Strength Training After Forty: What Changed
Three sessions a week, two years in. What has improved, what has not and what I would tell my younger self.
I started lifting weights at forty-one, mostly out of irritation at not being able to open a jar. Two years on, I can open the jar. I can also carry both shopping bags in one go, take stairs two at a time and get out of a low chair without a noise.
What has changed:
- Strength. The obvious one, and the most satisfying. Numbers go up, slowly, and so does confidence.
- Posture. Standing taller without thinking about it.
- Sleep. Deeper, and with fewer wake-ups.
- Mood. Steadier. I am less reactive and more patient.
What has not: I am not dramatically leaner, and I do not look transformed. The benefits are mostly invisible, and they are all the better for it.
If you are thinking of starting, begin with a good coach for a few sessions, learn the basics and be patient. The first month is awkward. The third is addictive. After that it simply becomes part of the week.
Written by
Priya Nandakumar
Beauty and wellness editor. Sceptical of miracle claims, devoted to a good moisturiser and a long walk.
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