As a middle-aged woman, you would have to be living under a rock (one you’re too weak to lift, maybe) not to know you should be strength training. The headlines just keep coming, ever more persuasive. “Lifting heavy” builds muscle mass and improves bone density; it’s good for your heart, mood and sleep.
I don’t do it, though. Why not? I suppose because I’m lazy, fear gyms and never really feel the need to be stronger (except when I’m trying to lift 20kg sacks of bird food). But I would like to age without crumbling into a heap of dust, could probably do with a mood boost and I’ve heard good things about this “sleep” business. So fine, I give in. Can I learn to LHS (that’s “lift heavy shit”) in six weeks – and will I like it?
The above is an extract from an excellent Guardian article by Emma Beddington, in which she embarks on a six week strength training journey to explore whether she will (a) enjoy it and (b) feel the benefits. Spoiler alert – she did both!
As part of her article, Emma was keen to hear the stories of women in midlife who are actively strength training. And that’s where WAFA comes in. WAFA Founder Anna, spoke to Emma. Here’s what Emma reported after speaking to Anna:
Anna Jenkins runs We Are Fit Attitude, a strength-training community of more than 200 women, from mid-40s up to 77. Some, she says, wanted to start strength training but didn’t feel comfortable in gyms or preferred a women-only environment; others had experienced a bruising loss of confidence around menopause. Her mixed-ability online (and in-person, in Tooting) strength-training sessions accommodate a whole spectrum of abilities, from women who need to train sitting down to seasoned heavy lifters. I ask her to ask her members what’s so good about strength training and their answers are a touching avalanche of enthusiasm: 72-year-old Ingrid says it has “transformed my life”; Donna, 56, calls it “a total gamechanger for how I see and feel about my body”. “I can lift a big heavy suitcase up a flight of stairs and KNOW that I can do that,” says 63-year-old Sheila. Wendy, 64, calls it “an act of love for my daughters”: she wants to be strong and healthy for them for as long as possible.
You can read Emma’s full article here.