Why Strength Training Matters More for Women over 50

One thing surprised me on a recent ski trip. It didn’t just feel easier on my body. It felt possible in a way it hadn’t before.

Years ago, traversing across the mountain didn’t just leave me exhausted. It often felt like an impossible task. Like my body just couldn’t keep up. That feeling wasn’t there this time. I felt it internally, without really talking about it. And my husband noticed it too, without me saying a word. He mentioned how much quicker and stronger I looked moving through certain sections compared to past trips.

That didn’t happen by accident.

The strength training I do now isn’t just about looks, although I won’t lie, I do like seeing arm definition for the first time in my life. But it’s really about function. Being able to travel, adventure, carry, push, pull, and move through life without feeling limited by my body.

I never lifted weights until just a few years ago. I was intimidated by them. I started with three and four pound weights for my arms and did short Peloton arm workouts, about 15 minutes at a time. Sometimes daily. Nothing fancy. Just consistent. That was back when I was doing Miracle Morning, and honestly, that’s where it started.

Over time, those light weights didn’t feel so intimidating anymore. Now I’m lifting much heavier. Not because I pushed harder, but because I stayed consistent.

What’s also surprised me is how little it actually takes to see and feel real change. Strength training does not have to be extreme. Even 15 to 30 minutes, a few days a week, makes a meaningful difference when you do it consistently over time.

This ski trip helped me see why strength training for women over 50 is so important. It supports how we move, recover, and live in this next season of life.

There’s real science behind why this matters in our 50s. After age 50, women can lose muscle more quickly, and muscle is one of the biggest drivers of metabolism. Strength training helps preserve and rebuild lean muscle, which supports a higher resting metabolic rate, better blood sugar control, and overall energy. In simple terms, muscle helps your body work better, even at rest.

I also noticed how much better my recovery felt overall when I supported my body well. Strength training, smart movement, and things like amino acids all played a role. Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle tissue, and getting enough of them supports muscle repair, recovery, and resilience, not just in workouts, but in everyday life.

I think about this constantly with my health coaching clients. Any movement is better than none. But not all exercise is right for every season of life.

What I really want is for women to get comfortable with strength training and to understand how much it impacts the second half of life. I didn’t fully appreciate this until recently. Muscle mass matters for longevity, for metabolism, for hormone health. It touches almost every part of how we feel and how we move through the world.