Midlife fitness is about showing up

At 49, staying fit has nothing to do with chasing a flat stomach. It’s about energy, resilience, confidence, and turning up for yourself, even on the days you’d rather pull the duvet over your head.

Right now, I’m knee-deep in what I call my 50 in 50 Challenge, that’s 50 wellness wins in the year I turn 50. Some days it feels heroic just to get out of bed. Other days, I feel like I could lift a small car (or at least all the shopping bags in one trip). And yes, my brain still insists that walking to the fridge counts as cardio.

As an endomorph, I’ve had to learn to work smarter, not just sweat harder. My metabolism is more tabby cat than cheetah. But when I feed it right and stay consistent, it purrs. Meanwhile, my hubby H floats through life with the skin of a Renaissance painting and the body of a 20-year-old. Genetics, I remind myself, is not a moral issue.

Midlife fitness isn’t punishment, it’s strategy. It’s finding what works for your body, eating like you actually like yourself, and bracing for the hormonal rollercoaster of perimenopause without losing your mind (or your temper at slow walkers).

Fitness in midlife

Parenting, careers, and perimenopause combine to make midlife a logistical and hormonal challenge. My Achilles tendinitis once made me hobble down stairs like an old lady. However, it also reminded me that strength and self-care matter more than vanity.

My weekly fitness routine

• Monday – Strength Training (Upper Body)
  Dumbbell presses, rows, shoulder presses. Posture and muscle preservation first.
• Tuesday – Body Pump, Blaze, or Zumba
  High-energy cardio with punches and kicks. Heart, happiness, and minor hysteria included.
• Wednesday – Active Recovery
  Walking, mobility stretches, foam rolling. Because joints deserve a day off too.
• Thursday – Strength Training (Lower Body)
  Squats, lunges, deadlifts. Power, prevention, and self-respect.
• Friday – Spin Class or HIIT
  Low-impact, high-output cardio. Bonus: sweat out the week’s parenting negotiations. (HIIT for Midlife)
• Saturday – Full-on Everything
  Three back-to-back classes: core, flexibility, breath work. Hormonal balance is essential.
• Sunday – Strength Training
  Reflection, reset, and pride in surviving another week.

As an endomorph, my body loves to store fat. However, it also responds to smart, consistent strength work. This is true even with the perimenopausal fluctuations.

Midlife fitness tips

• Give Yourself Grace: Midlife is reinvention, not decline.
• Start Now: Even ten minutes matters.
• Prioritise Nutrition: Perimenopause affects metabolism, fuel wisely. (BBC Good Food: Perimenopause)
• Lift Weights: Key for body composition and confidence.
• Respect Sleep: Recovery is where gains happen. (Sleep Foundation)

Being an endomorph isn’t a curse; it’s a call for strategy, patience, and smart consistency.

Fitness is a gift, not a grind

If you’ve ever thought, “It’s too late to get fit,” think again. You don’t need to train like an athlete or overhaul your life. Find routines that work for your body now, not the one you had in your 20s.

My 50 in 50 challenge isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress, energy, and enjoying the second act of life with power and presence. And yes, I am a curvy, endomorph-loving, perimenopausal middle-aged woman. Next to H with his 20-year-old body and flawless Persian skin, I can confidently say: my body is strong. It is capable, and far from boring.