I turned 41 in September and I've been reflecting on how my training has evolved over the last 10 years. And I’m officially in my season of strength.

Don’t get me wrong I still love HIIT and cardio sessions where I push myself through an intense, heart-racing, quad-burning workout but in the past couple of years I’ve started to lean more towards strength training, for a variety of reasons.

"It feels better in my body"

I think the main reason I’m lifting more weights is simple. My body seems to love it. The fast, high-rep and high-energy stuff I’ve done all through my 30s felt good and I loved it. I bounced around, it energised me, and I got a huge buzz from it.

I just calculated that across my YouTube channel and The Body Coach app alone I have filmed and shared over 2,000 workouts. That’s not including all the live events, school tours and workouts I’ve done by myself off camera. That means I’ve easily done tens of thousands of lunge jumps, squat jumps, ice skaters and burpees over the past 10 years.

"I recover quicker"

These days, I love slowing things down, focusing on my form and really controlling each movement. My body feels good, I’m getting stronger and I find that I recover quicker between workouts.

I’m lifting more weight than ever which is a sign that I’m getting stronger. I’ve gradually increased the weights I lift over time, while doing fewer repetitions and less of the bouncy stuff I’m famous for.

I guess I’m thinking more long-term now too. I want to have good joint health and mobility for the future, and more strength training feels suitable for me now to achieve that long-term goal.

"I'm in my season of jeffing"

This gradual mindset shift towards training has also affected the way I run. I used to love a tough challenge like running a sub-20-minute 5K. Now the idea of that feels unappealing to me. I’m in the season of jeffing and love nothing more than a gentle run-walk-run 5K. If you’ve never heard of jeffing, it’s simply alternating between running and walking rather than running continuously. I still want the mental health and mood-boosting benefits of movement, but without some of the physical intensity I used to chase.

"I want to be lifting weights when I’m 70"

I imagine 10 years from now I’ll be writing another blog about the next season of my life and how I am adapting things but one thing I am certain of is that strength training will still be a staple part of my physical activity for as long as I'm able.

Why? Because…

Strength training is one of the best things we can do to help keep our bodies strong as we get older. Research shows that regular muscle-strengthening activity is associated with a lower risk of dying from any cause, and it can help us maintain muscle mass and strength as we age.

It can also help maintain strong bones, improve balance and physical function, and support our joints. Building and maintaining muscle can have benefits for our metabolic and cardiovascular health too, including improving insulin sensitivity and supporting healthy blood pressure.

"The benefits aren’t just physical"

As well as physical benefits, strength training can support our mental health too, with research linking it to improvements in symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as sleep.

The more I learn about strength training, and the more I evolve with my own training, the more sure I am that it’s one of the best investments we can make in our future health. And the brilliant thing is, it’s never too late to start. Whether you’re 25, 45 or 75, you can benefit from building strength.

You don’t have to lift heavy weights or spend hours in the gym. Just start where you are, build your confidence and gradually get stronger.

For help, support and a plan to follow, check out my Strength in Menopause Series or Joe and Rosie's Strength Challenge on my app. There are also tons of home strength workouts for all fitness levels.