Turning 40 brings lots of changes for women. Hormones like estrogen drop, metabolism slows, and bone density takes a hit, too. Plus, your body makeup changes. All this can drain your energy and affect how strong you feel overall. So many wonder if yoga alone is enough at this point, or if they should go for intense workouts instead.
Tamanna Singh, a Certified Menopause Coach and co-founder of MENOVEDA, says it’s not an either/or situation. “The best plan is to do both yoga and high-intensity fitness,” she says.
Why high-intensity fitness becomes important after 40
After age 40, women start losing muscle mass gradually. This makes metabolism slow down and makes it harder to stay fit and strong. According to Tamanna Singh, certain workouts really help fight this. High-intensity interval training, strength training, and resistance exercises keep muscles fit and improve your overall health.
These workouts support bone health too, and help prevent excess weight gain. Overall, the body looks and feels better. As women go through menopause and beyond, building muscle gets even more important. That’s because the risk of losing both muscle and bone increases then. So, strength training should be part of everyone’s routine from menopause on.
The healing benefits of yoga
Strength training builds up your body, but yoga does so much more for flexibility and overall health. Practising yoga keeps you mobile and balanced as you get older, and it’s great for your mind too. Tamanna Singh says that yoga reduces stress, improves sleep, and promotes relaxation.
Why women need both
Experts now say that from age 40 on, you don’t have to choose between yoga and high-intensity workouts. The smartest move is to blend different types of exercises. Cardio, strength training, and yoga together provide the best benefits. Intense workouts build your strength, boost endurance, and rev up your metabolism. Yoga, however, aids in recovery, improves flexibility, and benefits mental health.
So for women over 40, focusing on feeling stronger, healthier, and more self-assured, instead of just following a generic routine, is key. As Tamanna Singh points out, healthy ageing is best supported by balance. Combining yoga with strength training and cardiovascular exercise allows women to maintain muscle, protect bone health, improve flexibility and support mental wellbeing. Rather than asking whether yoga or high-intensity fitness is better, experts say women over 40 should aim to make room for both.
