From Cardio Bunny to Strong

What finally worked for my 40+ Body

For years, I lived on endorphins. I walked miles. I did yoga. I cycled. Even when I had a gym membership, I spent most of my time on the treadmills, cross-trainers, and the stepper. If it spiked my heart rate and made me sweat, I considered it “healthy.”

My excuses for avoiding weights sounded sensible enough: “It’s boring.” “I don’t want to bulk up” or purely “I don’t like it”, Translation: I didn’t understand my hormones, my nervous system, or what a female body over 35 needs to stay strong.

Then my body sent the first memo.

At 35, yoga became my religion, until the little niggles arrived. The repetitive angles, the same ranges. My hips whispered. My shoulders muttered. Then I tried acro yoga, and boom, strength met flexibility. When you can hold yourself, you stop compensating. Clean strength unlocks clean range.

Then came the not-so-gentle wake-up call: a full sciatica attack. The pain was unbearable. Physio looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Your core is weak.” I laughed, but his exercises made a whole difference. I found Pilates the week after. Within months, the change was mind-blowing. Pain calmed. Posture sharpened. I loved it so much that I qualified to teach yoga.

And then 40+ hit, hormones shifted, and perimenopause knocked on the door with that “we need to talk” face. My body softened, then there was the fatigue, the slower recovery, the random injuries from doing nothing. My body was crystal clear: cardio-only Katka wasn’t going to cut it anymore. I started a daily rehab routine to fix my shoulder and wrist issues and never looked back. The message was clear. I needed muscle. I needed a load. I needed a different approach.

I still don’t like gyms, but I love training at home - short, focused resistance sessions a few times a week, consistency is the key! A habit that has become a non-negotiable part of my ritual, and that has changed in a new identity.

This blog is for the women who are where I was: committed, health-conscious, and still missing the one lever that changes everything after 35 - strength.

Why Women 35+ must lift (I mean "lift" loosely; body weight exercises are the best)

1) Hormones after 35 aren’t the same game. The Perimenopause/Menopause Shift: Why Strength Changes the Game

From our mid-30s onward, estrogen and progesterone start to fluctuate. That affects how we recover, how we sleep, where we store fat, our mood, and our stress tolerance. Insulin sensitivity also tends to drift - hello, afternoon crashes and belly storage. Without a clear “keep muscle” signal, we slowly lose it (sarcopenia), along with bone density and joint integrity.

Resistance training is that signal. It helps your body use glucose more efficiently (more muscle = more storage capacity), stabilises blood sugar, and reduces the inflammatory chaos that manifests as fatigue, cravings, and mental fog.

2) Muscle is protective, not cosmetic

We’ve been sold “tone” as a look. Forget the look. Think function. Muscle is designed to protect joints, stabilise the spine, and shield you from injuries. Lifting builds connective tissue resilience, which is exactly what a body over 40 craves if you want to keep moving well.

3) Bones need load or they weaken - full stop

Women lose bone density at their fastest in the years around menopause. Weight-bearing and resistance training are the most powerful levers you have to stimulate osteoblasts (bone-building cells). Yoga helps with balance and mobility; weights and impact protect you from fractures.

4) You won’t “bulk”

The myth that lifting makes you bulky is outdated. I am sure people who spend hours in the gym and eat tons of protein would love to bulk up easily. Hypertrophy requires a specific surplus of calories, high training volumes, and favourable hormonal profiles. Most women over 35 struggle to build enough muscle, not too much. What you’ll notice: you get denser, tighter, stronger, and your clothes fit better.

What I noticed once I started to add resistance to my movement:

• Sciatica vanished.

• Daily movement felt better. I could pick up bags, dogs, life - without bracing for pain.

• Mobility and flexibility improved. Strong tissues move cleanly.

• No more energy crashes. Blood sugar felt steadier.

• My weight stabilised even without obsessing over calories.

• Confidence rose. Not the “look at me” kind. The quiet kind that changes how you walk into a room.

The Science, Simplified

Blood sugar balance (insulin sensitivity) When your muscles contract, they act like sponges  - pulling sugar out of your blood and into the cell for fuel. The more muscle you have, the easier this process is. Result: steadier energy, fewer crashes, and easier weight management.

Building & keeping muscle (protein synthesis) Strength training sends a clear signal to your body: repair and grow. After 35, that signal needs to be louder and more consistent; otherwise, you naturally start losing muscle.

Hormone support Lifting helps balance estrogen and testosterone, boosts growth and repair hormones, and lowers long-term stress hormones (cortisol). Translation: more energy, better recovery, less inflammation.

Brain & mood Strength work increases “brain fertiliser” (BDNF), which supports focus, mood, and memory. It also boosts confidence and lowers anxiety. Feeling strong in your body changes how you show up everywhere else in life.

The best part? You don’t need hours in a gym. You need a bit of resistance, done consistently, with a focus on progression.

How I Train Now (and How You Can Start)

I train at home 2–3 times per week for 20–35 minutes. No fancy gear - just dumbbells or bands and your own body. Pilates stays in as the “integrity glue” for alignment and core.

The patterns that matter

Forget complicated splits. Hit these human movements weekly:

• Squat (sit/stand strength)

• Hinge (hip drive: deadlifts, hip thrusts, bridges)

• Push (horizontal/vertical: pushups, presses)

• Pull (rows, pull-aparts)

• Anti-rotation/Core (Pallof press, dead bug, side plank)

How does this play with your cycle and perimenopause?

• Follicular phase (and days you feel robust): Push intensity. Heavier loads, lower reps.

• Late luteal or low-energy days: Keep the movement, but dial intensity down. Focus on quality reps, more Pilates, breath, walking.

• Sleep > everything: Lifting on 5 hours of sleep is a stressor. On those days, move gently and prioritise recovery.

Stop Guessing: Journal & Track The Basics

Our minds are expert storytellers. They will lie to protect our habits. “I sleep fine.” “I don’t snack that much.” “I move plenty.” Cute… but not data.

If you want the truth, track. Not forever—long enough to calibrate.

What to track ( 2–5 minutes/day ):

• Sleep: time in bed, wake-ups, how rested you feel (1–5).

• Energy & mood: morning/afternoon/evening (1–5).

• Cycle stage or menopausal symptoms: hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety spikes, cravings.

• Food basics: when you ate, roughly what, how you felt 1–2 hours later (energised, sleepy, ravenous, satisfied).

• Training & walks: what you did, for how long, and how it felt (RPE 1–10).

• Cravings & crashes: note time of day and what preceded them.

  
  

Weekly reflection prompts:

• What gave me the best energy this week?

• When did I sleep best?

• What triggered the crashes?

• What small change made a big difference?

• What do I want to repeat next week?

  
  

This is how you stop being “good” or “bad” and start being effective.

Nutrition basics that support strength (without turning this into a diet blog)

• Aim for adequate protein daily. As a general guide, many active women feel better around 1.2–1.6 g/kg bodyweight spread across meals.

• Hydrate properly. (You already know I’m big on water quality.)

• Don’t fear carbs around training - they help performance and recovery.

  
  

If you weigh 60 kg, that’s 72–96 g of protein daily. Split across meals, that’s 25–35 g per meal.

What 25–35 g of protein looks like:

• Eggs: 4–5 whole eggs ≈ 24–30 g

• Chicken breast (cooked): ~120 g (a decent palm) ≈ 35–38 g

• Salmon (cooked): ~130 g ≈ 30 g

• Lean beef (cooked): ~120 g ≈ 30–33 g

• Greek yoghurt (strained, ~10%): 300 g ≈ 30 g

• Cottage cheese: 300 g ≈ 30–35 g

• Firm tofu: 250–300 g ≈ 25–30 g

• Tempeh: 200–220 g ≈ 30–35 g

• Lentils (cooked): 2 cups ≈ 34–36 g (note: also brings carbs/fibre)

• Protein shake: quality whey/plant scoop ≈ 20–30 g (use as a tool, not a crutch)

  
  

Carbs aren’t the Villain (Use them like an adult)

Carbs are fuel and fibre—not a moral failing.

• Fuel: They power movement and the brain. If you train or live an active life, carbs help performance and recovery.

• Fibre: They move food through the gut, feed your microbiome, and help regulate appetite and estrogen metabolism.

  
  

Choose mostly “whole” sources: potatoes, rice, oats, quinoa, fruit, legumes, root veg. Pair them with protein and fat to slow the rise in blood sugar. If afternoon crashes are your norm, look at your breakfast: is it protein-poor and carb-heavy? Fix that first. Your 3 p.m. self will thank you.

This isn’t a food blog. You don’t need macros tattooed on your forearm. You need enough protein, sane carbs, decent fats, real water, and consistency.

If You’re New or Coming Back After Injury

Start slow. Master the technique before adding load. Use ranges you can control. Pain is feedback, not a personality trait. If you have specific conditions, get cleared and work with someone who understands female physiology over 35. And please don’t copy a 22-year-old’s HIIT-and-salad routine and call it “balance.” Your body deserves more respect than that.

What changes when you add strength (Without making fitness four personality)

• You move like a competent human. Groceries, suitcases, dogs—no drama.

• Your joints feel supported. Less random pain. Less fear of “tweaks.”

• Flexibility improves because tissues are stronger. Stretching finally sticks.

• Blood sugar steadies. Fewer crashes. Better mood. More stable weight.

• Sleep often improves. The nervous system calms when you train smart, not frantic.

• Confidence rises. Quiet, grounded, earned.

  
  

I didn’t get “bulky.” I got solid. Capable. My body finally feels like an ally again.

If you’re in peri or post: A few ground rules

• Progress, not punishment. Heavy is relative. The signal matters more than the spectacle.

• Recovery is the training. Guard sleep like a hawk. If you’re running on fumes, scale intensity.

• Cycle-aware (if still cycling): Push a little more in follicular; be kinder in late luteal. In menopause, let readiness guide the dial.

• Stack habits. Hydrate first thing. Walk daily. Lift a few times a week. Breathe on purpose. Eat enough protein. That’s 95% of the win.

  
  

The Big Point

Cardio gave me sweat. Strength gave me stability. In my 40s, stability is the magic that lets everything else work - yoga feels better, walking feels lighter, and my nervous system finally exhaled. I don’t chase intensity anymore. I court consistency.

Want the Structure Done For You?

This is why I built my Wellness Programme: a practical, no-fluff framework for women who want results without turning their lives upside down. You’ll get:

• A simple resistance training progression you can do at home (short, effective, repeatable).

• Weekly Pilates foundations for alignment and core integrity.

• Breathwork and nervous system tools so recovery actually happens.

• Hydration and real-food guidance (with protein in real terms, like above).

• Journaling & tracking templates so you can stop guessing and see what truly works for your body.

  
  

If you’re done with myths and ready for receipts, join us. Your body isn’t broken - it’s asking for better inputs and honest feedback. Add the strength. Track the truth. The rest stabilises.