My 40s turned out better than I could have imagined
Personal trainer Edwina Jenner is on a mission to equip fellow midlife women with the confidence to add strength training to their fitness routine.
Turning 49 next month, Edwina is quick to acknowledge that she is of the generation that believed cardio was the only route to fitness, telling HELLO!: "In my twenties and thirties I was very much into cardio, running on the treadmill, attending spin classes and doing bootcamp style sessions."
It was only in her forties that Edwina switched to weight training when she noticed another woman in the gym with seriously sculpted arms. "She told me she toned them through weight training, and after that, I never looked back.
"Weight training is foreign to my generation, but it was a revelation that rather than trying to shrink myself, I was taking up space and getting stronger. It felt like an epiphany, and now with 50 just around the corner, I've been feeling stronger and healthier than ever before," Edwina shares. "The fitness landscape has completely changed for me, and I want other women to follow the same path.
"There's absolutely space for doing cardio a couple of times a week, but I certainly don't run," Edwina says of her regime. "I enjoy zone 2 training where I get my heart rate to a point where it's just uncomfortable enough to hold a conversation."
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Midlife journey
While she's feeling her best, Edwina notes that midlife hasn't been plain sailing. Her forties have seen her go through a divorce, pivot her career from in-gym coaching to online personal training, as well as care for her daughter during ill health.
"It's been tumultuous, but exercise has been my anchor," Edwina says. "It grounded me in a very difficult time of my life."
Now single, Edwina notes that fitness has helped her remain independent. "I can lift suitcases and boxes up and down stairs. I don't need to ask for help. I'm a strong independent woman, and I feel physically strong and independent as well which helps me stay confident."
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Midlife demands
Edwina encourages her clients to consider exercise as self-care to ensure it doesn't slide down their priorities list due to family demands – a barrier women often face when it comes to working out in midlife.
"I recommend my clients block out their exercise time for the week on a Sunday, so their families know it's important to them and a boundary is in place."
In a time of life when things can be stressful, Edwina notes that weight training has a meditative quality.
"There's nothing particularly sexy about it, but there's magic in the mundane. It's a lot of repetitive movements. I like the consistency of it and the fact that there is a guarantee that your body's also giving something back."
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Find what works for you
With countless barriers in the way when it comes to working out in midlife, Edwina encourages her clients to find a fitness routine that works for them and that they look forward to.
"If we hate something there's no way we'll stick to it," she laments. "Keep trying different things, from walking to yoga, until you find the one you want to do."
Looking ahead to her fiftieth birthday next year, Edwina tells me: "50 is definitely the new 40. I don't measure myself against anyone else. I'm divorced after 20 years while all of my friends are still married, but it's my journey and it's all worked out better than I could ever have imagined."
