Fitness and Nutrition Approaches in Your 30’s and 40’s: What’s Really Worth It

A “get back to basics” guide of evidence-based approaches for perimenopausal women to feel great and losing weight this year and beyond.

While the start of a new year is a welcome opportunity to reset and refresh our health and wellness routines, it is also a time when it is easy to get overwhelmed by the seemingly endless and often conflicting advice online.

In 2024 I took a small step back from my business and spent time doing some research to really try to decipher between social media fact and fiction. I sought to find the right wellness routines that both feel attainable and which truly made a difference in how I looked and felt.

What I discovered is that I was really overcomplicating health. What really works is not necessarily the sexiest. So before you come up with a 10 step morning routine, try a detox regimen, buy a glucose monitor or start taking colostrum, I recommend first getting back to basics.  

Here’s a breakdown of the fitness and nutrition ‘hacks’ that I found truly have an impact your healthspan, hormone health and weight loss. If your head is spinning from all the health and fitness and advice, here’s where you may want to start.  

Walk More. 

While 10,000 steps a day has been exposed as a former marketing gimmick, the fact is that increasing your steps throughout the day has shown significant health benefits. 

A metanalysis published in 2023 found that an increase of 1,000 steps a day from your current baseline was associated with a 15% reduction in the risk of dying from ANY CAUSE, and an increase of 500 steps a day was associated with a 7% reduction in dying from cardiovascular disease (Banach et al, 2023).

Walking can also improve your mood. Walking triggers the release of neurochemicals like dopamine and well as a growth factor called BDnF (brain-derived neutropic factor) which helps improve MEMORY (VAC de Morais, 2018). And if you are trying to lose weight, it’s the non-exercise activity (or NEAT), that has the biggest impact on our calorie burn for the day. 

One of the most common complaints I hear is that people don’t have time to walk with their busy schedules. You don’t need to add a long walk to your already packed schedule. Try to break up your walks throughout the day. Try 5-10 minutes before work, 5-10 minutes after every meal. Park farther away when you go shopping or walk around/pace when you are on phone calls that don’t require video.

Get Morning Sunlight. 

This is actually not some “woo woo” Instagram trend – there’s actually some really interesting science behind this. 99% of the cells in our bodies are regulated by our circadian clock. Getting UNFILTERED morning light (ie., not filtered through a window) tells our cells what time it is and helps them function optimally. Early morning light increases early-day cortisol release (we need cortisol in the morning) which affects our immune system, metabolism and focus all day long. 

On a sunny morning, head outside for 5-10 minutes. On a cloudy day, try to increase your time to 15 minutes. Impossible you say? Slip outside while you drink your morning coffee, or take a quick walk round the block before you get in the car. 

I committed to morning walks (on sunny days, in the rain, in the snow) in 2024 and not only did I see a huge improvement in how fast I fall asleep at night, but my body actually craves these walks.

Lift Heavier Weights. 

Building and maintaining muscle mass is undoubtedly one of the most critically important habits for women starting in their late 30s. One of the biggest indicators of LONGEVITY and HEALTH SPAN is maintaining muscle tissue through your later years of life. Many women are already significantly under-muscled and age plus the hormonal changes (reduction in estrogen) which occur during perimenopause and menopause exacerbate this muscle loss. When we lose muscle, not only does our body composition change, but we become more insulin resistant which increases our blood sugar and further exacerbates weight gain.  

Put it into practice: So what does lift heavy mean? At the very LEAST, for four sets a week, you should be taking a major muscle group (chest, back, glutes, hamstrings, calves, core) within 2 reps of FAILURE (which is when you can no longer lift the weight in proper form – this is different than the burn you feel in high-rep, low weight classes). Getting close to muscle failure is what provides the stimulus for muscle growth. In an ideal world, women would get in 3 strength-training workouts per week with recovery in between. 

Get in Some Cardio.

Online there’s been a lot of demonization lately about cardio – especially for women in the perimenopausal years. The fact is cardio workouts have benefits such as helping to lower the risk of heart disease, improving insulin sensitivity and boosting mood. If you love your spin class go to spin class – its just not where you might want to be focusing all your time. 

We only have so many hours in a week and as noted above, this is the time to step up your strength training. To get the most benefit from cardio in your perimenopausal years incorporate more: 

Zone 2 – This is where you are working out at 60-70 percent of your max heart rate – think brisk walking, swimming, lower impact/endurance spinning. Zone 2 will provide your aerobic base and is great for your overall heart health. If you are prioritizing weight training, you also need to think about prioritizing recovery in between sessions and Zone 2 is a great place to focus as it doesn’t stress out your body. 

Zone 5 – This is where you are working at your all out max (think HIIT sprints). Research shows that in women in perimenopause, doing these types of workouts can help improve fat burning – -especially deep visceral fat which tends to increase in the perimenopausal years. Here’s the good news – these workouts should be short. Try warming up for 10 minutes, sprinting for 30 seconds and resting for 2 minutes. Repeat 4-5 times. Do this once a week. Research has shown that even doing TWO all out sprints a week can have a positive impact on your insulin levels and VO2max.

Understand Your Calorie Intake (if Your Goal is Fat Loss) 

Studies clearly show that in order to lose fat you need to be in a calorie deficit. It’s the law of thermodynamics. And while yes, what makes up those calories is important, at the end of the day you still need to figure out what your HEALTHY deficit is to lose weight.

Note that calorie reduction is very nuanced and should be tailored to the individual (here’s where working with a coach can help). UNDEREATING calories will negatively impact your metabolism and cause it to slow down. I find that some people also underestimate how much they are really eating.

Tracking calories for a short amount of time can help you understand your intake. After understanding your average weekly intake you can determine where you need to go. I also want to note that you shouldn’t be living in a calorie deficit indefinitely – you should cycle in an out of maintenance and fat loss phases. A healthy fat loss phase is 8-12 weeks max. 

Prioritize Plants + Fermented Foods + Protein. 

While calories do count for fat loss, you have to also consider the impact of what you are putting into your body on your overall health. Food is information. What you put into your body affect your body at a cellular level and has a big impact on your gut health and overall hormone health (the two are also interdependent). Studies consistently show that eating at least 30 different plant foods a week (from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds) and incorporating fermented foods are important for weight loss, energy, immune health and even cancer prevention. These two actions support your gut’s microbes to function optimally which leads to whole body health. Fiber from fruits, vegetables and whole grains help to feed the good gut bacteria and fermented foods help to add good bacteria. 

You are likely sick of hearing it but women who are in their perimenopausal years need more protein. Eating more protein will not only help you preserve and build muscle, but also has the following additional benefits: 

• Body uses more energy to break down protein
• Its more satiating so pair with fiber and you’ll feel less hungry
• We need the amino acids to build dopamine and serotonin which are important mood regulators that also help us deal with pain and reduce anxiety.
• Eating enough protein after a workout (30-40 grams) extends what is known as the metabolic window (or the caloric burn after exercise). 

Limit Alcohol. 

As you may have heard, the Surgeon General is recommending that alcohol now come with a warning similar to what’s found on cigarettes. New research has shown that even small amounts (1 glass a day) can disrupt your hormones, damage DNA and fuel cancer grown. Studies that have found a clear link between alcohol consumption and a higher risk of developing seven types of cancers including breast cancer. If this isn’t a reason enough for you to limit (or even eliminate alcohol) then also know that alcohol can impede your weight loss efforts. our body prioritizes metabolizing alcohol over fat burning and digestion. This means your body will prioritize metabolizing the alcohol over digesting the food in your stomach and overall fat burning (with some evidence showing that alcohol will stop your body from burning fat for 18 hours or more). 

Get Comprehensive Bloodwork Done. 

Did you know that the annual bloodwork you receive at the doctor only scratches the surface? It was only when I went to a functional medical doctor who did much deeper bloodwork did we learn that my iron was low and that my thyroid was slow. At least 80% of women suffer from some sort of hormonal imbalance in our lifetime. And given our modern diets and lifestyle, we may also be at risk for other chronic disease. Everyone is different so getting appropriate blood tests is the only way you can determine what health advice is right for YOU.

At the very least ask for: 

• APO-B – measures the culmination of all the bad cholesterol.
• HSCRP – a measurement of how much inflammation is going on in your body. 
• Hemoglobin A1C – An average of your three month sugar intake. 

These three biomarkers start to change 20 to 30 years before you get diagnosed with a disease so knowing the optimal level and if you see it creeping in the wrong direction, you can stop it. If your doctor won’t order these tests there are also now some companies that give you some ownership over your blood tests such as Function Health or Quest Health.

Prioritize Sleep.

Sleep is truly the foundation of our health. High quality sleep boosts mood, fights of sickness, helps with weight loss and maintenance, improves gut health in addition to the health of your hair, skin and nails. While it can be challenging given children, partners, pets and hormonal shifts to always get 8 hours of sleep, try to prioritize getting to bed at a reasonable time. Getting sunlight in the morning, avoiding caffeine late in the day, eliminate alcohol at night and avoiding screens at least 30 minutes before bed are all healthy sleep habits to try.