The overlooked type of fitness women can lose in midlife that’s crucial for longevity—and expert-approved ways to train it

There is plenty of expert advice and evidence backing the need for strength training as we age—particularly for women in midlife. The importance of developing and maintaining power, though, is often overlooked.

“When we talk about power in exercise, we’re talking about the ability to produce force quickly,” explains Kylie Hansen, a NASM-certified personal trainer and coach at Busy Bariatrics.

“That means being able to use your strength at speed—a skill that matters when you need to catch yourself after a trip or move quickly to regain your balance.” It also helps you move rapidly when you need to, like dodging people on a busy sidewalk.

“This becomes particularly important as we get older because the muscle fibers that help us produce quick, powerful movements can decline with age and inactivity,” she says.

Training power might sound intimidating, but you don’t need to start with big jumps or complicated lifts.

“For beginners, we can take familiar movements, use appropriate modifications and focus on moving with control and intent in a safe manner,” says Hansen.

Below, Hansen shares three exercises for producing force quickly, plus a core stability move to complement them.

How to do the four-move power workout

Complete two or three sets of each exercise, then move on to the next exercise. Rest for 60–90 seconds between sets.

Hansen says that the aim is quality reps, rather than pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion.

“Power drops as fatigue builds,” says Hansen, “so I’d rather see someone perform a small number of crisp, purposeful repetitions, take adequate rest, and repeat them well than turn these exercises into a high-repetition cardio workout.”

1. Burpee

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 5-6 Rest: 60-90sec

• Stand with your feet about hip-width apart.
• Bend your knees to place your hands on the floor in front of your feet.
• Step or jump your feet back into a high plank, engaging your core to keep your body in a straight line.
• Step or jump your feet back in toward your hands.
• Return to standing and reach your arms overhead with a small jump.

Modification: Step back instead of jumping your feet back, and/or rise onto your toes instead of jumping vertically.

How it helps train power: “The burpee uses the whole body and there’s lots of room to adjust the intensity,” says Hansen. “A beginner can step through the movement, while someone more experienced can move faster with a jump at the end. When performed explosively, it requires your body to produce force quickly while coordinating the upper and lower body.”

2. Squat jump

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 5-6 Rest: 60-90sec

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your knees to sit your hips back and lower your buttocks, keeping your chest upright.
• Push firmly through your feet and swing your arms up to propel you into a vertical jump.
• Land softly, allowing your hips and knees to bend to absorb the impact.

Modification: Rise onto your toes instead of jumping.

How it trains power: “Squat jumps introduce lower-body power using a movement most people will already recognize,” explains Hansen.

3. Squat to upright row

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 5-6 Rest: 60-90sec

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells in front of your thighs.
• Bend your knees to sit your hips back and lower your buttocks, keeping your chest upright.
• Push firmly through your feet to stand upright and use the momentum generated to pull the dumbbells toward your chest as you rise, moving your elbows up and out to the sides.
• Lower the weights with control.

How it trains power: “This movement combines lower and upper-body movement, so you have to coordinate them at once,” says Hansen.

4. Plank dumbbell pull-through

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 5-6 each side Rest: 60-90sec

• Start in a high plank with your shoulders over your wrists, your body in a straight line from head to heels and your feet apart for stability, with a dumbbell on the floor on the inside of your left hand.
• Engage your core to keep your hips as stable.
• Use your right hand to move the dumbbell to your right side.
• Repeat on the other side.

Make it easier: Perform the movement from your knees.

How it supports the workout: “This exercise is slightly different from the explosive lower-body exercises—the challenge comes from quickly creating stability as your base of support changes,” says Hansen.

This move challenges your core to keep your hips and torso steady as you shift your weight onto one arm to move the dumbbell across the floor. It complements the explosive exercises by training stability and control.