I Was Working Out. But Was I Working Out Right?

For years, I subscribed to one of those very popular fitness apps.

You know the type. Beautifully produced workouts, endless programs, trainers you start to feel like you know personally, and an annual subscription hovering around $100. Which, in the world of apps, isn't exactly cheap.

And I used it. Properly.

I worked out consistently. I sweated. I finished sessions feeling accomplished and generally felt good. But after years of doing it, there was one thing I couldn't ignore.

My body wasn't really changing.

At the time, I assumed I needed to work harder. More workouts. More intensity. More sweat. What I hadn't considered was that as I got older, perhaps I needed to change the way I was training.

Once I hit my 40s, I started reading more about exercise and aging, and one thing kept coming up: strength training. Maintaining and building muscle becomes increasingly important as we get older, and I started questioning why so much of my exercise had been focused on how much I could sweat or how many calories I could burn.

Then I listened to a podcast featuring Dr. Stacy Sims, an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist whose work focuses heavily on women and exercise.

It was one of those listens where I kept thinking, Why did nobody explain this to me before?

One of the messages that really stayed with me was the importance of lifting heavy. Not endless repetitions with tiny dumbbells, but choosing weights that genuinely challenge you. Controlled repetitions. Good form. Proper rest. And gradually increasing what you can lift.

She also changed the way I thought about intensity. It wasn't about abandoning high-intensity exercise altogether, but understanding that a workout doesn't have to leave you completely exhausted to be effective.

Suddenly, I started thinking less about how tired a workout made me and more about what I was actually asking my muscles to do.

I eventually switched to an app designed specifically for women over 40, and the difference in the style of training was immediately obvious. More weights. More controlled movements. More focus on form and progression.

And I absolutely love it.

There is something incredibly satisfying about picking up a weight that once felt heavy and realizing it doesn't anymore. Then moving up to the next one.

My body has changed, but more importantly, I can feel my strength. Weights that once felt heavy don't anymore. I can see more definition. Everyday movements feel easier. And every time I'm able to move up to a heavier weight, I get this ridiculous little sense of achievement.

I haven't abandoned cardio either. I walk twice a week, usually on the treadmill. I put on a podcast or something I want to watch and just walk. Nothing complicated.

My routine now has a balance that feels much better for me. Strength training is the foundation, with walking for cardio, and most importantly, it's something I genuinely enjoy.

I don't regret all those years using my old fitness app. I was moving, exercising consistently and doing something good for myself. It served me well at that point in my life.

But I've changed since then, and it makes sense that the way I exercise has changed too.

I used to exercise because I wanted to change what my body looked like. Now I train because I love finding out what my body can do.

The fact that my body is changing too?

That's a very welcome bonus.

These days, give me a pair of heavy dumbbells and I'm happy.

Turns out, I didn't need to work out harder. I needed to discover how much I love getting stronger.