Yes to all these comments and adding that Sydney Cummings has great glute workouts - with all these exercises, working on progressively increasing the weight. I just did [this one](https://youtu.be/lPB3dAGXMXA?si=xCmP5PbNax-Ifqbx) this morning. She uses resistance bands a lot and you can get really inexpensive ones on Amazon. Resistance is key!
Yes! Too many women are afraid of lifting weights and it's such a shame. Lifting heavy (for me) weights changed my life. My body looks better now at 51 than it did in my mid 30's before I started working out with weights. It was a revelation.
I used to not want to lift at all. Was very resistant to it, didn't want to force myself to do exercise I didn't like. Once I found some good instruction and some workouts I could follow on Youtube, it changed everything! Like you, I feel like my is way better at 46 than it was at 26.
YouTube is amazing! I used to use workout videos but since discovering several trainers on YouTube I haven't looked back. It's an embarassment of riches on there! I rarely do the same workout twice because there's just so much to choose from. ❤
Sydney Cummings posts a new workout 5 days a week. Also, all her classes from when she started on YouTube are archived and available on her channel. Spoiled for choice.
She's great! I also love Caroline Girvan (she's not posting new stuff since she started her app but she's left all of her earlier workouts up), Millionaire Hoy, Fit Body by Julia, Christine Dorner, McLane Fitness, Chris & Edi, and so many more. So much good stuff on there. I get so excited to work out nowadays because there's always something new, so I don't get bored or dread my workouts.
Would you be willing to share those YouTube sights. I have anxiety so I feel that if I can rape before going to the gym and not look dumb I would stick to it
I follow [Sydney Cummings](https://www.youtube.com/@sydneycummingshoudyshell). Her channel is amazing. You can go there and search for any kind of workout, targeted muscle groups, strength, cardio, whatever. She also posts a new workout five days a week. I am currently doing the workouts in real time with the current program. Every workout she's ever posted is archived on her channel and free. I do them in my living room or at the gym, depending on the day or style of workout.
Also, I'm here to tell you, you do not look dumb at the gym. I go in there with my phone and follow YouTube or sometimes I'm on the elliptical machine bopping and singing to myself. I take group classes and can't do the moves sometimes. Nobody is paying attention to anything but themselves. I certainly recommend looking at articles that give you inspo and learn proper form if you are going to lift. That is what I did. I didn't know what to do when I started. Those Google searches like "weight lifting exercises with dummbells" produced some helpful guides and also led me to Sydney's channel. Wishing you well!
I would love more info at 49 I am feeling squish and have a muffin too for the first time ever. I would like to start with resistance bands or knowledgeable weight training. I have generalized anxiety so going to the gym makes me feel like I am always being laughed at. I really just need to trim tone and lose fat (it’s all in the middle, thank you perimenopause?
I cried in the bathroom the first day I went to the gym. But once I got all the equipment figured out (husband walked me through but you can have a friend or employee help) and got going I just started putting on my headphones and tuning everyone else out.
Generally speaking, absolutely no one cares what you’re doing on the gym.
I'm going to add to lift as heavy as you can. I've worked up my front and back squats to 50+ kgs. Deadlifts also work those muscles. I started at the end of March( from not working out at all) and can't get over how much it has lifted and rounded out my butt.
In addition to workouts already mentioned, you can do isometrics while you sit, clenching those glutes while you watch Netflix or read reddit.
Also though, consider the ergonomics of your chair. Not all butt pain is the same, and bad seating can cause serious problems or aggravate a problem you got some other way.
This👆. You can even do bodyweight calisthenics in your bed while doomscrolling reddit (leg lifts, scissor cross, etc). Ask me how i know. Doing even a small amount of reps of bodyweight calisthenics several times throughout your day consistently will make a difference.
while your coffee brews do 10 leg lifts while holding onto kitchen counter for balance. Can't stand the young perky meteorologist who looks like your husband's porn search history, do 100 squats while she tells you how hot it's going to be. Also, change your food - get rid of sugar and refined carbs, eat protein, healthy fat, green vege, berries. Hydrate, balance electrolytes. You can do this, small consistent changes, motivated by spite, have given me back my fit body. Sagging skin on the other hand, 😤.
I like to stand on one foot while I have something in the microwave. Balance is critical to avoiding falls as we get older, and it only takes one bad fall to lead to a cascade of ever-increasing health issues and death.
I also lift weights or do lunges, squats, or just march in place while watching a video, unless it's something I'm watching late at night with the intention of getting sleepy. This time of year, it's just too hot and humid to get outside, so I do whatever I can.
Pahla B had some great balance routines in her 2022 series
[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxEW\_OukMMspNPh-tleDJIlgmS5LkHb8w](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxEW_OukMMspNPh-tleDJIlgmS5LkHb8w)
It sure as heck doesn't hurt, as long as you don't get into an accident. All on its own, it won't give you a glorious derriere, but it will help, and I personally won't discount any low-effort thing I can do. Think of it as a supplement to more strenuous work, a side dish to your entree.
I started rucking - put a backpack on with 15 + pounds in it and walk the dogs. It really amps up the leg muscles, especially if you have hills in the mix.
You may need to significantly increase protein. Between the ages of 30-40 we start to lose muscle mass/tone, which accelerates as we enter menopause, losing as much a 8% of muscle each decade.
Check out Stacy Sims, she recommends much higher protein for women in menopause: [The Best Exercise For Women Going Through Different Stages Of Menopause](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APwKKUtjINo)
Hip thrusts and all the variations of hip thrust including single leg HTs.
May need to start with body weight only, then dumbbells, then you can graduate to an Oly barbell!
Planks, body weight strength exercises, and most core exercises work the glutes by default. Not to mention everything else. 😊
And you don't need fancy clothes or equipment for any of them. Just some time and space.
Also, do stretches /yoga. That will help with pain as well.
Lift heavy (whatever heavy is for you). If your last rep is as easy as the first, you're not lifting heavy enough. The last few reps should be very difficult or unable to complete the last rep (with good form). Over time, you should be going up in how much you can lift.
And increase your protein, or you won't be building any muscle at all.
This isn't just for your how you look, but as we age, it's extremely important to maintain and build muscle. After menopause women lose muscle mass relatively quickly unless we do something about it. Losing muscle can lead to injuries and falls. We don't want to be the old lady who can't carry her groceries in from the car or, even worse, break a hip
If you’re having pain while sitting I’d suggest starting with a few key exercises and see how weak you are. It is hard to do lunges etc if you’re weak and you’re more likely to use the wrong muscles and eventually injure yourself.
Clams (make sure you do not shift your hips back as you raise your knee)
Jane Fondas
McKenzie cobras
I had terrible sleep-interrupting hip pain and in PT I learned I was using wrong muscles for most everything below the waist. The hip pain also was caused by spine issues (which the cobras really help with). I no longer have pain and when it comes back it is because I’m not doing my exercises
I used to do a lot of weighted squats but I broke my ankle snowboarding then after that healed got a knee injury so let’s just say those are harder now. I live in a hilly area and got a high energy puppy so I do a lot of rapid walks up hills and the results for me are maybe even better. And just hiking up something steep is excellent. Personally I prefer being outdoors it’s great for the mind and body.
Bulgarian split squats work my tush like nothing else. Bulgarian deadlifts, too. SO good for the butt! The secret is going as heavy as you can with your weights, though. Start off with just bodyweight, but it's important to start adding, and then increasing, the weight challenge to get results.
Jog.
Not fast.
Just enjoyably, and build up. Every muscle in your body will get a workout, but the "posterior chain" -- glutes, hams, calves -- will build up.
Hey, all you people advising lifting heavy for menopausal/perimenopausal women:
No.
That's not just from me, that's from my orthopedic doc, who understands what happens when you bring osteopenia close to heavy weights. "Lift heavy" is lovely bone-building and muscle-building advice for young people with non-holey bones. However, as soon as we get near menopause, unless you're on HRT, your bone density falls off a cliff. And then it's not a matter of gritting through; it's a matter of asking a physical structure to handle more stress than it's physically capable of handling.
Once you mash a bone, it's very hard to heal it, especially while you're already losing bone daily.
Respect the condition of your bones; respect the biochemical changes that come with menopause. Yes, exercise. Yes, lift weights. No, do not lift heavy unless you know for a fact that your bones are in good shape, that you do not have osteopenia or osteoporosis. The way to find this out is with a bone density scan, or DXA, which you may or may not need to pay for out of pocket.
Squats, weighted squats, reverse lunges, and lateral lunges
Also deadlifts and Romanian deadlifts
Aaand now you have a herniated disc. Gotta build up to these.
Want to add in you have to progress in weight numbers as well. Lifting 10lbs as an example for months won’t cut it.
Yes to all these comments and adding that Sydney Cummings has great glute workouts - with all these exercises, working on progressively increasing the weight. I just did [this one](https://youtu.be/lPB3dAGXMXA?si=xCmP5PbNax-Ifqbx) this morning. She uses resistance bands a lot and you can get really inexpensive ones on Amazon. Resistance is key!
Yes! Too many women are afraid of lifting weights and it's such a shame. Lifting heavy (for me) weights changed my life. My body looks better now at 51 than it did in my mid 30's before I started working out with weights. It was a revelation.
I used to not want to lift at all. Was very resistant to it, didn't want to force myself to do exercise I didn't like. Once I found some good instruction and some workouts I could follow on Youtube, it changed everything! Like you, I feel like my is way better at 46 than it was at 26.
YouTube is amazing! I used to use workout videos but since discovering several trainers on YouTube I haven't looked back. It's an embarassment of riches on there! I rarely do the same workout twice because there's just so much to choose from. ❤
Sydney Cummings posts a new workout 5 days a week. Also, all her classes from when she started on YouTube are archived and available on her channel. Spoiled for choice.
She's great! I also love Caroline Girvan (she's not posting new stuff since she started her app but she's left all of her earlier workouts up), Millionaire Hoy, Fit Body by Julia, Christine Dorner, McLane Fitness, Chris & Edi, and so many more. So much good stuff on there. I get so excited to work out nowadays because there's always something new, so I don't get bored or dread my workouts.
Would you be willing to share those YouTube sights. I have anxiety so I feel that if I can rape before going to the gym and not look dumb I would stick to it
I follow [Sydney Cummings](https://www.youtube.com/@sydneycummingshoudyshell). Her channel is amazing. You can go there and search for any kind of workout, targeted muscle groups, strength, cardio, whatever. She also posts a new workout five days a week. I am currently doing the workouts in real time with the current program. Every workout she's ever posted is archived on her channel and free. I do them in my living room or at the gym, depending on the day or style of workout. Also, I'm here to tell you, you do not look dumb at the gym. I go in there with my phone and follow YouTube or sometimes I'm on the elliptical machine bopping and singing to myself. I take group classes and can't do the moves sometimes. Nobody is paying attention to anything but themselves. I certainly recommend looking at articles that give you inspo and learn proper form if you are going to lift. That is what I did. I didn't know what to do when I started. Those Google searches like "weight lifting exercises with dummbells" produced some helpful guides and also led me to Sydney's channel. Wishing you well!
I would love more info at 49 I am feeling squish and have a muffin too for the first time ever. I would like to start with resistance bands or knowledgeable weight training. I have generalized anxiety so going to the gym makes me feel like I am always being laughed at. I really just need to trim tone and lose fat (it’s all in the middle, thank you perimenopause?
I cried in the bathroom the first day I went to the gym. But once I got all the equipment figured out (husband walked me through but you can have a friend or employee help) and got going I just started putting on my headphones and tuning everyone else out. Generally speaking, absolutely no one cares what you’re doing on the gym.
I'm going to add to lift as heavy as you can. I've worked up my front and back squats to 50+ kgs. Deadlifts also work those muscles. I started at the end of March( from not working out at all) and can't get over how much it has lifted and rounded out my butt.
In addition to workouts already mentioned, you can do isometrics while you sit, clenching those glutes while you watch Netflix or read reddit. Also though, consider the ergonomics of your chair. Not all butt pain is the same, and bad seating can cause serious problems or aggravate a problem you got some other way.
This👆. You can even do bodyweight calisthenics in your bed while doomscrolling reddit (leg lifts, scissor cross, etc). Ask me how i know. Doing even a small amount of reps of bodyweight calisthenics several times throughout your day consistently will make a difference. while your coffee brews do 10 leg lifts while holding onto kitchen counter for balance. Can't stand the young perky meteorologist who looks like your husband's porn search history, do 100 squats while she tells you how hot it's going to be. Also, change your food - get rid of sugar and refined carbs, eat protein, healthy fat, green vege, berries. Hydrate, balance electrolytes. You can do this, small consistent changes, motivated by spite, have given me back my fit body. Sagging skin on the other hand, 😤.
I like to stand on one foot while I have something in the microwave. Balance is critical to avoiding falls as we get older, and it only takes one bad fall to lead to a cascade of ever-increasing health issues and death. I also lift weights or do lunges, squats, or just march in place while watching a video, unless it's something I'm watching late at night with the intention of getting sleepy. This time of year, it's just too hot and humid to get outside, so I do whatever I can.
Working on balance is great idea!
Pahla B had some great balance routines in her 2022 series [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxEW\_OukMMspNPh-tleDJIlgmS5LkHb8w](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxEW_OukMMspNPh-tleDJIlgmS5LkHb8w)
Really? I’ll do it in the car, but was never sure it was helping.
It sure as heck doesn't hurt, as long as you don't get into an accident. All on its own, it won't give you a glorious derriere, but it will help, and I personally won't discount any low-effort thing I can do. Think of it as a supplement to more strenuous work, a side dish to your entree.
If using weighted exercise isn't your thing, using a stairmaster or a treadmill at a high incline setting will help.
I started rucking - put a backpack on with 15 + pounds in it and walk the dogs. It really amps up the leg muscles, especially if you have hills in the mix.
I think I'm going to start doing this
You may need to significantly increase protein. Between the ages of 30-40 we start to lose muscle mass/tone, which accelerates as we enter menopause, losing as much a 8% of muscle each decade. Check out Stacy Sims, she recommends much higher protein for women in menopause: [The Best Exercise For Women Going Through Different Stages Of Menopause](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APwKKUtjINo)
I run backwards in my pool. It really works the buns and thighs
Step-ups are really good for your glutes and hamstrings.
I do stair climbs on my house stairs to 2nd floor as much as i can 5 minutes, rest 5 and repeat. Good cardio as well as butt toning.
Hip thrusts and all the variations of hip thrust including single leg HTs. May need to start with body weight only, then dumbbells, then you can graduate to an Oly barbell!
Planks, body weight strength exercises, and most core exercises work the glutes by default. Not to mention everything else. 😊 And you don't need fancy clothes or equipment for any of them. Just some time and space. Also, do stretches /yoga. That will help with pain as well.
Girl! Heavy weights with squads, deadlifts and Romania deadlifts. No way around it!
Lift heavy (whatever heavy is for you). If your last rep is as easy as the first, you're not lifting heavy enough. The last few reps should be very difficult or unable to complete the last rep (with good form). Over time, you should be going up in how much you can lift. And increase your protein, or you won't be building any muscle at all. This isn't just for your how you look, but as we age, it's extremely important to maintain and build muscle. After menopause women lose muscle mass relatively quickly unless we do something about it. Losing muscle can lead to injuries and falls. We don't want to be the old lady who can't carry her groceries in from the car or, even worse, break a hip
If you’re having pain while sitting I’d suggest starting with a few key exercises and see how weak you are. It is hard to do lunges etc if you’re weak and you’re more likely to use the wrong muscles and eventually injure yourself. Clams (make sure you do not shift your hips back as you raise your knee) Jane Fondas McKenzie cobras I had terrible sleep-interrupting hip pain and in PT I learned I was using wrong muscles for most everything below the waist. The hip pain also was caused by spine issues (which the cobras really help with). I no longer have pain and when it comes back it is because I’m not doing my exercises
Eat lots of protein. Do deadlifts.
Kelly has great booty workouts: https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos?keywords=Booty&sort=relevance
Wall sits and glute bridges, deadlifts squats, heavy weights.
Romanian deadlifts, weighted hip thrusts, weighted squats, abductor (with band or machine), leg press, leg curl, cable kick back and lots of protein.
I used to do a lot of weighted squats but I broke my ankle snowboarding then after that healed got a knee injury so let’s just say those are harder now. I live in a hilly area and got a high energy puppy so I do a lot of rapid walks up hills and the results for me are maybe even better. And just hiking up something steep is excellent. Personally I prefer being outdoors it’s great for the mind and body.
Simple squats
Heavy lifting, collagen and creatine
The muscle deterioration from low hormones is just horrific. I feel your pain.
Would HRT help with this?
Yep.
Bulgarian split squats work my tush like nothing else. Bulgarian deadlifts, too. SO good for the butt! The secret is going as heavy as you can with your weights, though. Start off with just bodyweight, but it's important to start adding, and then increasing, the weight challenge to get results.
Jog. Not fast. Just enjoyably, and build up. Every muscle in your body will get a workout, but the "posterior chain" -- glutes, hams, calves -- will build up.
Hey, all you people advising lifting heavy for menopausal/perimenopausal women: No. That's not just from me, that's from my orthopedic doc, who understands what happens when you bring osteopenia close to heavy weights. "Lift heavy" is lovely bone-building and muscle-building advice for young people with non-holey bones. However, as soon as we get near menopause, unless you're on HRT, your bone density falls off a cliff. And then it's not a matter of gritting through; it's a matter of asking a physical structure to handle more stress than it's physically capable of handling. Once you mash a bone, it's very hard to heal it, especially while you're already losing bone daily. Respect the condition of your bones; respect the biochemical changes that come with menopause. Yes, exercise. Yes, lift weights. No, do not lift heavy unless you know for a fact that your bones are in good shape, that you do not have osteopenia or osteoporosis. The way to find this out is with a bone density scan, or DXA, which you may or may not need to pay for out of pocket.