Are You an Older Woman Trying to Get in Shape?

Here's how to find a personal trainer who can really help.

By

Kathy Jesse

 
Published November 07, 2024
Older adults participating in a small group fitness class perform strength-training exercises with light dumbbells on exercise mats
Raul Navarro/Stocksy

When I had a hysterectomy at age 65, I asked my (young and male) doctor if it would cause me to gain weight. He patted me on the knee with what seemed to me to be condescension and said no. “If you gain weight, it’s on you.”

Two years later, I had gained 10 pounds. At a follow-up exam, I complained to him about the weight gain. He just shrugged and said it comes with age, giving me little hope of losing that post-menopausal belly fat.

Menopause is indeed at the peak of fat storage for women. The body ceases to produce estrogen, and that’s the problem. But it’s not true that women just have to live with it. “There are plenty of women over 70 with no belly,” according to Cecilia Tobler, a personal trainer in the Washington, D.C. area. “But you have to push yourself. You have to maintain muscle.” If your goal is to reverse aging, “You can’t do it with Botox or a tummy tuck. It’s working with the muscles in your body,” Tobler adds.

Last year, I worked briefly with a personal trainer, a nice young man. But he was a young man. I felt like I needed someone who better understood what my body was going through as an older woman. That’s when I started working with Tobler, who at age 64 looks strong and marvelous, but not in an over-muscled way. She has been able to pinpoint my body’s specific needs, including a frozen shoulder and stiff hip flexors that cause lower back pain.

So how do you choose a trainer that’s a good fit for you? Know your goal, Tobler says. Are you recovering from an injury or are you new to exercise and want to start? “You don’t want a cookie-cutter workout,” she says — meaning training that is not focused on your personal needs.

The perfect trainer for you listens to you and addresses your concerns about your health. To find the trainer for you, interview potential trainers as if you’re conducting a job interview. And talk to more than one.

“An important question to ask is: ‘What is the most recent continuing education you have had?’” says Debra Atkinson, 60, founder of Flipping 50, an online fitness program targeting women approaching or after menopause. The site offers customized coaching consultations and sponsors retreats.

“We’re not regulated very well,” Atkinson says of personal trainers. “It’s still kind of the Wild West.” She notes there are more than 500 certifications for personal trainers, and often those requirements — that vary in depth — do not provide adequate information. Atkinson advises looking for a trainer who is actively working in the field, and has gained “additional certification or coursework, specializing in seniors.”

Atkinson, a former senior lecturer in kinesiology at Iowa State University, holds degrees in exercise science and exercise and sports psychology. She also has certifications from the American Council on Exercise and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Tobler, who has worked for 30 years as a personal trainer, is certified in the areas of brain health, balance and functional training for daily activities; for example, how to stand from sitting and how to maintain your balance. These are important daily activities, especially for older women, she points out, because one fall can set you back in your fitness program, and you have to start over.

Trainers should do a health history intake, to find out if you have any senior-related conditions, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, a history of falling or osteoporosis. They should know what medications you take.

If they don’t ask these types of questions, you should move on.

But exercise is only one variable in senior health, Tobler says. Trainers should talk with clients about nutrition, hydration, sleep and stress management.

How much should you expect to pay for a personal trainer? It varies according to location and mode of delivery — that is in a gym, in your home, or online sessions. In Washington D.C., Tobler is employed by a fitness center that charges $93 an hour for her services. (She doesn’t see all of that money — most money goes to the gym.) Prices at all-in-one gyms often have on-site trainers that charge less than that hourly fee. One friend, 70, who belongs to her local YMCA, has a personal trainer at the $60-per-hour rate.

Tobler recommends a combination of high- and low-intensity workouts. For example, don’t always do cardio on the treadmill. Try the elliptical machine. “And don’t go overboard in the beginning. If you hurt yourself, you have to start all over again,” she adds.

If you have surgery coming up, let your trainer know. In my situation, post-hysterectomy bed rest meant a lower activity level and most likely loss of muscle mass. When I finally returned to my normal activities, I was weaker.

“Wouldn’t it have been nice if the doctor had told you, ‘Here’s how to prepare before your surgery: Gain strength and increase protein intake to heal faster’,’” says Tobler. “Then, when you were given the green light, you could have more quickly returned to normal activity.”

My experience proves the importance of choosing a trainer who is not only a good physical match but also a personality match. Tobler is that person. We talk about global issues and our grandkids, in between the stretching and lifting. At age 64, watching how well her body works inspires me. I am already seeing results. Menopause may mean gaining some fat and diminishing muscle tone, but you can fight back.

More than anything else, find a trainer who makes you feel good about yourself.

Have any of you ever worked with a personal trainer? How did it go? Let us know in the comments below.

Kathy Jesse is a retired journalist and high school English teacher. She is an Indiana transplant who now lives in Washington, D.C. She has two daughters, an opinionated 7-year-old granddaughter and a 70-pound pit bull who loves everybody. Except the mailman.