Menopause Strength Training & Fitness | 40+ Fitness for Women
If you’re a woman in perimenopause or menopause and are noticing that you’ve lost muscle tone and strength, are gaining belly fat, and the workouts that used to work suddenly don’t anymore — this is the podcast for you.
You’ll learn how to work with your changing body so you can build strength, look toned, feel amazing in your body again and prepare to age strong for the decades ahead.
Each week, host Lynn Sederlöf-Airisto shares science-backed and realistic ways to:
• Strength train effectively
• Build muscle, strength, and bone density
• Adapt your workouts and eating habits to your changing body
• Exercise to prepare your body for the decades ahead
Known for her efficient, effective, and no-nonsense coaching style, Lynn helps you cut through the noise and focus on what actually works so you get results without wasting time.
Lynn has helped thousands of women start strength training, get stronger, and transform their bodies into something they feel proud of.
Lynn is a Certified Menopause Fitness Coach and personal trainer. She graduated from Dartmouth College, where she majored in biochemistry and molecular biology and played Division I varsity lacrosse. Now 54 and postmenopausal, she knows firsthand what it’s like to struggle with these same changes — and how to turn things around.
Episodes
163 episodes
#164: Will You Look Like Me If You Do My Program?
Someone commented on my latest reel: "Show me your legs. I want to know if your program is going to get my legs in shape too."That one comment opened up something I've been wanting to talk about for a long time.Because fitness inf...
163: My Body Recomposition Journey - Unexpected Results at Age 55
I got my body composition measured this week for the first time in way too long.Honestly? I walked in bracing for bad news. The scale is up, I've been eating out way more than I should, and I haven't been sleeping great. I figured I knew...
#162: Lose Weight, Not Muscle - Why It Matters
As summer approaches, it's tempting to focus purely on the number on the scale. But losing weight and losing fat are not the same thing, and the difference matters.Whether you're using a GLP-1 or counting calories, if you're not paying a...
#161: Build the Body You Want to Spend the Rest of Your Life In
Three years ago I got my body back. And that changed everything.It was the spark that started this podcast in the first place. In this episode, I share the story of what drove me to transform my own body after menopause, and ...
#160: Are Your Workouts Actually Strength Training? Try This and Find Out
There are a lot of programs out there calling themselves strength training. If you're confused about what real strength training actually is, I'm not surprised - I was too.Sometimes the best way to truly understand something is to experi...
#159: Do Women in Menopause Need Different Strength Training?
If you're a woman in midlife and you’ve wondered whether you actually need a strength training program designed specifically for women in menopause this episode is for you.There’s a big debate online right now about this. Some people say...
#158: Strength Training After 40 What to Expect in Your First 90 Days
How long does it actually take to see results when you start strength training after 40?In this episode, I walk through what I’ve seen happen over and over again after helping hundreds of women start lifting weights through my one-to-one...
#157: Why You Gain Belly Fat in Menopause & How to Reduce It
If you’ve noticed your waistline changing in midlife and wondered whether this is “just menopause,” you’re not alone.Belly fat is one of the most common and frustrating changes women experience in perimenopause and menopause. In this epi...
#156: Strength Training Terms Explained: What Matters & What Doesn't
If you’ve started strength training, you’ve probably seen terms like RPE, RIR, volume, frequency, training to failure, unilateral vs bilateral, lengthened position training, drop sets… and wondered:Do I actually need to care about this?<...
#155: Fitness Beliefs Keeping Women Over 40 Stuck
If you’re working out but feeling softer and looking less toned than you used to, this might be why.In this episode, I unpack five widely held fitness beliefs that are keeping midlife women stuck. These are beliefs most women over 40 sti...
#154: My Midlife Identity Crisis & Choosing to Age Powerfully, Not Fade Away
Have you ever heard that menopause is like a second puberty? I think that idea goes beyond the hormonal changes and into something deeper: our identity.We’re no longer considered “young,” but identifying as “old” doesn’t sit right either...
#153: Why follow-along programs don't work for building muscle & strength
There are a lot of follow-along exercise programs out there that claim to be "strength training". And while they are better than doing nothing (ie, sitting on the couch or doing cardio-only), they will never be as efficient or effective at buil...
#152: What Lifting Heavy Means and Should You Be Doing It
"You need to lift heavy weights." "Put down the pink dumbbells." "Three reps of three exercises, three times per week."Social media is filled with these messages for midlife women eager to keep their bodies strong and age well. ...
#151: What’s The Least You Can Strength Train and Still Get Strong and Build Muscle?
So, you want to start strength training because you want to stop getting weaker, build muscle, be healthier, and age well, but there's no way you're going to do it four days a week. But can training less frequently really be effecti...
#150: 4 Unsexy Habits to transform Your Fitness in 2026
It's a new year, and a chance for a fresh start. I challenge you to capitalize on the new year's energy to add one of these four unsexy habits. Because these are the big rocks for mastering midlife. In this e...
#149: What to Do When You’re Stuck at the Same Weight
If you’ve been lifting consistently and suddenly can’t increase your weights anymore, this episode will help you understand why and what to do next.I explain why stalling is a normal part of the strength-building process and share four p...
#148: How Quickly Should You Increase Your Weights?
If you want to get stronger, look toned again, improve your metabolic health, and age well, you need to be building muscle. And to build muscle, you have to keep challenging your body as it gets stronger. And one way to increase the challenge i...
#147: 3 Kinds of Progressive Overload and Practical Tips to Use Them
If you're a woman in midlife and you are looking to get your body back to start feeling strong, looking toned, and recognizing the woman in the mirror again, then you need to be doing progressive strength training.Progressive ...
#146: What Progressive Strength Training Is and Why It’s So Effective After 40
If you want to get stronger, build muscle to look toned, and feel like yourself again, progressive strength training is the most effective method for women in perimenopause and menopause.In this episode, I explain what progres...
#145: How to use mindfulness and micro-resting to reset your energy during the day
This is the second half of my conversation with yoga therapist Cheryl Gordon, where we move beyond yoga poses and talk about how mindfulness and small daily “micro-rests” can completely change how you feel in midlife.You’ll learn ...
#144: Yoga in menopause what helps and what to avoid
Your body changes in midlife and that means how you approach yoga needs to change too.In this episode, I talk with yoga therapist Cheryl Gordon about how to keep getting all the benefits of yoga in menopause without over-stretchin...
#143: Beginner strength training over 40 what you need to get started
You want to start strength training, but where do you actually begin?If you’ve found yourself asking this question (maybe in a Facebook group or while staring at some dumbbells), this episode is for you.I break down the five essen...
#142: How to Save Time in Your Strength Training Workouts
If you ever feel like your strength workouts take forever and wonder if there’s a faster way to get them done, this episode is for you.I’m breaking down 8 practical ways to save time in your training sessions without cu...
#141: 5 Changes That Helped Me Get Back In Sync With My Body in Menopause
If you feel like your body changed overnight - and your old playbook stopped working - this episode is for you.I’m sharing five fitness and lifestyle shifts that helped me feel steady and in control again. It's the high-level roadm...
#140: How HRT & Testosterone Changed my Life & Training
In honor of Menopause Awareness Month, I’m sharing my personal story of perimenopause and hormone replacement therapy.This is part two of my two-part series on HRT. If you haven’t yet listened to part one, Perimenopause and HRT my pe...