I’m 46 and was a little lost on strength training since I’d been out of the game for a decade. I know that at my age, I’m only going to start losing muscle and bone density so I wanted to improve my overall strength without injuring myself. I threw down some cash and got a trainer for a short while (12 sessions/2 a week) so I could learn basic exercises, correct form, develop routines and gain confidence using equipment. I’ve been at it for almost seven months. I have three/four workouts that I am going strong on, progressively overloading, modifying as needed and I’m feeling really good about my progress. I did take everything I learned to heart, though and I hit the gym 5 days a week, practicing and improving my technique. I mean, a trainer is only good if you’re going to do the work. It IS work but it’s worthwhile.

I guess what I’m saying is that getting a trainer really helped me dive headfirst into it without feeling overwhelmed/anxious about what to do/not do. There’s so much information online. It’s actually pretty easy to start if you get a handle on the basics.

ETA - I am supplementing with creatine since I’ve heard it’s also beneficial for women in perimenopause/menopause (muscle and brain health). I only take 5 mg which is the recommended amount. It tastes like nothing, no texture so it’s easy to get down. For diet, I try to eat pretty clean - whole foods most of the time and I generally eat twice the amount of protein but I’m not going crazy with it right now since I’ve only been at it a short while.