Course description

Lifting the shopping, carrying boxes up to the loft, getting up from the floor, climbing stairs without a second thought: everyday life needs strength. From midlife onwards, and especially around menopause, muscle and bone need a little more help to stay strong. This course shows you how to give them that help, safely, starting from the very beginning.

It's a full course of 10 sections and 50 written lessons. You follow Glesni, a 52-year-old school business manager in Carmarthenshire who has never lifted a weight, through her first 12 weeks: from sit-to-stands at a kitchen chair, through her first pair of dumbbells, to a gym induction and confident sessions on her own. Every exercise is described step by step, with what you should feel, common mistakes, and an easier and a harder version. Every section has a practice pack with a cheat sheet and model answers, plus exercise cards, record sheets, a training log workbook or planners where a section uses them.

What you'll learn

• The basics: reps, sets, rest, an effort scale, warming up and cooling down, breathing and your pelvic floor while you lift.
• Six movements: squat, hinge, push, pull, carry and core, at home with a chair, bands and dumbbells.
• A 12-week plan: choosing your first weights, keeping a training log, moving to three sessions a week and knowing when to go heavier.
• The gym: inductions, machines, cables and free weights, and feeling at home there.
• Bones, balance and joints: osteoporosis, balance training, impact exercise and training with aching joints.
• Menopause: training around hot flushes, poor sleep and low energy, looking after your pelvic floor, and talking to your GP.
• Food, recovery and habits: protein, calcium and vitamin D, sleep, fitting it all into a busy week, and planning your next 12 weeks.

Who it's for

Women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond who are new to weights or coming back after years away, and anyone going through perimenopause or menopause. You don't need a gym: the whole plan works at home, and Section 6 shows you how to use a gym if you'd like to.

The course gives general guidance, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, osteoporosis, joint or back problems, or you're not sure whether strength training suits you, talk to your GP or practice nurse before you start.

What will I learn?

• Do the six basic strength movements (squat, hinge, push, pull, carry and core) safely, with easier and harder versions
• Use reps, sets, rest and an effort scale to pick the right weight and know when to go heavier
• Follow a 12-week beginner plan at home with a mat, bands and dumbbells, and keep a training log
• Move into a gym with confidence: inductions, machines, cables and free weights
• Look after your bones and balance, including what to ask your GP about osteoporosis
• Train around menopause symptoms such as hot flushes, poor sleep and low energy
• Understand your pelvic floor and where to get help with leaks
• Fit strength, walking, food and recovery into a realistic week and plan your next 12 weeks

Frequently asked questions