Holidays are wonderful for the mind. We sleep a little longer, spend more time outdoors, walk on the beach, explore new places, or simply enjoy slowing down. Many of us still stay active, but we rarely exercise with the same structure or intensity as we do during our normal routine. And that's completely okay. In fact, your body benefits from periods of lower stress and more recovery. But here's what many women over 40 don't realise... Your Brain Remembers. Your Body Doesn't. When you return from holiday, your mind remembers exactly what you could do before you left. You remember lifting the same weights, running the same distance, attending all your fitness classes, or working long days before heading straight to the gym. Your body, however, has changed. Even after just a few weeks of reduced training, muscle strength and power begin to decline. As we get older, rebuilding those qualities also takes a little longer than it did in our twenties. That creates a mismatch. Mentally, you're

Have you noticed something? During your holiday, your body often feels… better. Your neck isn't as stiff. Your shoulders aren't constantly tense. Your back aches less. You sleep a little deeper. You have more energy. And it's easy to believe it's only because you've had time to exercise. But most of the time, that's not the real reason. You've simply been moving differently. You've walked on the beach. Played with your children or grandchildren. Worked in the garden. Carried suitcases. Swam. Explored new places. Spent less time sitting. Without even thinking about it, you've been giving your body exactly what it loves, variety. Then August arrives. Back to the desk. Back to long meetings. Back to hours in the car. Back to the computer. And before you've even started work again, another feeling creeps in. Guilt. "I really need to start exercising again." "I should go to the gym." "This time I'll try five workouts every week." Deep down, you already know what usually happens. Life gets b

What if you don't have 30 or 60 minutes to exercise? This is why I find micro training so interesting. I recently read Mikrotræning – Hvert sekund tæller by Morten Hostrup and Jens Bangsbo. From my work and experience as a physiotherapist and trainer, I already know that intensity matters. If we want the body to change, we need to stimulate and challenge it enough to give it a reason to adapt. But what I really enjoyed about this book is how it brings together the larger body of research behind this. It is an easy read that makes it simple to understand just how effective even short bursts of intense physical activity can be for our health. And the message is encouraging: A short workout can still count, if the intensity is there. What does the research tell us? Research into short bursts of vigorous activity suggests that just a few minutes throughout the day can be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and premature death. That doesn't mean three min

One of the biggest changes that happens as we get older is the gradual loss of muscle mass and strength. This process starts earlier than many people realise and accelerates with age, particularly for women after menopause, when declining oestrogen also contributes to muscle loss. The good news? This is one of the changes we can influence the most. Strength training remains one of the most effective ways to maintain muscle, improve balance, protect our joints, and preserve our independence as we age. What does "heavy" strength training actually mean? Many people assume heavy means lifting huge weights. It doesn't. Heavy is relative to you. The goal isn't to compare yourself to anyone else. The goal is to challenge your muscles enough that they become fatigued. A muscle only becomes stronger when it is asked to do more than it is used to doing. You can reach that point in two ways: using a heavier load for fewer repetitions or using a lighter load for more repetitions until the muscle b

Strength training for your brain When most people think about protecting their brain as they get older, they think about puzzles, reading, learning new skills, or keeping mentally active. And while those things are important, research is increasingly showing that there is another factor that may play a major role in maintaining cognitive health as we age: Muscle strength. Recent research suggests that the stronger we are, the lower our risk of cognitive decline and dementia later in life. A recent meta-analysis reviewing 41 studies found that age-related muscle loss was associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia. In other words, people who lose muscle as they age appear more likely to experience problems with memory and thinking skills than those who maintain their muscle mass and strength. This is one of the many reasons why strength training becomes increasingly important as we get older. What does grip strength tell us? One of the simplest ways researchers asses

Summer is wonderful. The days are longer, routines change, holidays arrive, and many of us finally get the chance to slow down a little. But summer is also the time when many people stop exercising completely. Not because they don't care about their health. Not because they suddenly dislike exercise. But because life becomes less structured. And when structure disappears, workouts are often the first thing to go. We naturally choose the easy option As humans, we like things to be easy. That's completely normal. Thousands of years ago, conserving energy was a survival advantage. Food wasn't available at every corner. We had to walk, carry, lift, climb, and work physically to survive. Today, life is very different. We drive to the shops. We order food online. We use lifts instead of stairs. We sit more than ever before. In many ways, modern life has removed much of the physical challenge our bodies were designed for. That's why exercise has become so important. Not because our bodies sud