Hi Reader

We are still in women's history month, and I wanted to connect with you to discuss something that I have been thinking about in my own life. There is so much discussion online on what women over 40 should be doing to navigate perimenopause or just changes in their body. The clients I create fitness programs for include women who want to workout while experiencing joint pain and medical concerns of their own.

I am blessed to have my mom in my life, but she is also ageing and as I watch her body change, I think back to the 80's.

I can still picture my mom in the kitchen in the 80s.

Grapefruit on the counter. Vitamins lined up in a row. Aerobics at the community center three times a week. She was disciplined, consistent, and doing exactly what women were told to do.

But nobody told her to lift weights. Nobody talked about muscle. Nobody mentioned bone density.

The goal was always the same, be smaller.

The Cost of That Message I now watch women her age — over 70 — navigating osteoporosis, joint replacements, and a genuine fear of falling. Not because they were lazy or careless. Because the information they were given was incomplete. An entire generation of women built their health around cardio and calorie restriction. And while they were doing step aerobics and counting calories, their bones were quietly losing the density that only strength training can build. That silence has a long-term cost. And we are seeing it now.

The Moment That Changed Everything For Me

At 17 I tore my ACL playing volleyball.

That injury eventually led me to a kinesiology program, a weight room, and a female sports medicine doctor who told me something that changed my life:

"It's your strength training protecting that knee. You have to always do that."

This was the late 90s. That one sentence redirected everything — my career, my training, my entire relationship with my body.

I stopped chasing small and started building strong. I have not looked back since.

What We Know Now

Here is what that generation was never told:

Muscle is your metabolism. It regulates weight, blood sugar, and energy — especially during perimenopause when hormones shift.

Strength training builds bone. Cardio does not provide the mechanical load your skeleton needs to maintain density. Lifting does.

Strong is not a size. It is a lifelong investment in your independence, your mobility, and your quality of life at 70 and beyond.

It Is Not Too Late

Whether you are 40, 50, 60 or beyond — your body is not finished. Research is clear that women at any age can build muscle, improve bone density, and reduce injury risk through strength training.

You were not given the right information. That chapter is done. This one starts now. 🖤

Start with the basics — squats, hinges, pushes, and pulls. Work with someone who understands the female body after 40. Be consistent. Progress intentionally. And release the guilt of starting later than you wish you had.

Today is a great day to start.

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Next week we are talking protein, the most underused tool women over 40 have access to and exactly how to calculate what your body needs. Stay tuned.

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Have a story about your own fitness journey or a woman who inspired you? Hit reply and tell me. I read every message.

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Natasha Taylor, Physical Therapist, Fitness & Health coach, owner Black Star Physical Therapy & Wellness. Helping women over 40 manage pain, prevent injury, and prioritize their health.