Power Training Helps Women Build Midlife Fitness

Strength training gets plenty of attention in midlife, but another part of fitness can fade with age: power, or producing force quickly. That ability can help someone recover after a stumble, steady themselves when balance shifts or move rapidly around an obstacle. Muscle fibers involved in fast movement may decline with age and inactivity, making this capacity especially relevant later in life.

A trainer recommends adapting familiar exercises instead of beginning with difficult jumps or complex lifts. Options include modified burpees, squat jumps and a movement that coordinates the arms and legs. A core exercise, performed while shifting weight onto one arm to move a dumbbell, adds stability and control. Beginners can step rather than jump, rise onto their toes, or do the core move from their knees.

The suggested format is two or three rounds of five or six repetitions, with 60 to 90 seconds of recovery between rounds. The core exercise is done on each side. The emphasis is on precise, deliberate repetitions because tired muscles produce less power; the routine is intended to build quick force without turning into a high-repetition cardio session.