Steph Waring is reminding women that building muscle is possible at any age.
‘Post-menopause doesn’t mean you’re past it.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen my abs, but 7 months of consistently lifting heavy, actually eating FOOD and no more restricting has made such a difference,’ the Hollyoaks actress said in an Instagram post.
‘I think so many women write themselves off once they hit menopause, but please don’t,’ she added, stressing that it’s still possible to change your body composition – losing fat while building muscle – and maintain strength through midlife.
‘We lose muscle quicker, things change, but that doesn’t mean we can’t build it back,’ she said. ‘I’m nowhere near finished yet.’
Strength training can be particularly valuable during and after menopause. One study involving 122 women aged around 50-60 found that long-term resistance training helped reduce age-related increases in body weight and visceral fat.
TikTok | Steph Waring
Why Steph Waring prioritises strength training
Steph has previously explained why lifting weights has become such an important part of her routine, sharing a mixture of health, wellbeing and aesthetic reasons in a TikTok video.
‘Why I lift weights in midlife:
- Because I love food
- More muscle means a faster metabolism
- I want to look good in a bikini
- Supports my hormones because they’ve been doing their own thing for years
- Protects my bones because I’m not falling apart at 70!!!’
There’s solid evidence behind her point about bone health. During menopause, falling oestrogen levels can accelerate bone loss. As the Royal Osteoporosis Society explains, ‘the decrease in your level of oestrogen causes the process of breaking down bone to speed up’.
The LIFTMOR randomised controlled trial found that postmenopausal women who completed high-intensity resistance and impact training twice a week for 30 minutes improved bone density in the lumbar spine and hip.
She also mixes up her training
Strength training isn’t the only form of movement Steph relies on.
‘Some days we lift. Some days we yoga,’ she captioned an Instagram clip showing her moving through downward dog, warrior sequences and chaturangas.
Instagram | Steph Waring
That variety can be useful for maintaining a broader mix of strength, mobility and movement quality – while also making a routine easier to stick to over time.
One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women’s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.
