How Yoga Changes in Your 40s — and Why Strength Becomes the Missing Piece
^^^ A love letter to midlife, from someone who’s living it.
From around the time I turned 40, something shifted. {And if you’re reading this and you’re a woman in midlife…you probably KNOW what I mean.}
Even though I felt fluid and at ease in my yoga practice — comfortable, even graceful — I didn’t feel strong.
My body moved beautifully, but when it came to lifting, pulling, or holding myself steady? It was like the strength had quietly slipped away.
Then one day, my husband Sean handed me a pair of dumbbells. “Try this,” he said. And WOW.
Sure, I could touch my toes. No big deal. But picking up weights? That was a whole different story.
That moment was MY WAKE-UP call. Not just for my muscles, but for how I’d been treating my strength like an optional extra, something I’d “get back to later.”
Because here’s the truth no one really talks about: Flexibility is beautiful. But strength is non-negotiable.
Redefining What Yoga Means in Midlife
For years, yoga used to be enough. — the thing that helped me breathe and feel at ease.
Buuuuuut once I hit my 40s, my body started sending new signals. It didn’t just want to move. It wanted support. Stability. More STRENGTH.
And, if you’ve spent years chasing flexibility {hello, long hamstrings 👋}, you might not realize that the other side of yoga, the strength side, is what helps you age well, move well, and feel truly at home in your body.
Traditional yoga helps you stay flexible and calm {good!}, but if you only ever stretch and never build strength, all that softness needs a little support, otherwise you’re flexible, sure, just not steady.
And in midlife, that balance matters more than ever.
You don’t lose your strength because you’re getting older.
You lose it because you stop training for it.
Why Flexibility Alone Isn’t Enough After 40
Let’s be honest. After 40, your body starts to change in ways that no amount of stretching can fix alone:
Muscle loss (sarcopenia) naturally begins unless you train against it.
Hormonal shifts impact energy, recovery, and joint stability.
Bone density starts to decline, making strength training essential for long-term mobility.
And yet… SO many women double down on “gentle movement”, because that’s what the wellness industry tells us midlife bodies need.
But here’s the problem: When we stop asking our bodies to be strong, they listen. They adapt to less.
Yoga keeps you supple, yes. But to feel strong, steady, and supported?
💪 You need resistance.
💪 You need load.
💪 You need muscle activation.
Which means, on the yoga mat, you need yoga that builds you up, not just bends you out.
The Missing Link: Strength-Based Yoga
This is where it all started to change for me, and maybe it’s where it starts for you, too.
Once I noticed that imbalance, I couldn’t ignore it. So I started adding strength work into my practice — small, intentional changes that actually made a big difference.
Not “gym-style” workouts. Just yoga, but built for strength.
Here’s what that looked like: 👇
ISOMETRIC HOLDS: The Power of Pause
At the end of a stretch, pause.
Gently push or pull, like you’re meeting your own resistance.
It’s subtle, but it teaches your muscles to be STRONG where you’re usually soft.
TRY IT: In Warrior II, press your feet into the mat like you’re trying to pull it apart. You’ll feel your legs switch on, your core engage, and your whole body say, oh hey, we’re awake again.
2. LOADED MOBILITY: Add a Little Weight
Grab a block, a band, or even your own body weight.
Move slowly through your range, not for the burn, but for the CONTROL.
Strength isn’t just about heavy lifting; it’s about awareness in motion. When you load your movements, even lightly, you teach your body to move with purpose and stability.
3. CONTRACT–RELAX WORK: Tension Meets Release
ENGAGE, then soften. Think of it like “strength in surrender.”
You’re training your muscles to hold when needed and release when ready, the exact balance midlife bodies crave.
CONTROLLED ROTATIONS: The Art of Awareness
Slow, mindful joint circles. No rush. No strain. Just curiosity.
Because strength isn’t always about adding more, sometimes it’s about moving better, deeper, and more deliberately.
What Happens When You Start Training for Strength
Here’s what shifted for me: EVERYTHING.
At 47, my yoga practice feels new again. Still yoga, but deeper in a completely different way.
💥 I can lift heavy, push, and pull with ease.
💥 My balance feels solid.
💥 My energy no longer leaks out halfway through the day.
Yes, my arms look strong {the “yoga arms” didn’t hurt 😉}. But more importantly, I feel more capable.
Here’s what most women over 40 don’t hear enough: You’re not fragile, and you’re not done. You’re just out of practice, and that’s fixable.
Your body still knows how to be strong. It’s just waiting for you to show up for it.
Yoga for Strength After 40: How to Begin
If you’ve read this far and you’re nodding along, wondering where to even start, I’ve got you.
Here’s what I tell every woman in my space:
You don’t need to change your whole life.
You sure as heck don’t need to be “fit” first.
You just need to start with something that meets you where you are, right now.
Woman in Standing Forward Fold (Pascimottanasana)
Step 1: Start Small {but Stay Consistent}
Two sessions a week is enough. Truly.
Consistency builds confidence, not intensity.
Step 2: Focus on Function, Not Aesthetics
Forget chasing shapes or numbers.
Ask instead: Does this make me feel stable? Energized? Capable?
That’s how you measure progress now.
Step 3: Build in Layers
Strength takes time, and patience.
But every layer you add creates more resilience, balance, and trust in your body.
And that’s the foundation for everything else in life.
Introducing Fortify40 1.0 — Strength + Mobility for Women 40+
If this all feels like a giant “YES” in your gut —that little voice whispering it’s time, here’s where to START.
Fortify40 1.0 is a 4-week, beginner-based yoga program designed specifically for women in their 40s {and beyond}.
It’s the bridge between “I should probably start yoga…” and actually doing it — without the pressure, perfectionism, or confusion.
Inside, you’ll:
⚡️ Build real core strength, so that stairs, groceries, and everyday life feel easier.
⚡️ Move in ways that support your body, not punish it.
⚡️ Start a yoga routine that actually sticks past week one.
^^^ No noise. No overwhelm. No one-size-fits-all BS.
Just body-aware, midlife-strong yoga, guided by someone who’s lived it, and built it from the ground up for women like you.
“You don’t need to fix your body. You just need a plan that supports it.”
That’s what Fortify40 1.0 gives you. Structure. Strength. Support.
Final Thoughts: Strong Is the New Flexible
Yoga isn’t about touching your toes. It’s about HOW your body moves, HOW strong you feel when you twist, reach, or carry the damn suitcase up the stairs without needing a breather.
And in your 40s, that starts to change. Muscle tone dips, hormones shift, and recovery takes longer. Suddenly, just stretching isn’t cutting it anymore.
Because flexibility without strength? That’s when your back, hips, and joints start talking back.
And to get started {or get back to where you may have left off}, you don’t need to overhaul your entire life or hit the gym six days a week.
You just need to start building strength that supports you, the kind that keeps you steady, mobile, and confident in your body as it changes.
^^^ If you’ve been craving movement that ACTUALLY helps you age well — strong muscles, stable joints, and energy that lasts — THIS is your sign.
No chasing your 20-year-old body. Just using yoga and the body you’ve got to carry you into your next decade, with power, not pain.
