As a fitness professional, you kind of need to know about every stage of adult life. After all, you might take on a client aged anywhere from 18-80 – and clients who join you in the prime of life could stay with you for decades.
You can’t afford to ignore the impact of a client’s changing hormones. Women and men both go through hormonal changes at around 40, and this could affect a host of factors that are significant to training. Sleep, mood, recovery, emotional wellbeing, results, and even their reason for training at all could change at this time.
Hormonal changes are part and parcel of the client who’s in front of you. Let’s look at how a better understanding of hormones can be a game-changer for your clients—and your business.
Must-know info about 40+ clients
As a fitness professional, you’re navigating the intricate maze of hormones that dictate energy, mood, and performance. Understanding these changes isn't just nice-to-have, it’s essential. Being a “hormone literate” trainer could be the difference between losing clients and being the go-to PT in your area.
Andropause: changes in men's hormones
Andropause who? Andropause could be considered the male counterpart of menopause, in the sense that it marks significant changes in the sex hormones for men. Andropause refers to the decline in testosterone levels and can affect men’s mood, energy levels, and general wellbeing.
Why do you need to know this? Lower testosterone can result in reduced muscle mass, energy dips, and a hit to self-confidence in your male clients, especially if they’ve trained for decades.
Andropausal shifts might need modified training plans with more focus on strength and recovery. Having empathy for what your male clients are going through will make a huge difference, too, even if they don’t want to explicitly discuss it.
Perimenopause and menopause in PT clients
Perimenopause and menopause are two stages in a woman’s menopause experience. Peri-menopause is the period leading up to menopause, when a woman’s hormones start to change. Oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone all fluctuate significantly (fun!) and many women experience symptoms including fatigue, brain fog, and physical changes. It’s important to note that perimenopause can happen for 10 years before menopause itself, which means women can start to experience it in their 30s.
Symptoms can affect everything from energy levels, sleep, and mood, to the physical results a woman sees from training.
Be the empathetic PT who understands why today’s workout doesn’t go as planned. Acknowledge, adapt, and make changes to your female client’s training plans and sessions rather than muscling through.
Tailoring fitness offers for the 40+ client
Understanding how your client is experiencing hormonal changes is crucial to their fitness results, and to their trust in you. You won’t know exactly what they’re dealing with until you speak to them (some people sail through these periods!) But it’s a good idea to gain a solid understanding of the science, and think about how you would adapt sessions, training plans, communication, and expectations.
Customise sessions: communicate with clients between sessions and before each workout so you can respect their energy levels and challenge them without pushing too hard.
Open conversations: cultivate a safe space where clients can voice their challenges without judgment or awkwardness.
Empathy is key: what should you do if you’re younger than your clients? Even if you're not experiencing these changes, an empathic and understanding mindset will help them feel supported.
