Menopausal Mums Turn Fitness Influencers: 5 Inspiring Transformations

Who said becoming a fitness influencer requires a home gym, a chiseled physique, a tanning service on speed dial, and a wardrobe full of Lululemon attire? Well, it’s time to debunk that myth. All you actually need is a pair of ten-year-old leggings, a £14.99 tripod from Amazon and a dedication to your health and fitness journey.

Becoming a Midlife Fitness Influencer

In reality, becoming a fitness influencer, especially a midlife fitness influencer, isn’t as daunting as it might seem. Just like I did at the age of 55 when my Instagram videos of Rocket yoga attracted over 90,000 new followers in just a month. I even managed to gain traction by teaching Trinny Woodall and her 1.2 million followers in live yoga sessions twice a week.

The Growing Midlife Fitness Trend

It’s undeniable that celebrities like Trinny Woodall, Davina McCall and Jennifer Aniston are the face of midlife fitness. However, there’s a grow band of ‘ordinary’ women like us who are becoming the relatable faces of every middle-aged woman’s exercise journey. We’re making fitness – from yoga and qigong to weight training and Pilates – accessible to the time-poor midlifer who wants to feel better in her evolving body and navigate midlife with strength and confidence.

The Value of Functional Training

Functional training is a crucial aspect of fitness for the midlife woman. Everyday activities such as grocery shopping or lifting heavy objects require strength and flexibility. Building these capabilities through exercises like handstands can future-proof your body for the coming decades. And remember, we’re not in it for the bikini or the perfect bottom, but to stay stronger for longer.

Embracing Fitness as a Second Career

Most of the women venturing into fitness at this stage of life, including myself, don’t come from a fitness background. We aren’t former athletes or gymnasts – many of us only started our fitness journey in our 30s. We’re working mothers navigating through menopause who have made fitness a second career, either as a pivot or alongside our first one.

Leveraging Social Media

Being an influencer isn’t about waking up one day and deciding to be one. It’s about leveraging the power of social media and sharing what we love with an information-hungry group of women. And let’s be clear, the midlife woman is no pushover – engaging with this audience requires authenticity, relatability, and a willingness to share both the shiny and not-so-shiny parts of life.

Making Health and Fitness Accessible and Convenient

Understanding the struggle of balancing family life with personal and professional commitments, we create fitness routines that are accessible and convenient. From short bursts of exercise, ‘exercise snacking’, to 30-minute workout sessions, our aim is to make health and fitness an achievable goal for every midlife woman. It’s not about meeting government guidelines of ‘150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity and two strength-training workouts a week’, it’s about finding what works for you and making movement a part of your everyday life.

Strength Training for Longevity

Building midlife muscle mass is crucial, especially during menopause when muscle mass and bone density can begin to decline. From light weights and high reps to heavy lifting, strength training is key to maintaining our independence as we age. Moreover, it’s about realizing that it’s never too late to start and that we can still reach our fitness targets by being gentler to ourselves and prioritizing rest and recovery.