“For women, when we’re looking at getting up and holding a fast or going training without food… we’re going to continuously be breaking down the tissue that we want to keep to age well,” Dr Sims cautioned.
The solution? Eat something small before morning exercise. Dr Sims recommended options like protein coffee (protein powder mixed with milk and espresso), overnight oats with Greek yoghurt, or even just a few tablespoons of yoghurt. This small change triggers the metabolism to work properly while protecting muscle mass.
The most effective way to train.
Another key difference centres around resistance training protocols. While cardio has traditionally been emphasised for women, Dr Sims revealed strength training offers particular benefits for the female body — especially as hormones change with age.
“When we talk about the science of strength training right now, we know that with age, we lose muscle really quickly, starting when we hit 30,” said Dr Sims. “It’s really important because it’s an active tissue, so it helps maintain so many different systems in our body.”
Beyond physical strength, resistance training offers profound cognitive benefits. “If we’re strength training… it’s creating signals to the brain to increase its ability to be really plastic,” explained Dr Sims. “For women, strength training is great because we’re changing our body composition. But for the long term, we want to have a good body and a good mind.”
Dr Sims recommended that women in their 30s and beyond focus on heavier weights with fewer repetitions, rather than the traditional 10 to 12 rep approach commonly recommended.
