Why Strength Training is the Best Gift You Can Give Yourself (and Your Kids)
If you were born in the 90s, this one’s for you. You know, the generation that spent hours perfecting mixtapes or burning CDs on LimeWire (remember it taking 15+ hours to download?!). You used a tape deck adapter to listen to your ipod in your car. You remember when lift tickets to Sunshine and Lake Louise were $65. And let’s not forget the sacred weekend ritual of wandering the aisles of Blockbuster, trying to choose the perfect movie lineup for the next three to five days.
Fast forward to now, and life looks a little different. MASH isn’t deciding our futures anymore—we are. Instead of CDs, we’re collecting houseplants and obsessing over which kitchen appliance makes meal prep easier. Our group chats are filled with toddler dinner ideas (maybe more of a rant…), meet up plans with friends that are 3 months down the road, travel hacks for kids, and the best baby gear on the market. And let’s not lie—we’ve had a couple of conversations about skincare routines.
If you were nodding along to all of the above, you’re in the age group where building strength is no longer just a nice-to-have—it’s crucial. You’re entering the phase of life where strength training isn’t just about looking good; it’s about feeling strong, confident, and safeguarding for your future.
Strength Training is Essential for Moms (and Moms-to-Be) in Their 30s and 40s
Whether you’re pregnant, postpartum, or raising school-aged kids, your body is working hard every single day. Starting in our 30s, women lose up to 1% of muscle mass (known as sarcopenia) per year if they’re not actively working to maintain it. That might not sound like a lot, but overtime, it adds up. When done consistently, strength training helps you build and preserve your muscle mass and bone density. Strength training is one of the best things you can do to support your body—today, tomorrow, and well into your future.
Here’s why strength training is so important for women in their 30s and 40s:
1) Support Pregnancy and Postpartum Recovery
Pregnancy changes everything—your centre of gravity, how you breath, your core strength, your pelvic floor. Strength training during pregnancy, with the goal of maintaining strength and not muscle hypertrophy, helps your body adapt and can help manage the most common challenges Moms-to-be face, like feeling extra tired, dealing with hip and back pain, and navigating mood changes. Your body is being challenged the most during the pregnancy marathon, so maintaining muscle mass will help with your overall strength. It’s also beneficial if you’re managing gestational diabetes—regular strength exercises can help control blood sugar levels (Duchette et al. 2024). On top of that, it’s good for your baby’s development—improving blood flow to the uterus, supporting healthy birth weight, and contributing to better cognitive and metabolic health for your child as they grow.
This makes resistance training a powerful tool for staying healthy during pregnancy, ensure a strong start to your recovery postpartum, and setting your baby up for a strong, healthy start.
2) Reduce Aches, Pains, and Injuries
Mom life is physical, whether you’re carrying a growing bump, lugging around a car seat, co-sleeping, or chasing after toddlers who seem to have endless energy. Strength training improves your bone density, joint health, connective tissue strength and it’s quality. Which results in reduced aches and pains, and maybe even more importantly - lowers your risk of injury.
3) Boost Your Mental Health
We all know the mental load of motherhood can feel overwhelming. Add in hormones, sleep deprivation, and the general chaos of life, and it’s a lot. Strength training releases endorphins, boosts mood, and helps you feel more like you. It can also help you improve your quality of sleep
And let’s not forget the confidence boost that comes with it. There’s something so empowering about finishing a weight-lifting workout. You can’t help but feel proud of yourself for showing up and pushing through. Seeing your progress each session is a reminder that you’re building strength, muscle mass, and confidence in your body and its abilities. It’s a celebration of what your body can do, not just for today but for years to come.
4) Protect Your Independence and Joy
By building muscle and maintaining bone density, you’re creating a body that can handle the demands of daily life now and for decades to come, and be able to participate in the sports and activities you love the most, for as long as possible.
As we age, having more muscle mass and better bone density also means a lower risk of falls, which is one of the biggest causes of injuries in later life. Stronger muscles improve balance, stability, and coordination, making it easier to navigate everything from uneven sidewalks to active playtime with your kids. And less falling? That means less chance of broken bones, surgeries, or long recovery periods that can seriously impact your quality of life.
So when you lift those weights, you’re doing more than just getting stronger for today—you’re investing in a future where you can stay active, independent, and ready to enjoy life on your terms.
5) Perimenopause and Menopause
Strength training isn’t just about feeling strong today—it’s about setting yourself up for a happier, more capable future, and a smoother transition into menopause.
During menopause we produce less estrogen which causes a decrease in muscle mass and bone density. Our muscles also respond less to growth signals in the muscles. Yes there is an inevitable age-related decline that happens, but what we do prior to our menopause transition can slow this loss of muscle mass. Some studies have found that it is possible to actually gain muscle mass in menopause and after - though it is harder, but not impossible! One study even found that following a strength training plan, helped postmenopausal women decrease the frequency of how often they experienced hot flushes (Berin et al. 2019).
This Isn’t About Shrinking—It’s About Growing Stronger
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This Isn’t About Shrinking—It’s About Growing Stronger 〰️
If you have been a client of mine or following me for sometime, you are aware of how I feel about the pressure to bounce back…
It’s bullshit, based in diet culture, and only sets us up for failure.
It’s time to stop chasing smaller bodies and start focusing on stronger ones.
Let’s be clear—it’s absolutely okay to have a goal to lose weight. But when the focus is only on the number on the scale or how our body looks, it’s hard to stay motivated, especially in the earlier postpartum season. Life with babies and toddlers is anything but predictable. Between sleepless nights, sickness, unpredictable schedules, and constant demands, we’re not recovering and rebuilding our fitness in a vacuum.
Strength training isn’t about punishment or trying to undo the changes that come with motherhood. It’s about creating a body that supports you, shows up for you, and helps you navigate everything from lifting a squirmy toddler and their skis after their 4th meltdown on the bunny hill, to achieving your goals of hiking Mount Temple or entering a mountain bike race. Your body has already done amazing things—growing humans, keeping up with the chaos of life, and adapting to the challenges that come with each new stage. Strength training is about honouring that body and making sure it stays healthy and strong for whatever comes next.
How to Get Started
Whether you’re pregnant, newly postpartum, or years into motherhood, it’s never too late to start strength training. Here’s how you can begin:
Pregnancy: Work with a Pre and Postnatal Fitness Coach (Hi!! 🙋♀️) to ensure you’re moving safely. Focus on exercises that strengthen your core, hips, and back. Pregnancy is not a time to focus on getting a personal best for your squats, instead focus on maintaining strength and being as active as you can be. Labour and birth are very physical events, so we want to go into it prepared, just like we would for a marathon or an weight lifting competition. Even if you have a scheduled c-section birth, I think it is beneficial to do everything you possibly can to take care of your body, your baby(ies), and prepare for your postpartum recovery.
Postpartum: Start your recovery with getting acquainted with your postpartum body, doing your ABC’s, creating a strong foundation with core and pelvic floor, then gradually add strength training to rebuild your foundation.
Years Into Motherhood: Whether you’re chasing toddlers or supporting teenagers, start with your core foundations, get acquainted with the bigger movements- squats, deadlifts, push ups, and rows. Then keep progressing from there!
What is going to ensure your success for the long term? Having a solid training plan! It ensures you’re doing the right exercises, progressing safely, and minimizing your risk of injury, while cutting down on decision fatigue—because as moms, we already make enough decisions! A plan keeps you accountable and consistent, even when life gets busy, so you’re not stuck jumping between random YouTube workouts or Instagram saves. Instead, you’ll have clear direction, measurable progress, and the confidence that you’re training in a way that truly supports your body and goals.
Your Body and Mind Deserve This
Your body has carried you through so much—growing life, adapting to motherhood, and managing the chaos of daily life. It deserves care, attention, and strength to keep moving forward. Life doesn’t stand still, and neither should you. With each workout, you’re building more than just muscle—you’re building a foundation for a stronger, healthier future.
We’ve come a long way from mixtapes and waiting for our dial up internet to connect—we can now share music, memories, and moments instantly. Let’s take that same forward momentum into how we care for our bodies. It’s not about going back; it’s about embracing everything ahead, knowing you’re stronger and more capable with each step.
Ready to take the next step toward building strength and confidence in your postpartum body? Join a training program designed for moms like you—whether you’re pregnant, postpartum, or years into motherhood. Let’s work together to create a plan that supports your goals and fits into your busy life. Your future self will thank you!
References
Duchette, C., Perera, M., Arnett, S., Erin White, E., Belcher, E., & Tinius, R. (2024). Benefits of Resistance Training During Pregnancy for Maternal and Fetal Health: A Brief Overview, International journal of women's health, 16, 1137–1147. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S462591
Berin, E., Hammar, M., Lindblom, H., Lindh-Åstrand, L., Rubér, M., & Spetz Holm, A.C .(2019). Resistance training for hot flushes in postmenopausal women: A randomised controlled trial, Maturitas, 126, 55–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2019.05.005
