Running might burn more calories minute-for-minute than walking, but that doesn’t make it superior for fat loss. In fact, fat loss coach Katie Penland says that quitting running for walking is the one ‘most natural (yet controversial)’ thing she did ‘to lose fat and see definition in my 40s’. As a former endurance runner, Penland went from running 40+ miles a week, plus regular marathons and half marathons, to walking 8000-10,000 steps a day.
‘I gave myself six weeks and a plan for peri/meno women AND never looked back!’ she says. ‘I saw more change in those six weeks than I had in years. If you’re doing the same old thing you did in your 20’s, 30’s and STUCK, that’s why! Our bodies change as we age and so do our needs when it comes to fitness and losing fat.’
Here’s what happened – and everything she learned.
1.I rebuilt the muscle I had lost
‘If you’re 40+ and trying to lose weight/tone, running alone isn’t going to get you there,’ she writes on Instagram.
‘Too much intense cardio can tear down the muscle tissue you DO have to use for energy. Sure, you can have a good sweat session, hop on the scale, and see some numbers go down, but that’s a temporary weight loss.
‘Muscle burns more calories than fat. It’s more metabolically active and requires more energy to maintain than fat tissue. This means ladies with more muscle mass burn more calories while doing nothing (hello Netflix)🤯!
‘AND not just that…during exercise, women with more muscle mass burn more calories because their bodies need to produce more energy to support the increased rate of muscle contraction. Women naturally lose muscle with age so it’s even more important to focus on building it. AND if you’re stuck, thats probably a big reason why.
‘I’ve built more muscle in my 40s than I ever had in my 30s.’
2. My cortisol levels reduced
‘Women runners have higher cortisol levels than others. Cortisol is a stress hormone that can have negative effects on your body if you don’t keep it in check: increased blood sugar levels, weight gain, yucky immune system, digestive issues, and heart disease to name a few. So combine that with other daily stressors, peri/meno, and wacky hormones…⚠️ no bueno.
‘Walking can help you do this!! Walking generally lowers cortisol more than running because it is considered a lower intensity exercise, causing a smaller initial spike in cortisol. AND it allows a quicker return to normal levels while still providing the benefits of physical activity!…especially those with high stress levels (hello ladies).’
3. She gained strength
‘I actually gained 15+ lbs during this time. It wasn’t until I stopped the intense running and incorporated strength training/walking that I got my body in check!…and not just in check, but stronger than EVER. If you’re actually wanting to lose fat and tone up during peri/menopause, you have to lift some weights and get your cortisol in check.
‘If you’re peri/meno, running on the daily, and not seeing the change you want to see…LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. It doesn’t mean you can never run again…you just need to find a different balance.’
4. She stopped using weighing scales
In a separate post on Instagram, she wrote: ‘stop focusing on a weight you *think* you want to be…it’s holding you back. I’d much rather weigh more and have muscle than weigh less with none. The person that weighs more with muscle most likely looks smaller anyway bc muscle tissue is denser than fat tissue. This means that a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat.’
5. She stopped counting calories – and started tracking macros
‘I started fueling properly with macros. Helloooo metabolism. The longer you’ve been depriving yourself, the longer this process can take. Be patient. Your body is trying to figure out what the heck is going on.
‘Women 40+ are naturally losing muscle with age. We have to be a little more specific with what we eat to ensure we are getting enough to support muscle growth and retention. If we under eat for too long, it prevents your body from having enough energy to repair and rebuild muscle tissue. This can lead to MUSCLE LOSS! So no matter how hard you’re working in the gym, if you’re not fueling your body properly, you won’t see as great of results.’
6. She added 30-minute strength training workouts – and focused on form
‘I incorporated 3 and/or 4 days of 30 minute strength training workouts a week,’ she wrote in another post.
‘I wish I had really focused on form earlier than I did. Using proper form can SPEED UP THE PROCESS! Sit in the uncomfortable parts. Squeeze those muscles targets. Pay attention to your core and posture…IT HELPS!’
7. She aimed for 8 hours of sleep daily
‘[Sleep] is where ALL the magic happens. This is when your body repairs and rebuilds muscle tissue so it can GROW!! Aim for 8 hours.’
8. She prioritised rest days
‘I was super guilty of this. Rest days are so important to see muscle growth. That’s actually when your muscles repair and rebuild. This is when your body is actively healing and repairing damaged muscle fibers so that muscle growth can happen.’
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As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director (and a qualified yoga teacher), Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism. She secured her first role at Look Magazine, where her obsession with fitness began and she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!. Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red.
Now, she oversees all fitness content across womenshealthmag.com.uk and the print magazine, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, where we showcase the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise. She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how.
Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.