Why Your Workouts Don’t Work After 40...And What To Do About It.
- agfitnessandhealth
- Oct 3, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 5, 2025
Fitness for Women Over 40 in St Ives Cambridgeshire: Smarter Training for Hormones, Metabolism & Recovery
If you’re a woman in your 40s (or beyond) living in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, you might have noticed that your old workout routines don’t feel as effective as they used to. The same sessions that once gave you results now leave you exhausted, sore, or simply stuck without progress.
You’re not imagining it. As women move through perimenopause and into midlife, hormones, metabolism, and recovery all shift. That means your workouts need to adapt too. The good news? With the right approach, fitness after 40 can be more empowering and effective than ever.
Why Workouts After 40 Feel Different
Metabolism slows down – Muscle mass naturally declines with age, and since muscle burns calories at rest, your metabolism isn’t as fast as it once was.
Hormones change – Fluctuating oestrogen and progesterone levels affect fat storage, energy, mood, and sleep.
Recovery takes longer – What once felt like a quick bounce-back now leaves you stiff, sore, or drained for days.
The result? Stubborn weight (often around the middle), slower results, and feeling like you’re working harder but not getting anywhere.
Why “Eat Less, Move More” Doesn’t Work Anymore
It’s tempting to think you just need more cardio or to cut calories even further, but this often backfires.
❌ Endless cardio can increase fatigue, stress your joints, and make hormonal imbalances worse.
❌ Restrictive diets can slow your metabolism even more and leave you craving energy boosts.
✅ The smarter solution is to focus on strength training, balanced cardio, and mobility. This helps you build lean muscle, boost your metabolism, and feel energised instead of burned out.
Training Smarter in Your 40s: The Key Elements
Here’s what works best for women in St Ives, Cambridgeshire who want to feel strong, confident, and energised after 40:
1. Strength Training
– Protects your bones, supports hormone health, and reshapes your body.
2. Smart Cardio
– Shorter, more focused sessions that lift energy and burn fat without exhausting you.
3. Pilates-Inspired Mobility
– Keeps joints supple, reduces stiffness, and helps you recover faster.
4. Active Recovery & Rest
– Your body needs downtime to repair, balance hormones, and prevent burnout.
The W.O.W Programme: Women on Weights in St Ives
Most one-size-fits-all fitness plans don’t consider the unique needs of women over 40. That’s why I created the W.O.W Programme (Women on Weights) — designed specifically for women in St Ives and surrounding areas who want to train smarter, not harder.
Here’s what makes it different:
✅ Strength training for women 40+ — build lean muscle, support metabolism, and protect bone health
✅ Smart cardio — energise without draining your reserves
✅ Pilates-inspired mobility & recovery — refresh your body and reduce aches
✅ Flexible sessions — fit workouts into your busy lifestyle
With the right balance, you’ll stop fighting against your body and start working with it.
The Bottom Line
Perimenopause and midlife don’t mean slowing down — they mean changing your approach. If you’ve been feeling frustrated with stubborn weight, energy dips, or longer recovery times, you’re not alone.
Exercise after 40 doesn’t need to be harder. It needs to be smarter. With a structured plan tailored for women like you, you can feel stronger, leaner, and more energised than ever.
✨ Ready to feel the W.O.W factor?
👉 Join my next Women on Weights (W.O.W) Programme in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, and discover how fitness after 40 can truly transform you.
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6-Week Programme Starts 21st October
6 x Weekly Weights Classes
Tuesday 7.30pm-8.15pm
Wyton On The Hill Primary School
Express Home Workouts- including Weights & Pilates
Basic Healthy Nutrition Guidance
A supportive WhatsApp group
Message Me to Book
Andrea x
About Andrea Gaynor
Hey, I’m Andrea, founder of AG Fitness and Health. I help women over 40 feel strong, confident, and more like themselves again through fitness, nutrition, and self-care that actually fits into real life. I’ve been in the fitness game for 27+ years — and I get how things change in your 40s and beyond.
My style is supportive, no fluff, and always focused on helping you feel empowered and supported every step of the way. 💪
Want to get started? Grab a pair of dumbells and try this FREE at-home workout I created just for women like you:
👉 10-Minute Full Body Dumbell Workout
Let’s connect!
🌐 Website: www.agfitnessandhealth.com
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter
📸 Instagram: @andreagaynorfitness
📘 Facebook: AG Fitness and Health https://www.facebook.com/share/1GWb3FUyZB/
📧 Email agfitnessandhealth@yahoo.com
Andrea xx
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