Between deadlines, family and everything else, strength training can easily slide to the bottom of the list. Yet midlife is a time when a bit of attention to your muscles and bones can pay off for years to come. It does not need hours in a gym, and it is never too early or too late to start.

What is happening to your bones and muscles

Your bones are constantly being broken down and rebuilt, and oestrogen helps keep that balance steady. As oestrogen falls, bone is lost more quickly. A large study that followed women through midlife found the fastest change happens over about three years around the last period. During that time, bone in the spine thins by around 2% a year, before the pace slows again.

Muscle changes through midlife too, and it responds well to being used at any age. Knowing when the biggest changes happen is useful, because it shows when strength work can do the most good.

How strength work helps

Bone is living tissue that adapts to what you ask of it. When muscles pull on bones, or your feet meet the ground with some force, your bones get a signal to stay strong. Gentle movement is great for joints, but bones need a bit more challenge.

One well-known trial worked with around 100 women in their 60s who already had low bone density. With expert supervision, they did short sessions of heavy lifting and jumping twice a week. After eight months, their bone density had improved, their posture was better, and everyday movements felt easier.

There may be a bonus too. In a Swedish trial, women who took up strength training three times a week went from around seven moderate or strong hot flushes a day to about four within a few months. Those who carried on as usual saw little change.

How much, and how hard

You do not need to start with heavy weights or expert supervision. What matters most is steady, gradually increasing challenge. A good aim is strength work on at least two days a week, working your legs, arms and trunk.

How hard it feels matters more than how long it lasts. The last few repetitions should feel genuinely challenging while you can still keep good control. Twenty minutes is a really good start.

A simple routine you can do at home

Something to try, two or three times a week, with no equipment:

• Sit to stand. Rise from a chair without using your hands, then lower yourself back down slowly.
• Worktop press-ups. Lean your hands on a kitchen worktop, lower your chest towards it, then push away.
• Heel raises. Rise onto your toes, pause, then lower slowly.

Two rounds of each, with a short rest in between, is a good starting point. If you would like to follow along, VIDA has short videos of each of these exercises you can work through at your own pace.

Building up over time

Your body adapts to whatever you ask of it, so the routine that feels hard now will feel easier in a few weeks. That is your cue to build. You could slow down the lowering part of each move, add a few repetitions, or wear a rucksack with a few books in it. If you enjoy it and want to go further, many gyms offer coached strength sessions.

Fitting it into a busy week

Many people find that booking two fixed slots works better than waiting for a free moment. You could treat them like any other meeting in your diary, or tie them to something you already do. Women in the Swedish trial said feeling accountable kept them going, so a colleague to train with or a regular class can make a real difference.

Whether your periods have changed yet or not, your muscles and bones respond to this kind of work, so starting wherever you are is what matters.

What to take away

• Aim for strength work on at least two days a week.
• Choose moves where the last few repetitions feel challenging.
• Build the challenge gradually as things start to feel easier.
• Book your sessions into your diary, or find someone to train with.

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