Can You React Fast Enough?
These 3 moves make you STRONG + FAST!
Have you ever had a split second to catch yourself, grab something, or move out of the way?
That’s when strength alone may not be enough—you need POWER. 💥
A few years ago, my mom was walking on a marina dock when her 40-pound dog slipped off the dock between two boats.
The area was too tight for the dog to swim, so she began to sink fast.
Without hesitation, my mom reached down and powerfully pulled her dog back onto the dock with one arm! 💪
She was in her 60s at the time. 😱
That combination of strength + speed = power.
We never know when life will require us to react quickly.
And as we age, maintaining that ability becomes increasingly important for everything from climbing stairs and getting out of a chair to recovering from a stumble.
✨ Power is trainable! (And you don’t even have to do box jumps to train it.)
Let’s dig into this more…
Why This Matters
Muscle power helps you use your strength quickly and safely (so less injuries!) when everyday life demands it in those split second moments. Plus research links declining power with poorer physical function and a greater fear of falling as we age. All reasons why power is one of the important pillars of your health!
FITNESS SIMPLIFIED
Once you’ve built a solid base of strength, it’s time to teach those muscles to move with a little more speed!
Fitness Tip to Be Strong & Resilient
Train Your Power
Power training simply means combining speed + strength—using your muscles to produce force quickly.
Olympic lifts like the “clean & jerk” or “snatch” are classic advanced examples, but power training doesn’t have to be complicated or high impact.
It can be as simple as slamming a medicine ball, doing bounding drills or performing a familiar strength movement with more speed.
The three moves below are my favorite starting point because they build explosiveness in your muscles and connective tissues, without as much impact on your joints.
Watch this video and then think about how you can start adding “power” work into your own routine.👇
Static balance is holding your body steady in one place—like standing on one foot.
Low Impact Moves to Build Strength + Prevent Injury
- Bent-Over Power Rows (6 reps/side): Pull fast, release with control. Boosts shoulder strength + explosiveness
- Total Body Extensions (6 reps): Squat down slow, then drive up fast! Great full-body coordination + explosiveness
- Lateral Skater Hops (6 reps/side): Side-to-side power and control = fewer trips, stumbles and injuries
Extra Tip: To lower your risk of injury when doing power moves, first rehearse the motion slowly. Master the mechanics and feel fully in control, then add speed and explosiveness.
Did You Know...
- Muscle strength and power begin to decline around age 30 for both men and women. Resources Click Here
- Sports like tennis or pickleball tap directly into your muscular power with running, cutting, jumping, and throwing.
- Don’t start with jumping right away. Spend at least 2-3 months working on full body strength training first to build up the resilience of your soft tissues. Once you have a good strength base, you can safely ease into bouncing, jumping, bounding and other power exercises.
NUTRITION SIMPLIFIED
Creatine and collagen are everywhere right now—but do you actually need them for stronger muscles and healthier joints?
Nutrition Tip to Be Strong & Resilient
Prioritize PROtein Before Supplements
Creatine and collagen supplements can have a place in your diet,
but start with the foundation: enough high-quality PROtein.
Especially for women over 40 who want strong muscles and healthy joints.
Here’s the quick breakdown:
✔️ Creatine is one of the most researched sports supplements and can help support strength, power, and muscle gains when paired with resistance training.
✔️ Collagen has some promising research for joint and connective tissue health, but the evidence is less established, and it shouldn’t replace complete PROtein sources. [Here’s an article if you’re curious.]
The Bottom Line
Before adding either supplement, focus on consistently meeting your PROtein needs—roughly 1.2-2.0 g/kg of bodyweight daily as an active woman.
Whole foods can do most of the heavy lifting, while protein powder is a convenient way to fill gaps.
Remember 👉 Food first. PROtein goal next. Supplements are the bonus—not the foundation.
Here’s a high-protein, naturally-high-creatine dish to cozy up with on cooler Fall days ahead. 👇
Michelle’s Beef Chili
Other high protein ideas:
- Sardine avocado toast sprinkled with lemon and sea salt
- Salmon with baked sweet potato
- Tuna salad on greens
MINDSET SIMPLIFIED
Don’t Let Fear Run the Show.
Fear of falling.
Fear of injury.
Fear of losing the ability to do the things you love.
These worries can quietly influence your choices—until you’re moving less, doing less, and feeling less confident.
How do you break that damaging cycle?
Take action.
You can’t predict the moment you’ll need to react quickly—whether it’s catching yourself after a stumble or spontaneously pulling a 40-pound dog out of the water!
But you can prepare your body for it.
Every time you train your strength, power, and balance, you’re investing in what your body may be capable of tomorrow.
Mindset Tip to Be Strong & Resilient
Take Action Now
THE TAKEAWAY
You can’t predict when life will ask your body to react quickly, move confidently, or rise to the occasion—but you can prepare for it. The choices you make today are building a body that’s more ready for whatever tomorrow brings. Train for real life now, so you can keep showing up strong, capable, and confident for years to come.
- Train Your Power
- Prioritize PROtein Before Supplements
- Take Action Now
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Self Care Simplified podcast
SELF CARE SIMPLIFIED PODCAST EP No. 385. Are Creatine Supplements Good or Bad For Women over 40
SELF CARE SIMPLIFIED PODCAST EP No. 316. The Fountain of Youth: 4 health Goldmines to Master in 2024
SELF CARE SIMPLIFIED PODCAST EP No. 392. How to Start Strength Training & Lifting Weights
SPECIAL RESOURCE
✨ FREE Online Event! Join me for the Thrive Through Perimenopause and Beyond Summit—October 6-13. You’ll love my interview on Day 3 of the event: 👉 Build Stronger Bones: How to Prevent and Reverse Osteopenia in Midlife. And with over 25 different perimenopause experts at this event, you’ll learn about everything from your metabolism and energy, to losing belly fat and getting good sleep
Totally free to join—click here to register.
Until next week... Be strong
