Helen will be the first to tell you she’s “always looked quite fit.” The kind of person who could head out for a jog, keep a steady pace, and not think too much about it. From the outside, you’d probably agree with her. But if you asked Helen how she felt approaching 40, the answer was very different.
“I didn’t feel strong,” she admitted. “I didn’t feel capable.”
That quiet honesty is where her story really begins.
There’s a moment that happens before any programme begins, before any weight is lifted or step is taken. It’s the conversation and with women in their 50s, that conversation is often filled with the same quiet concerns.
“I don’t want to get injured.”
“I’ll probably be the worst one there.”
“Isn’t it a bit late for me now?”
“I don’t even know where to start.”
I’ve always loved strength training. Give me a barbell and some plates over a treadmill any day. Maybe that’s because of my asthma, long cardio sessions have never been my idea of fun. But lifting weights? That’s always felt empowering.
As a trainer, I’ve spent years helping other people build strength. From clients returning from injury to those in their 50s who want to feel fitter than ever heading into retirement, I’ve seen firsthand what resistance training can do. But somewhere along the way, I had a quiet realisation:
I wasn’t just training because I enjoyed it.
I needed it.