How in the H-E Double Hockey Sticks did it get to be the middle of August already? Time goes especially quickly when we’re busy, and this summer sure has been. Visits with and to kids and grandkids exceeded any other year that I can remember. #15grandkids, so yeah. The washing machine burned out yesterday after weeks of beach towels on the spin cycle every day. Days into evenings were a blur of activity, and thank goodness for photos to help me see that it all really happened, and I was actually there.
At this point every summer I start to feel a squeezing feeling – August Anxiety is real, like Sunday Scaries. June is Friday, with all the promise of a fun, relaxing weekend. July is Saturday, with a whole day and evening ahead. August is Sunday, with a desperate need to fit everything in before it’s over.
Do you feel like you have to pack in every summery thing in these last 2 weeks of August? Beach, parks, playgrounds, bike rides, scootering, skateboarding, keeping up with a garden, sunrises and sunsets, cookouts, all mostly involving kids and grandkids? Including work and obligations, the instinct to make every minute count is intense, kinda the way I feel all the time, but amplified x 1000.
A huge crowd was still on the beach at 6pm, August 17th – even with clouds rolling in, lots of folks might be feeling August Anxiety too. Making the most of the remaining summer Sundays.
💛These pics were just a few moments in the past couple of weeks, and there are so many more…
Loads of cucumbers and eggplants!Beaching with grandkids.Grandkids exploring a new play structure.Grandkids are so fun!Teeny vintage ride-on toys at the farm.
If it feels like stress, it is, even if it isn’t easily identifiable.So for mid-life women (and you guys too) who may feel pulled in every direction (all year, not just in summer), maintaining a rigorous schedule of workouts can add a layer of stress which can detract from the training.
Stress is stress. The body doesn’t distinguish much between mental stress (day-t0-day stuff like work, caregiving, relationship, amount of sleep) and physical stress (intense training). It all goes into the same “stress bucket.” If that bucket is already overflowing, even a well-designed workout can feel like one more thing, and recovery suffers.
Recovery matters more in midlife and beyond. With hormonal shifts, women often need more recovery to get the benefits of training. If strength sessions are layered on top of too many demands—without enough sleep, fuel, or downtime—they can backfire, leading to fatigue, injuries, or stalled progress.
Mindset shifts help. When women view training as “time to restore strength and energy” instead of “another obligation,” it can feel grounding instead of draining. That often means shorter, more efficient sessions (20–40 minutes) paired with enjoyable movement on other days (walks, stretching, bike rides).
Strength training is essential in midlife and beyond, but it has to be programmed with life stress in mind. Done right, it’s not another layer of stress – it’s the thing that helps women handle stress better.
Rowing intervals are a great part of an efficient workout!
You don’t have to go to a gym. Virtual coaching and on-demand training has been a game changer for many women, enabling them to get stronger at home without the added stress of planning around getting to a facility to train. I always recommend finding an experienced, certified coach or trainer, but f you’re working out at home or at a gym on your own, be sure to choose weight so the last 1-2 reps in each set of 5-8-10 are challenging, keeping the workout efficient and effective.
Stay tuned @getupkeepmoving for previews of Quick Sets, upcoming on-demand workouts!
Gear for workout efficiency at home: A few kettlebells (one at 25% of body weight, and one lighter), dumbbells, bands, a mat, and maybe a rowing machine. Workouts that include squats, unilateral moves (one leg), classic push/pull core moves with weight or body weight, some plyo (jumping), as well as rest between sets and between workouts, and you’ll get and stay strong and fit.
Simplify. Allow yourself freedom from workout stress with simpler, shorter, efficient strength workouts. I’m frequently asked how often I work out – during the summer all bets are off – I teach and participate in my 4x weekly classes, and walk and ride bikes, but my own workouts are sketchy. During the rest of the year it’s those classes, and 2 strength workouts a week, plus frequent brisk walks, bike rides, and mobility moves. I am 72, (clearly way past midlife!), so smart recovery makes it possible for strength training to be effective.
Prioritize the important stuff. Family, friends, and fun come first of course, and whenever you can add some mobility moves right there in the living room or outside, plus other outdoor activities you enjoy, like beach walking, hiking, or biking. According to this study, twenty-two minutes of daily movement – any type of exercise – is an investment that pays off with a higher likelihood of more years added to your life.
Bottom line: Work the legs. Leg day is brain day! Stronger legs build more than physical strength – they help future-proof your mind. New research reveals a powerful link between leg power and long-term cognitive health. Make leg day a lifelong investment in mental sharpness.
Crossover kickstand deadlift – part of a great leg workout.
“Research on female twins found that strengthening the legs prevented cognitive decline! The study followed older female twins for ten years to understand the connection between leg power and cognitive aging. The results were striking: individuals with greater leg strength at the study’s outset showed significantly less mental decline than their weaker counterparts. Even among genetically identical twins, the stronger twin consistently outperformed the weaker one on measures of cognitive health ten years later.”
Onward to simplifying and prioritizing fun for the remainder of the summer!
Hello my strong friends, I can’t believe we still need to get something cleared up. Strength training – applying force against gravity with resistance –
Wow! What an honor! I’ve been nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award on Substack by fellow indoor rower, Ed Bonapartian, https://substack.com/@nodustontheseshoes. I’m relatively new to
