Stop waiting for the “right time” to get fit: the best time is NOW

If you’ve ever said any of the following, know that you’re absolutely not alone:

• “I’ll start when work calms down.”

• “Once the kids are older, I’ll finally have time.”

• “I’ll get back on track after Christmas / in the New Year / after the holidays…”
  
  

But let me share the truth: there is no perfect time. The best time to start getting fit after 40 is now — even (and especially) when life feels busy, messy or overwhelming.

In this article we’ll explore:

• Why waiting keeps you stuck

• Why midlife is one of the most powerful windows to start training

• Evidence-based habit research you can actually use

• How action creates motivation (not the other way around)

• Exactly what “starting now” can look like in real life
  
  

Why your body (and mind) will thank you for starting today

For many women in their 30s, 40s and beyond, our internal script often says:

“I’ll wait until things settle, then I’ll start.”

But here’s the problem: life doesn’t ever really settle — it just shifts. There will always be:

• Another busy work push

• A new school term

• A holiday or family event

• A new, perhaps unforeseen, phase in life

If you’re waiting for that calm window where everything aligns — you’ll just…keep… waiting. Years pass. Weeks turn into months. And desired changes never begin.

Too many times this waiting is disguised as “planning well” or “getting ready”. But beneath it often sits one or more of the following:

• Fear of starting and failing again

• Lack of self-trust (“Can I stick with it?”)

• Feeling too unfit / too old / too far gone

But here’s what I now know: your body doesn’t need ‘perfect’ conditions, or even perfect training; It just needs a starting point and consistent, informed action.

You might look in the mirror and think: “I should have started 10 years ago.” But that thinking actually gives you a superpower: you’re right on time.

Here’s why:

As women move into their late 30s, 40s and beyond, several physiological changes begin:

• Muscle mass (sarcopenia) begins to decline — estimates suggest losses of 3 %–8 % per decade after age 30, and even more after age 50.¹

• Bone density begins to drop, especially around the menopause transition — leading to increased risk of fractures and falls.²

• Hormonal fluctuations (peri-menopause and menopause) affect energy, mood, body composition and recovery.

• Metabolism, sleep quality and recovery all become more sensitive to lifestyle.
  
  

But that doesn’t mean it’s too late. Far from it.

Recent research shows that for women aged 40-60, structured strength training (resistance training) is effective and safe at improving muscle strength, functional capacity, and body composition.³

For example: “Resistance training alters body composition in middle-aged women (and) is effective in counteracting the age- and menopause-related loss of muscle mass (MM) and strength in middle-aged women (40–60 years).” ³

In short: every strength session you do now is an investment in your future self.

And for women 40+, that investment pays huge dividends:

• Maintaining and building muscle mass helps preserve mobility, metabolism and functional strength (so you can do the things you love).

• Improved bone and joint health reduces risk of injury, osteopenia and osteoporosis.

• The confidence and mental resilience that comes from moving with control and strength spills over into every part of life.
  
  

So you’re not “too late”. You’re right on time!

You’ve almost certainly heard that “it takes 21 days to form a habit.” That is an oversimplification of what the science actually shows.⁴ Here’s what we do know:

• Habit formation varies enormously from one person to another, depending on the behaviour, context, and individual.

• Some newer research (for example a large real-life data study of gym attendance) suggests there are critical windows where consistency early on strongly predicts long-term adherence.⁴

• The key message for you: you don’t need to wait months or strain for perfection. If you take consistent action for just 10–14 days, your identity and confidence begin to shift.
  
  

When clients tell me “I’m waiting until I’m ready” I say this: You don’t need to be ready. You just need to start. Because the act of starting creates momentum.

So here’s one of the most helpful mindset tips I've seen:

Motivation doesn’t come first. Action creates motivation. It creates MOMENTUM.

Just take a moment to let that sink in: you CANNOT WAIT for motivation! You will build it by doing it, not waiting until you FEEL it.

Let’s clear up a misunderstanding right away: “Starting now” doesn’t mean you need to overhaul your life overnight. It doesn’t mean 6-day gym marathons, strict diets, or radical transformations.

Too often that leads to burnout for women in midlife.

Instead it means manageable micro-habits that fit your real life. Here are a few ideas to start with:

• 2 strength sessions this week (20-30 minutes each) at home using dumbbells or bodyweight. I have lots of free workouts on my YouTube channel.

• 1 mobility session of 10 minutes on your “tired day”. Use my favourite session here.

• A 15-20 minute walk - even if it’s just around your neighbourhood, after breakfast, lunch or dinner.

• One additional portion of protein at one meal this week

• One earlier bed-time this week (say 30 minutes earlier than usual)
  
  

These actions are realistic, repeatable and sustainable. That’s the kind of change your body and life welcome.

Because here’s the truth: consistency wins over intensity every time. For women 40+, building strength, mobility and confidence with intent beats doing too much, too soon.

I’ve seen this transformation again and again in clients. They arrive saying:

“I’m so unfit, I don’t know where to begin.”
“My body doesn’t feel like mine any more.”
“Everything aches. I feel old and scared I'll injure myself.”

Then, by just a few weeks in this has changed to:

“I feel more energy than I have in a long time.”

“I can feel muscles I haven’t felt in years.”

“I’m less achy, I move better when I bend down to tie shoes.”

“I’m actually proud of myself.”

What they don’t always anticipate are the invisible changes that come before the visible ones:

• Better sleep

• Stronger joints

• Less stiffness in the mornings

• More straightforward daily movements (stairs, lifts, bending, picking up the kids!)

• A shift in identity from "I've never been fit" to “I’m someone who trains. I’m someone who's strong, capable and powerful."
  
  

Their body doesn't just change in appearance (but that's a nice benefit!). They experience a shift in their beliefs and identity too.

Here are some research-backed tips to help you get started and stay consistent:

1. Strength training is critical

“Resistance training alters body composition in middle-aged women … is effective in counteracting the age- and menopause-related loss of muscle mass (MM) and strength …” ³
Translation: lifting weights (or using resistance) is one of your most powerful tools right now.

2. Quality matters more than hours

Even moderate resistance training sessions (2-3 times per week) can produce meaningful results in women in this age range.³ Don’t wait for “hours of workout time” — 20-30 minute focused sessions work.

3. Protein intake matters too

Older adults have different muscle protein synthesis responses than younger people.⁵ Ensuring adequate protein (spread throughout the day) helps support adaptation, recovery and muscle health.

4. Habit links work

Attaching a new habit to an existing routine makes it far more likely to stick (“habit-stacking”).⁴ For example: after you finish your lunch, you go for 5 minutes of movement; or after your cappuccino, you do your mobility mini-flow.

5. Embrace identity change

You aren’t just “starting a workout.” You’re becoming someone who moves, trains, respects her body, feels strong. Research shows this identity shift is a major determinant of long-term adherence.⁴

6. Accept imperfect weeks

Some weeks will be messy. Shifts, childcare, tiredness, sickness, holidays, hormones! The win may simply be: “I moved today” or “I stretched for 10 minutes.” That still counts as forward motion. Consistency beats perfection.

If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to start getting fit — the truth is, there isn’t one. Life doesn’t neatly pause to give you the space, time or energy you wish you had. And that’s ok. Because the biggest transformations women make in their 40s and beyond don’t come from perfect timing… they come from imperfect, but consistent action.

Every time you move — even for 10 minutes — you’re sending your body a powerful message:

“I matter. My health matters. My strength matters.”

And those small decisions add up.

They build momentum.
They reshape your identity.
They create the confidence you’ve been longing to feel again.

You don’t need motivation first.
You don’t need the perfect plan.
You don’t need hours of free time.
You don’t need to wait until life gets easier.

You just need to begin — exactly where you are, with what you have.

Because the best time to get fit after 40 wasn’t yesterday or next Monday.
It’s right now.

So just take the smallest step you can today — a walk, a stretch, a short strength session, a better meal — and trust that it’s enough. Because when you move forward consistently, even in tiny ways, your body and your life begin to change in ways you can feel every single day.

Your strongest, healthiest, happiest years CAN still be ahead of you.

And they start with what you choose to do today.