Blog - Dear Dumbbell

Welcome

You're in your 40s (or close enough), something is happening to your body that nobody warned you about, and you just want to know if lifting weights will help or if you're going to pull something.

The answer is yes, and probably, and that's okay.

I'm a fitness teacher who works with women in midlife. I've watched strong, capable women walk in completely blindsided by perimenopause — the sleep, the weight that moved to a new location, the rage, the joint stuff — and nobody connecting any of it to what's happening in the gym. That gap annoyed me enough to start writing about it.

Pull up a chair. It gets better.

Why Do Perimenopause Symptoms Get Worse During a Divorce, an Empty Nest or a Diagnosis?

Jane Cox

Published on: 05/07/2026

Why perimenopause symptoms spike during a divorce, an empty nest or a diagnosis, and what the research says actually helps.

Menopause

Losing Muscle in Perimenopause? What the Research Actually Shows

Jane Cox

Published on: 02/07/2026

Women can lose 10 to 20% of their lean muscle mass during perimenopause. In 2024, researchers gave this a clinical name. Here is what the evidence shows and what actually works.

Womens Midlife FitnessMenopause

Why Are You Getting Softer in Your 40s, Even Though You're Exercising?

Jane Cox

Published on: 01/07/2026

You’re exercising, so why does your body feel softer in your 40s? Discover what is really changing, why cardio alone is not enough, and how strength training helps you regain shape, confidence and control.

Womens Midlife FitnessMenopause

Why the Scales Don’t Always Reflect the Progress You’re Making (And What to Look At Instead)

Jane Cox

Published on: 30/06/2026

The scales only tell a tiny part of the story. If you're exercising but the numbers won't budge, it doesn't mean you're failing. Discover why the scales can be misleading during perimenopause and the signs that prove your body is changing for the bet

Womens Midlife FitnessMenopause

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