Midlife fitness coach Caroline Idiens, 54, shares the 8 strength exercises every woman over 40 needs

While regular strength training has plenty of benefits at any age, it becomes increasingly important in midlife.

Research suggests that sarcopenia – the scientific term for age-related muscle loss – can begin to take effect as early as 30, with muscle mass decreasing by approximately 3-8% per decade after this.

But it’s certainly not all doom and gloom – there’s a lot we can do to counteract this decline. One of the best places to start? You guessed it: strength training. And if you think that means immediately having to lift super heavy weights, think again. While it might be the ultimate goal for many, strength training also encompasses functional, bodyweight movements that you can do at home.

If you’re wondering where exactly to start with strength training in midlife, who better to turn to than 54-year-old personal trainer and Instagram fitness royalty Caroline Idiens – otherwise known as the ‘queen of midlife fitness’.

Also the founder of Caroline’s Circuits – a hugely popular home workout training platform – Idiens recently posted on Instagram about the eight strength exercises she thinks women over 40 should consider adding to their routines.

‘These exercises have made a significant difference to me in my own fitness & strength – I see them all as key components to daily functional movement; essential for balance, coordination and mobility,’ she captioned her post.

‘These exercises can all be adapted for every level – with bodyweight to start and then adding weights as you progress.’

After warming up, Idiens says she does 10 reps of each exercise, repeating the full circuit three times. While she is using 10kg dumbbells, she advises using the weight that’s right for you and building up gradually.

1. Squat

How to do it:

• Begin upright with the knees gently flexed.
• Drive the hips backwards, flex the knees and lower yourself until your hips are at knee level or slightly lower.
• Your weight should be distributed evenly across your feet; resist the temptation to let your heels leave the ground. Ensure that your knees remain in line with your toes and that they’re not turning inwards or outwards; this puts unnecessary pressure on the joints.
• Push through your heels to return to upright, squeezing your glutes as you come back to standing.

2. Lunge

How to do it:

• Standing with your feet hip-width apart and keeping your back straight, engage your core muscles. You can place your hands on your hips to stay balanced.
• Take a big step backwards with your right foot and bend your knee until your right thigh is parallel to the floor.
• Step back to the starting position. You can alternate legs or stick with one and then swap.

3. Romanian deadlift

How to do it:

• Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in each hand, and place them in front of your hips with palms facing thighs.
• Keeping your spine in a neutral position and squeezing the shoulder blades, start sending the hips back. Imagine you’re closing a drawer behind you with your bum.
• Keeping the dumbbells close to your body, lower them down so they are in front of your shins. Lower yourself until you feel a solid stretch in your hamstrings while maintaining a flat back and neutral spine.
• Pause briefly, then drive through your heels to fully extend your hips and knees to return to the starting position, squeezing your glutes at the top, but not thrusting so far that your back overextends.

4. Bent-over row

How to do it:

• With your feet under your hips, hinge at your hips with your knees slightly bent and your arms just in front of your legs.
• Focus on keeping your back flat, torso parallel to the floor or at a 45-degree angle, and core engaged.
• Holding your dumbbells, drive your elbows back towards your hips, feeling your shoulder blades squeeze together, then slowly lower them back down.
• Ensure you’re driving your elbows back down towards your hips and keep your back flat when you bend down.

5. Shoulder press

How to do it:

• Hold a dumbbell at shoulder height with elbows under wrists.
• Press the weight straight overhead until arms are extended, then lower it back down with control, keeping your core braced and avoiding arching through the lower back.

6. Chest press

How to do it:

• Lie flat on your back or on a bench, with your feet flat on the ground.
• With a dumbbell in each hand, extend your arms directly over your shoulders, palms facing towards your feet.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and slowly bend your elbows, lowering the weights out to the side, parallel with your shoulders, until your elbows form 90-degree angles.
• Slowly drive the dumbbells back up to the start, squeezing your shoulder blades the entire time.

7. Glute bridge

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with feet flat against the floor and knees bent.
• Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
• Pause at the top, then lower back down to the starting position.

How to do it (high plank):

• Start on the floor on your hands and knees.
• Place your hands directly under your shoulders.
• Step your feet back, one at a time. For more stability, bring your feet wider than hip-distance apart, and bring them closer for more of a challenge.
• Maintain a straight line from the top of your head through to your heels, look down just beyond your fingertips.
• Now, tighten your abs, quads, glutes, and hold. Think about digging through your heels, squeezing your quads and keeping everything nice and tight.
• If you feel your body shake, that’s a positive sign you’re creating enough tension from head to toe.

One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women’s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.

Get the plan

Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis.  She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity.  A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.