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From 3 videos

Does running help you lose weight after 40?

Answered by Nikkiey Stott and Maggie Topham · Updated

The short answer

Running alone usually isn't what drives weight loss after 40, according to The WarriorBabe Show. Maggie Topham explains that cardio burns calories only while you're doing it, while muscle burns them around the clock. The show's approach is three to four days of strength training, walking on off days, and eating enough to fuel it.

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  1. Maggie on how excessive cardio after 40 can work against fat loss

    Plays from 4:26 · Video: 5 Changes to Lose Menopause Weight When Cardio Stops Working

  2. Darci on why running every few days wasn't working with her eating

    Plays from 7:58 · Video: Stronger at 53 After Years of Yo-Yo Dieting: Darci's Story

  3. Maggie on quitting cardio cold turkey in menopause

    Plays from 1:50 · Video: Losing 60 Pounds in Menopause by Quitting Cardio at 52

  4. Maggie on what to do instead: strength training plus walking

    Plays from 5:35 · Video: 5 Changes to Lose Menopause Weight When Cardio Stops Working

The full answer

Maggie Topham speaks from experience. She was a marathon runner, competed in triathlons and taught group fitness for decades, yet in menopause she was eating around 1,100 to 1,200 calories a day, training harder than ever, and getting heavier and softer every month. In her view, excessive cardio after 40 raises cortisol, which she says breaks down muscle and signals the body to store fat, especially around the midsection. Her point: the woman doing 60 minutes of cardio six days a week isn't just failing to build muscle, she's losing it.

Darci, a lifelong runner who joined WarriorBabe at her heaviest weight, tells Nikkiey that running every few days on top of her eating was a mismatch for her body. As her coach Victoria put it, you can't out-exercise the food. What shifted things for Darci was walking, lifting, and a transition phase to retrain her metabolism, during which she was surprised to be eating more and losing weight.

What Maggie recommends instead:

  • Three to four days of strength training, because the body change happens with weights in your hands.
  • Walking on your days off, which she calls a recovery tool for mood, sleep and insulin sensitivity rather than real cardio.
  • Eating enough. She says most women over 40 lifting three to four days a week need somewhere between 1,700 and 2,200 calories a day, and that removing cardio isn't enough without proper fuel.

Letting go of running can be hard. Maggie calls it an identity crisis and says she grieved it. She stopped cold turkey and felt like she was making a mistake, but shares that her inflammation, bloating and soreness faded and she had energy after workouts for the first time in years. If running stopped working for you, it's the plan, not you. If menopause symptoms are part of the picture, bring your doctor into the conversation too.

From WarriorBabe's coaches (how we write our answers). For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.

Part of

Fat Loss After 40 →

Women also ask

More questions →

  • Fat Loss After 40

    Why can't I lose weight after 40 even though I eat less and exercise more?

    Nikkiey's answer: your body after 40 doesn't respond to restriction the way it did at 25. Eating less and doing more signals stress, so your body lowers your metabolic rate, raises cortisol, breaks down muscle and holds on to fat. The fix she teaches is more food, more protein, strength training and recovery, not further cuts.

    Read the answer →

  • Fat Loss After 40

    What is the best exercise for a woman over 40 to lose weight?

    Strength training is the best exercise for fat loss after 40, according to The WarriorBabe Show. The coaches recommend lifting three to four days a week, walking on your days off, and at most one or two short interval sessions weekly. The reason: muscle burns calories around the clock, while long cardio sessions can backfire.

    Read the answer →

  • Fat Loss After 40

    How do I lose belly fat after 40?

    Build muscle and fix your nutrition instead of adding crunches, cardio or cutting food further. Nikkiey explains belly fat can't be spot-reduced; it comes off through a calorie deficit across your whole body. Her priorities: progressive strength training, enough protein, sleep, stress management and less alcohol, plus patience, because the midsection often leans out last.

    Read the answer →

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