron.  Many would argue – me included – that lifting lumps of iron is for men’s bodies & minds, and doesn’t suit ours.

Your strength can be cardiovascular strength.  

Or using your own gorgeous bodyweight effectively. 

• Your workout key is FAILURE.  Go to the point that you find really really hard, regularly.  (This should not cause pain.)
• Do this in INTERVALS, 45secs max, then repeat. Short intensive bursts of exercise, repeated, done with good form, so you really feel it.  Every one should be a challenge.
• And your workouts should be SHORT – 30 mins max.  

This will be more effective for your fat loss after 40, than a moderate walk / run. 

All of this in conjunction with a fabulous healthy diet, of course, and plenty of daily base movement. 

I’ve built a series of “FAT MELTER” Interval Workouts in On Demand Workouts with Noelle.  Members are loving them.