At 60, Michaela Bentley<\/a> knows exactly how to train, eat and recover. But that wasn’t always the case. ‘As someone who’s always maintained a pretty high level of fitness, that all came to a crashing halt in my late 40s,’ the personal trainer and nutrition coach, who specialises in women’s midlife fitness, wrote on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n ‘I started packing on the pounds, and all the things I had done my entire life to stay fit stopped working,’ she recalled. ‘I was putting on weight and couldn’t figure out why since I was doing the same things I’d always done.’<\/p>\n Here, Bentley shares what she learned from navigating those changes, while Sarah Campus<\/a>, PT, instructor, nutrition coach and founder of LDN MUMS FITNESS<\/a>, adds her expert perspective.<\/p>\n Effective training can be pretty boring \u2013 and that’s okay. You don’t need a completely different workout every time you train.<\/p>\n Repeating key movements allows you to practise technique, build strength and track progression, both experts say.<\/p>\n ‘If you’re doing completely different workouts every week, you’re not building strength<\/a>,’ says Bentley.<\/p>\n ‘Constantly changing everything makes it much harder to see whether you’re actually getting stronger,’ agrees Campus.<\/p>\n There is no magic number of reps that suddenly makes a workout effective, whether that’s eight, 10 or 12.<\/p>\n ‘What matters more is that you are challenging your muscles and working with enough effort to create a stimulus,’ says Campus. Your final few reps should feel difficult and bring you close to failure while still allowing you to maintain good technique.<\/p>\n Make sure your training also becomes more challenging over time, Bentley adds, by gradually increasing the weight, reps or training volume \u2013 otherwise known as progressive overload<\/a>.<\/p>\n Doing random workouts can keep you active, but they’ll usually deliver random results.<\/p>\n ‘A structured programme gives your training purpose and allows for progressive overload<\/a>,’ Campus says.<\/p>\n In midlife, consistency and progression are far more valuable than constantly chasing the latest fitness trend, which may even increase your risk of injury, she adds.<\/p>\n Bentley recommends sticking with a programme for at least six months to a year.<\/p>\n Particularly if fat loss is your goal, increasing your Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis \u2013 or NEAT<\/a> \u2013 can help reduce body fat.<\/p>\n NEAT includes everyday movement such as housework, walking, carrying shopping, gardening, taking the stairs instead of the lift and even fidgeting.<\/p>\n Walking<\/a>, in particular, is one of the ‘most underrated tools for fat loss’, says Bentley.<\/p>\n ‘It increases daily energy expenditure without adding a ton of fatigue or interfering with recovery.’<\/p>\n ‘You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to increase your daily energy expenditure,’ Campus adds. ‘Taking the stairs, playing with your children or simply breaking up long periods of sitting all count.’<\/p>\n Your training only works if your body has the opportunity to recover and adapt.<\/p>\n ‘More training isn’t always better, especially when life is already demanding,’ says Campus. ‘Prioritise sleep, rest days, nutrition and lighter sessions when needed.’<\/p>\n Bentley also recommends resting for at least two minutes between challenging sets so you can perform at your best.<\/p>\n Want to train like Liz Earle<\/a>?<\/strong>
<\/p>\n8 things I wish I’d known about midlife fitness in my 40s<\/h2>\n
1. Resistance training is repetitive<\/h2>\n
2. Effort matters more than rep ranges<\/a><\/h2>\n
![\"40s](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/f49a8716-f00e-4015-bf45-5760906be0b8.jpg?resize=980:*\" "\\"40s")
<\/p>\n3. You need to follow a programme<\/h2>\n
4. Increase your NEAT<\/a><\/h2>\n
5. Recovery matters<\/h2>\n
\n![\"liz](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/9d8eb7dc-a737-4a0b-b30f-f37c702007d5.jpg?resize=980:*\" "\\"liz")
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Her PT,<\/strong> Michael Garry<\/strong><\/a> has created a 4-week training plan exclusively for members of the WH COLLECTIVE. It’s designed to remove one of the biggest barriers to fitness: time. You’ll train for just 35 minutes three times a week \u2013 Liz’s exact strategy to build muscle, boost metabolism and support long-term health. Tap the link below to unlock 14 free days of training and start Liz’s plan today.<\/strong><\/p>\n