When most women think of workout recovery, they picture a rest day, a massage, or maybe an occasional weekend off. It’s seen as a pause; a moment to reset before jumping back into the grind. But the truth is, if you’re a woman in your 40s, it’s time to redefine what workout recovery really means.
Because recovery isn’t just about taking time off. It’s a strategy. A mindset. And in this season of life, it’s the key to staying strong, healthy, and resilient for the long haul.
Recovery Isn’t Just Skipping a Workout: It’s Rethinking the Whole Plan
I used to think recovery was just taking a nap on a Friday or booking a massage every few months. But looking back, I see how trapped I was in a hustle mindset. I was working six days a week, answering emails at all hours, and pushing through workouts like they were a badge of honor, no matter how drained I felt.
But workout recovery isn’t just about the occasional day off. It’s about asking why you feel the need to train six days a week if it’s leaving you depleted.
It’s about taking a step back and looking at the facts:
✨ Women in their 40s can absolutely see results by lifting just twice a week.
✨ Around 300 minutes of steady-state cardio per week is plenty.
✨ Core work and mobility? Yes these are essential; but not something you need to grind through every day.
If you’re training more than that and feeling exhausted, it’s time to pause and ask: Am I building strength, or just burning myself out?
Recovery is also about your lifestyle:
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Are you prioritizing sleep, or cutting hours to squeeze in workouts?
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Are you making time for stress management: meditating, journaling, or even just being?
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Are you scrolling your phone with your feet up, thinking it’s rest; when really, your brain is still going 100 mph?
Think of your nervous system like a cup. You can fill it with water (recovery), but if you keep dumping in coffee (overstimulating your brain, stressing over work, chasing endless to-do’s), you cancel out the benefits.
How to Tell If You Need More Workout Recovery
Not sure if you need more recovery? Ask yourself:
✨ Am I waking up feeling rested, or am I dragging myself out of bed, still exhausted?
✨ Do small things set me off; like I’m constantly on edge?
✨ Do I dread my workouts, or feel like I’m just going through the motions?
✨ Am I using food, caffeine, or wine to cope more than I’d like to admit?
✨ Am I “doing all the right things” but still not seeing results?
These aren’t just mood swings or bad days. They’re signs that your body is losing resilience. And THAT is a signal you need more recovery, not more hustle.
For more insights on recognizing burnout and overtraining, check out my blog on how to recover from overtraining.
Why Women in Their 40s Need More Recovery (Not Just More Workouts)
Here’s where the research backs it up:
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Women in perimenopause and menopause experience higher cortisol levels and a slower recovery capacity than younger women.
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Sleep is critical for workout recovery. Studies show women over 40 often get less restorative sleep; this means they can’t bounce back from stressors like they used to.
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Short, strength-focused workouts (like heavy lifting) are better for women’s hormone health than long, high-intensity cardio sessions that spike cortisol and drain the nervous system.
We go deeper into this topic on the podcast episode, where we talk about the myth of “more is better” and why recovery is a non-negotiable for long-term results.
How to Build More Recovery Into Your Life
If you’re ready to rethink recovery, here’s a simple starting point:
✅ Stop overtraining. Two full-body lifts per week, 300 minutes of cardio, and intentional core and mobility work is plenty for women in their 40s.
✅ Prioritize sleep. 7 to 9 hours a night, even if it means fewer workouts.
✅ Balance stimulation. Put the phone down, close the laptop, and give your brain real rest.
✅ Tune into your emotional state. If you’re overwhelmed, it’s a sign to pause, not push.
✅ Fuel like you mean it. Get enough protein, healthy fats, and whole foods to support your system.
For more ways to protect your energy, I share strategies in my blog on working with a stress management coach.
Final Thoughts: Recovery Is a Skill, Not a Cop-Out
Workout recovery isn’t a break from progress; it is progress. It’s how you build the resilience to keep going, long after the 6-day-a-week grind stops working.
So here’s your invitation: What does recovery look like for you? How can you honor the season you’re in and train in a way that supports (not sabotages) your body?
Because the truth is, we don’t just need more workouts.
We need a better way.
Ready to stop spinning your wheels and start making real progress?
Let’s map it out together.
Book a Fitness Roadmap Session with me. It’s a free 30-minute call to get clear on your goals, troubleshoot your current approach, and explore how my Strength & Longevity Method can help you build lasting results without burnout.
Click here to book your session.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8656806/
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsals.2023.1015702/full
