Feeling pulled in 12 directions by suggestions to “do Reformer Pilates/lift heavy/run a marathon/walk everywhere”? Same.

We're over-complicating exercise for women over 40s and nobody has the time or energy for it.

In this episode we cut through the noise with an evidence-based, midlife-friendly blueprint:

• the three essentials your week actually needs;
• how to avoid the scattergun trap;
• when to let go of stuff that isn’t serving you (and do it in a way that doesn’t feel like a messy break up); and
• how to match training to your goals, time and energy.

“Variety” sounds lovely until you’re a midlife woman with finite time, energy and a body in hormonal flux. This aim of this episode is to help you build a framework for what to actually put in your week so you feel stronger, fitter and future-proofed: without living at the gym.

Recap - The 3 essentials every midlife plan needs:

1. Core work (little + often): abdominals, breath, pelvic floor.
2. Strength training: learn movement patterns → add load → eventually lift genuinely heavy (when form is rock-solid) to create the right stimulus.
3. Cardio: make it smart and polarised, think short, sharp intervals/HIIT plus truly easy aerobic work; minimise the mid-zone grind that spikes cortisol without much payoff

Plus your bonuses:

• Mobility: weave it into your other workouts so you’re not “bendy for bendy’s sake” (as that's just pointless!).
• Do what makes you happy: if an activity is pure joy/headspace, by all means keep it. Just own the trade-off with your time and goals.

• You can’t do everything. Choose what matters to you and your goals, then build around it.
• Core is non-negotiable in midlife. Small, frequent wins beat heroic once-a-week sessions.
• Lift with intent. Progress to challenging loads for real change in muscle, bone and joints. Not just throwing weights around or doing hundreds of reps "because".
• Polarise cardio. Some very hard; plenty very easy; less “sort-of hard which goes on for ages”
• Keep the classes you love if they feed your soul, but don’t expect them to deliver goals they weren’t designed for.

• Tick all the training boxes with by joining a Fitness Class with Carly: Classes with Carly
• PerimenoCore Programme: PerimenoCore (the exercises I do every day to keep my core strong and healthy).
• Drop me a note on Instagram @carlycorrigall
• For further reading/research on exercise for midlife women, check out the work of Dr Stacy Sims