Three Exercises Women Over 40 You Should Never Do… and What to Do Instead

Working out is amazing! When you are able to find a way to move your body that you enjoy and you do it regularly, there’s really nothing better.

Exercise allows you to:

– Build muscle
– Have a strong, toned, and youthful body
– Increase bone density
– Prevent diseases like heart disease and diabetes
– Improve your memory and focus
– Help improve balance
– And the list goes on and on…(1)

So why is it so hard to find the right exercise program? Why is it so difficult to get to a happy place with exercise?

I’ll tell you about my theories.

You see, many years ago, I was a top personal trainer in New York City at the Reebok Sports Club LA. 

Then for many more years after that, I’ve been a physical therapist, a coach, and a mentor for women. 

So I’ve seen a lot.

And I think there are a few reasons that women find it difficult to love exercise:

1 – The fitness industry exists to sell you quick-fix results that are completely unsustainable. The truth is that regular, gentle exercise is the best choice for your long-term health…but it’s those “insane results in 3 weeks” plans that sell the most.

2 – Working through injury and pain has been normalized as a part of the gym culture — in a way that’s very detrimental to women’s health. I’ve personally seen women with sopping wet pants at the gym while their trainers viewed it as a badge of honor, proof that they were working hard. I’ve even seen women experience prolapse from straining at the gym and they were pushed to keep going. 

3 – Exercise programs aren’t really designed with women in mind — and especially mature women. Teenage fitness models are what sell more products, but what most people don’t realize is that those models are very likely saddled with eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and amenorrhea (loss of their period from overexercising). They aren’t actually healthy.

Here’s the thing. Once you’ve stripped away all of these issues with the professional fitness machine, what do you have left? You know you need to exercise, but you also don’t want to overexert or injure yourself. 

And you want to find a workout that you actually enjoy, right? 

You’d be surprised how many times I see women slogging away, doing massive amounts of cardio that they hate — and it doesn’t even give them the results they want…but “someone” told them it was what they needed to do, so they keep on doing it.

I’ve seen women so uncomfortable in the weight room that they looked like they were going to be sick…but they stuck around anyway, because “someone” told them they needed to lift heavy to get results.

Bottom line, I believe if you’re not having fun, you’re not exercising properly.

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Furthermore — and ladies, this is really important, don’t let anyone who’s not a qualified pelvic floor therapist or a certified pelvic coach ( like the ones on my team)  advise you on how to exercise if you have pelvic floor dysfunction.

Do the wrong move when you’re dealing with incontinence, prolapse, or scarring, and you could make things much, much worse for your condition. 

Trust me, I have 20+ years of horror stories related to women pushing hard because “someone” told them to and hurting their intimate parts to the point of no return.

Which is why I’ve put together this list for you.

It’s a list of exercises that I would beg you not to do and a few better options that are more likely tailored to your needs.

Ready? Let’s dig in.

Some Popular Exercises To Avoid

1- Crunches

If you hate lying on the floor and crunching up a gazillion times, you’re in luck. The crunch is not considered a move that develops functional strength. What that means is that doing a ton of crunches will make you feel like you’re doing something for your health, but they are really not building strength in any way that will benefit you in your daily life. 

Plus, crunches are actually not good for your pelvic floor and probably not great for your spine, either (2). If you’re putting extra pressure on your upper abs, you can strain your pelvic floor. Guess which exercise does exactly that? Yep, you guessed it — crunches.

2- Lifting Things That Are Too Heavy

I’m a huge fan of resistance training but in the right way for the right woman. Unfortunately, going straight for the heavyweights at the gym can cause major issues in your pelvic floor. For those who have been diligently working their way up to the bigger weights over the years, this warning is not for you. 

But if you’re newer to weight training, don’t go too far too fast. Straining your pelvic floor trying to lift a weight heavier than you can handle is a recipe for injury. 

It bears mentioning here, too — if you are in pain and your trainer suggests that you keep going, or you’re ever in a position where you’re taping up excessively and pushing through pain to get through a workout…you’re likely putting your pelvic floor at risk. Plus, if you’re exercising through pain, you’re not having fun. And if you’re not having fun, you’re missing the point of the exercise.

3- Jumping And High Impact Moves

Maybe the first time you noticed your pelvic floor was weak was during a jumping incident. Many women have their first pants-wetting incidents while jumping. And while rebounding on a trampoline can be great for your cardiovascular health, it’s not ideal for your pelvic floor muscles. Same with other high-impact moves like jump squats, switch lunges, or tuck jumps. In fact, studies suggest that high-impact moves can negatively impact your pelvic floor, and elite female athletes are very likely to suffer from urinary incontinence. (3,4)

Especially if you’ve recently given birth, have a prolapse, or have had surgery, please stay away from these more intense activities.

What’s Best To Do Instead

So we’ve covered my top 3 “please, don’t do these” exercises. And by now, you might be wondering what to do instead.

Well, I’ve got you covered there too.

Here are a few of my favorite recommendations.

1- Crunchless Core Exercises

Did you know that you can make your core stronger without crunches and without compromising your pelvic floor? I’ve got a whole routine in my repertoire that includes core exercises that work with, rather than against, the rest of your body.

2- Train Your Muscles The Right Way

To really see the results in your functional strength and build muscle mass, you’ve got to work several muscles at once. (Not just one isolated muscle over and over like some trainers will tell you to do). In fact, training your body with combination moves saves you time, increases your metabolism, and builds functional strength. 

3- Low Impact = High Results

You don’t have to be jumping around your living room to get a good workout in. In fact, lower-impact exercises help you to focus on your form and get stronger and faster. Plus, when you’re performing low-impact exercises, you can be more mindful of the right way to engage your pelvic floor muscles and get a full-body workout.

Strength Training for Women Over 40

When it comes to a strength training program designed specifically for women with pelvic floor dysfunction, there is none better than my Fit, Strong, Balance Program. 

This is an at-home strength-building program that will help you increase your muscle mass, strengthen your pelvic floor, and teach you how to work out without hurting your pelvic floor and pelvic organs. 

Exercise is one of the most important things you can do for your body, your mind, and your pelvic floor.

And once you’ve committed to strengthening your body — it can be intimidating to walk into the gym and *hope* you don’t pee yourself while you’re in a fitness class. 

It’s even more intimating when the whole fitness industry focuses on twenty-something bodies and doesn’t take into consideration the needs of older women.  

It can be even scarier to start working out and risk injuring yourself — or experiencing a setback in your pelvic floor improvements because of your workouts.

So most women stay home and don’t get enough exercise to really make a difference in their overall health. 

They aren’t working out enough. Sitting way too much. And your body’s suffering as a result.

Here’s the thing — I know that you want to be strong and vibrant well into your golden years.

I know that you don’t want to deal with broken bones and frailty when you get older.

And I know that the sooner you start resistance training…the sooner you’ll meet that strong and vibrant version of yourself.

With the Fit, Strong, Balance Program — you’ll never have to worry about embarrassing yourself in public because it’s all at home.

And you’ll never have to worry about your workout counteracting your Kegel work — because it’s completely designed by a certified pelvic floor therapist (that’s me!)

Fit, Strong, Balance Exercise Program is perfect for you if:

• If you want to work out without damaging your pelvic floor and want to STOP experiencing pee leaks, pressure, or pain while working out. 
• You know you need to work out more but struggle to find the time
• You want to start seeing results quickly
• You can spare a few square feet of space inside your home to work out. This is an at-home workout that requires no equipment. 
• You work in your garden and do housework, but you don’t really devote time to exercise.

The Fit Strong Balance Program is simple to do — and if you follow the exact steps I’ve laid out for you in this routine, and you’re consistent with the program, you’ll be rewarded with a body that will look and feel years younger.

Click here to learn more about Isa’s Fit, Strong, Balance Program.

References

1- “The Importance of Physical Activity Exercise among Older ….” 5 Dec. 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6304477/. 

2- “To Crunch or Not to Crunch: An Evidence-Based Examination ….” https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/2011/08000/to_crunch_or_not_to_crunch__an_evidence_based.2.aspx. 

3- “Pelvic floor function in elite nulliparous athletes – PubMed.” 

4- “Urinary incontinence in elite female athletes and dancers.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11999199/.