Strength Training for Women Over 35: Why the Evidence Has Shifted Away from Cardio
By Neer, NutriThrive Truganina · Last updated: 13 Jul 2026
Most Australian women who exercise regularly were told — implicitly or explicitly — that cardio is the foundation of women’s fitness. Run, cycle, swim, walk. Do your step count. The idea that lifting weights was what women needed for serious health outcomes, not just aesthetics, has taken decades to filter through from research into mainstream health guidance.
It’s filtered through now. And if you’re a woman over 35, the evidence is clearer than it’s ever been.
What changes after 35
From around 35 onwards, muscle mass naturally begins to decline in both men and women — a process called sarcopenia. In women, the decline accelerates significantly at perimenopause and menopause due to declining estrogen, which plays a direct role in muscle protein synthesis and bone density maintenance.
By 60, an estimated one in three Australians has some degree of sarcopenia. Loss of muscle mass is directly associated with slower metabolism, increased body fat, reduced functional capacity, fall risk, and diminished quality of life.
Bone density loss follows a similar trajectory. Australian women lose roughly 1% of bone density per year after menopause without intervention. Osteoporosis affects one in three Australian women over 60.
Neither of these is inevitable — but the interventions most supported by research are not the ones most women have been doing.
Why cardio alone isn’t enough
Cardiovascular exercise is genuinely important for heart health, blood sugar management, and mental health — that hasn’t changed. The problem is that cardio doesn’t produce the mechanical loading on bones and muscles that stimulates them to maintain density and mass.
Bone is living tissue that responds to mechanical stress. When a bone experiences loading — the impact of a foot strike, the pull of a muscle under load — it responds by building density at that site. Low-impact cardio (cycling, swimming) produces minimal bone-building stimulus. Even running, while better, loads bones primarily in the lower body. Resistance training loads bones through a much wider range of sites and ranges of motion.
Muscle similarly responds to the specific stimulus of being challenged beyond its current capacity. Aerobic exercise doesn’t provide this stimulus adequately for muscle maintenance at midlife.
What the research now shows for strength training
Bone density: Multiple randomised controlled trials show resistance training at sufficient load maintains and in some cases increases bone mineral density at the spine and hip — the two most clinically significant sites for fracture risk. This is something cardio does not consistently achieve.
Muscle mass: Resistance training is the most effective intervention for preserving lean muscle mass through menopause and beyond. When combined with adequate protein (see our separate guide on protein for women), it significantly slows sarcopenia.
Metabolic rate: Muscle is metabolically active tissue. Maintaining or building muscle through resistance training helps maintain resting metabolic rate — which declines with age and accelerates during muscle loss. Women who maintain muscle mass through their 40s and 50s consistently show better metabolic markers than those who don’t.
Visceral fat: Post-menopausal women who do resistance training accumulate less visceral fat than those who do cardio alone, with multiple studies showing strength training specifically targets the metabolically problematic abdominal fat deposition that worsens after menopause.
Menopausal symptoms: Studies show regular resistance training reduces the frequency and severity of hot flushes, improves sleep quality, and reduces mood disturbance in perimenopausal and menopausal women. The mechanism is thought to involve improved thermoregulation, better sleep architecture, and reduced cortisol.
Where to start if you haven’t before
The most evidence-backed frequency is 2-3 sessions per week. The sessions don’t need to be long — 30-45 minutes of focused resistance work is sufficient. You don’t need a gym membership — bodyweight training at home (squats, lunges, push-ups, hip hinges) provides the stimulus, particularly when starting out.
The principle is progressive overload: the weight or difficulty should increase gradually over time, because your body adapts to any consistent stimulus. A weight that challenged you in week one won’t provide the same bone or muscle stimulus in month three.
FAQ
Strength training or cardio for women over 35?
Both, but prioritise strength training for bone density, muscle mass, and metabolic health.
Why is it important through menopause?
Declining estrogen accelerates bone and muscle loss — resistance training is the most effective non-drug intervention for both.
How often?
2-3 times per week. Consistent twice-weekly sessions produce meaningful benefits.
Written by Neer — NutriThrive Australia.
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These statements have not been evaluated by the TGA. This content is general information only, not medical advice.
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Update log
- 13 Jul 2026: Article published.