Most people get a surge of motivation, train really hard for two to four weeks, and then get injured, burnt out or just fed up.
I've seen it so many times.
I've worked with over 500 women since 2017, and I've been training myself for over 14 years.
These are the seven most common mistakes I see in women over 40 going through perimenopause and menopause, and what to do instead.
1. Exercising without a consistent plan
An hour-long session five times a week sounds great, until life gets busy.
Two or three 30-minute sessions a week, done consistently for a year, will get you so much further.
With every woman I work with, we choose two or three specific 30-minute slots she knows she can stick to each week.
For example, Wednesday and Friday at 7:30am, plus a Saturday or Sunday at 10am.
Consistency over six months to a year is where the magic is.
2. Relying almost entirely on cardio
How many times have you been told to just start running, or sign up for Couch to 5K?
That's absolutely fine if you enjoy running.
But I'd say around 80% of the people I've met don't want to be a runner.
Cardio is great for longevity, blood pressure and your resting heart rate.
Strength training is what helps you get stronger, tone up and feel really good in your clothes.
So treat them as two separate things.
Two or three strength sessions a week, plus a daily walk at a pace that gets your heart rate up to around 120 beats per minute, covers both.
A 30-minute evening walk also gives you some head space, so it's a win-win.
3. Doing too much too soon
If you're new to training or coming back after a break, your joints aren't used to being under a lot of pressure.
So I get the women I work with to start much easier than they expected.
For the first month, work at around 50-60% of what you can do.
You want to finish each session with energy, thinking "that actually wasn't too bad at all".
That's the feeling that brings you back next time.
In month two, feel free to push it a bit more.
4. Never increasing the challenge
This is how you get really strong.
Say the most bicep curls you can do right now with 5kg dumbbells is five.
In week one, do five sets of three reps, two to three times that week.
Week two, five sets of four.
Week three, five sets of five.
Week four, five sets of six.
It's called linear periodisation, and it simply means doing a little more each week.
Follow it for eight weeks and you'll be doing far more reps with the same weight.
My general rule of thumb: once you can do 20 reps with a weight, you're ready to move up to the next dumbbells.
5. Constantly changing exercises
Doing 20 different exercises and changing them every week won't get you very far.
Instead, choose six or seven exercises that work for your body and do them in every workout.
Follow the progression above for about eight weeks, retest, and keep going.
It's a simple pattern of repeating the same thing and getting a little stronger each time.
6. Ignoring walking and daily movement
Make walking part of your day.
Block off 30 or 60 minutes in the evening, whatever is realistic for you.
If you're busy, build it in: park a bit further away, take the long way home, walk to the shop instead of driving, or take the stairs.
Somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 steps a day is a good target, but aim for a number that's realistic for you.
7. Ignoring sleep, stress, food and recovery
Getting seven and a half to eight hours of sleep a night gives you so much more energy and helps you build muscle and recover.
You'll still make progress if you train hard and sleep badly.
But you might be progressing 40 or 50% slower than you could be.
It's the same with stress.
Keeping your stress levels low and building in some self-care all helps you progress faster.
Which one can you relate to?
You don't need to fix all seven at once.
Pick the one that sounds most like you and start there.
If you'd like some support with your training or your goals, take my 60-second goals quiz and book a free 15-minute call: https://reset.coachelan.com/