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For those of you who are new to the platform and don’t know me yet let me give you a little bit of background about me! I’m Caroline, I am 50, a mum of two and personal trainer/fitness coach specialising in women’s fitness, specifically strength training. I have always loved sport and exercise and decided to make my passion a career in 2001 by training as a PT. I started my business in London and built up a base of clients before my family and I moved to the countryside and I started local group circuit classes – so Caroline’s Circuits was born. 2020 changed everything for everyone and I took the classes online creating my platform of online, at home, strength workouts – I now feel I am part of something much bigger than before.

So why does strength training help me and my clients feel fit and fab at 50?

I found that lots of my clients were focussing heavily on trying to do lots of cardio but very much neglecting their strength training. It is so important as we get older to use weights and resistance bands to build strength both in muscles and bones as well as the mind. Increasing bone density and muscle mass (which both naturally decrease as we age) will help us to stay injury free, reduce the risk of falls and fractures and help us feel fantastic. Now when I say strength training I do not mean body building and heavy weights I mean small dumbbells – 3-5kg. All you need is a little extra resistance to see some pretty epic results.

I have been strength training all through my 40s and now into my 50s and I feel stronger, fitter and healthier than I did in my 20s and 30s. I am so passionate about the benefits this type of strength training can bring to women – I just want to spread the word!

Without wishing to labour the point just some of the benefits include:

• Enhanced bone density
• Increased muscle mass
• Reduced risk of falls and fractures
• Improved sleep
• Boosted immunity
• Better weight management
• Greater cardio fitness
• Improved mood
• And of course that feel good factor!

Speaking from personal experience I know for sure that I always feel 100% better once I have done a workout – even if its just 30 minutes! That leads me onto why my workouts are always just 30 minutes. If you can get all of these great benefits from a 30 minute workout why spend much longer? You can almost always find 30 minutes in the day to fit it in and its done before you even realise! So what are you waiting for – why not come and join me in feeling fit and fab at 50 – join me. Have a go at one of my classes for free and see what it is all about here.

Caroline x

Strength training can help you achieve so much both physically and mentally; one of the key physical benefits of strength training, that supports us as we age, is an improvement to bone density.  By stressing your bones, strength training can increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Most of us know that strength training (with weights, weight machines, or resistance bands) can help build and maintain muscle mass and strength. What many of us don’t know is that strong muscles lead to strong bones which, in turn, can help minimise the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis and the development of other degenerative bone conditions.

The other week I received the most incredible message from a client that is absolutely a testament to the power of strength training and to her hard work and commitment to her long term health.

My bone density has been gradually declining and as been in the osteopenia range for over 5 years. In the 12 months since working out 2x per week with Caroline the bone density in my hip has improved. This is the only major lifestyle change I have made during the year so I can honestly say that her workouts are excellent for bone strength and I hope to see further improvement with increased exercise.

I’ve read & researched so much in the past 5 years on bone health & the correlation with strength training but to see the results first hand in this way are incredible; proof displaying in this client’s bone density scans.

We all lose bone density from the age of 30 onwards, especially women post menopause as a result of the natural decline in hormones.  Resistance and strength training really can benefit our bone health by slowing the loss & even stimulating new cell growth reducing the risk of osteoporosis, whether it be from using weights or weight bearing exercises with impact (ie running) or both

My client has stayed consistent with her exercise for a whole year – never missing her 2x weekly PT with me even during holidays. The results really are a testimony to her commitment & they can only improve as she continues this routine of strength training to improve her bone density.

If you want to find out more about my online strength training classes, follow this link: https://carolineci-08283ad4cf-hfd4hchkb6g4gudz.a01.azurefd.net/online-classes/

Recent research has highlighted some of the incredible benefits of strength training.  According to a review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, regularly adding 30 to 60 minutes of strength training to your week may be associated with a 10% to 20% decrease in the risk of early death.

This is such exciting initial research; I’ve long advocated for the power of strength training so I absolutely welcome this review and the main learnings that have been shared from it.  The objective of this research was to quantify the associations between muscle-strengthening activities and the risk of non-communicable diseases and mortality in adults independent of aerobic activities. Working with adults of varying ages without severe underlying health conditions, the research and indicative statistics found that adding just 30-60 minutes of strength training to your week can cut your risk of early death from conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes by up to 20%.

So, what is strength training and why does it have this power to keep us healthy through life?

Strength training is any physical exercise which is designed to improve our strength as well as our endurance. It is usually exercises performed with weights or bands but it can also be activity using our body weight as resistance such as squats, press ups, sit ups, hill climbing, dance etc.

So why should we do it and what are the benefits of strength training?

1. For me the number one benefit would be muscle mass. We lose muscle mass naturally as we age and using weights or resistance training will ensure that we maintain our muscle tissue and stimulate growth.
2. Strength training obviously keeps us strong for long term health – we will naturally be able to perform everyday activities with ease, preventing further injuries as we age and keeping our bodies in the best shape possible.
3. Bone health! A huge benefit! As with muscle mass we also lose bone density from age 30+ and it is imperative that we lay down new bone tissue to avoid osteoporosis and fractures as we age. Strength training loads the bones putting stress on them which in turn stimulates new growth. Especially key pre and post menopause when we can see bone density drop as estrogen levels decrease.
4. The benefits are as much mental as physical. Strength training is a huge mood booster – I see this every week in my classes – people feel energised, less stressed and anxious. Even 30 minutes can really help lift the mood and the effects can last for hours after a workout.
5. Weight management. Strength training helps with weight loss – as we increase muscle mass we thereby increase the number of calories we burn at rest. The after burn is also a huge factor – with resistance exercise we continue to burn calories after the workouts as the muscles recover and grow. Combined with a healthy diet, strength training plays a huge role in maintaining a healthy weight.

As mentioned above as we age it is vital we incorporate strength training into our workouts.  I recommend to my clients to do 3 sessions a week.  Losing muscle mass and bone density as we age is something we need to focus on and only strength training can really help the body stay healthy and strong and combat weakness and frailty associated with age. Injuries are much more common in old age and strength training can hugely impact on this. Building muscle also helps with our overall balance, reducing the risk of falls and injury.

Who should not strength train?

As with any exercise program you should always consult a doctor or qualified fitness professional if you are starting exercise for the first time. If you have heart or kidney disease or type 1 or 2 diabetes you should consult with your doctor before starting a strength training program. Similarly if you have arthritis, being treated for high blood pressure or undergoing cancer treatment you should also consult your doctor.

If you want to find out more about my online strength training classes, follow this link: https://carolineci-08283ad4cf-hfd4hchkb6g4gudz.a01.azurefd.net/online-classes/