Exercising vs. Training: Why Midlife Fitness Needs a Strategy

The Shift

I’m a big fan of any kind of movement that gets you out of your chair and into your body. Walking, stretching, cycling, pickleball, lifting weights, dancing in your living room — if it feels good to you and you can do it consistently, I’m all for it. Any movement is better than no movement, especially in midlife.

But here’s where things start to shift.

At this stage of life, simply exercising isn’t always enough. If your goal is to stay strong, capable, and independent for decades to come — what we’re really talking about is training for healthspan. And training, by definition, requires strategy.

That’s the difference most people miss.

Exercising is about doing something.
Training is about preparing your body for what’s ahead.

And in midlife, what’s ahead matters more than ever.

A Quick Confession from My Early Coaching Years

I’ll be honest — when I first started coaching nearly 15 years ago, I bought into the same myth many people still believe today: more sweat equals better results.

I began my career at a high-end boutique gym, working one-on-one with affluent clients who paid a premium for personal training. Behind the scenes, many of us trainers felt pressure to perform. If a client didn’t leave dripping with sweat and sore for days, we worried they wouldn’t feel like they got their money’s worth.

So we delivered high-intensity, all-out workouts — lots of sweat, lots of soreness, lots of exhaustion.

Clients walked out feeling worked.
But real, lasting results were rare.

Some burned out and quit. Others pushed through, only to end up chronically tired, injured, or constantly sick. They were investing significant time and money into exercise — with very little to show for it long term.

What’s harder to admit is that I was doing the same thing to myself.

I prioritized long, hard runs and punishing HIIT workouts, believing that pushing harder was the answer. Instead, my body sent warning signs I couldn’t ignore — poor sleep, tanked hormones, chronic stress, and eventually stress fractures.

Painful lessons to learn.
But necessary ones.

They forced me to ask a bigger question:
What if working harder isn’t the answer — especially in midlife?

Fast-Forward to Today: The Training Perspective

Over time — through both personal experience and years of coaching — my perspective shifted in an important way: intensity isn’t always the goal; progress is. And effort without direction doesn’t age well.

That’s when I began to clearly distinguish between exercising and training.

Exercising is activity. It’s movement. It has value.
Training, on the other hand, is planned and intentional. It has a purpose beyond today’s workout. It prepares your body for life outside the gym — for strength, resilience, energy, and independence as you age.

In midlife, this distinction matters more than ever. Random workouts can keep you busy, but training with intention is what helps you adapt, get stronger, and stay capable long-term. That means choosing exercises strategically, progressing them over time, and allowing for recovery — not chasing exhaustion.

This is where fitness stops being about doing more…
…and starts being about doing what matters most.

And that’s exactly what the science supports.

What the Science Says: Why Train in Midlife

As we move through midlife, our bodies respond differently to exercise than they did in our 20s and 30s. This isn’t a failure of effort — it’s biology.

One of the most important things we now understand is that muscle is a primary driver of healthspan. Muscle supports strength, metabolic health, injury resilience, and independence. Lose muscle, and everything gets harder — from maintaining balance and energy to recovering from illness or injury.

But muscle isn’t the whole story.

A long, healthy life also depends on a strong cardiovascular system — one that can efficiently deliver oxygen, support endurance, and adapt to stress. Longevity research increasingly shows that aerobic fitness is another powerful predictor of long-term health, especially when it’s trained with intention.

This is where the difference between exercising and training really matters.

Exercising — especially when it’s random or always done at the same moderate intensity — may keep you active, but it doesn’t reliably build or maintain muscle, nor does it optimally challenge your cardiovascular system. Training does.

Training applies the right stress, in the right dose, followed by adequate recovery — which is what tells the body to adapt.

For muscle, this means progressive resistance training — workouts that are planned, intentional, and gradually become more challenging over time. Not harder for the sake of harder… but smarter. 

For cardiovascular health, training means being more strategic than “just doing cardio.” Research supports a combination of lower-intensity aerobic work (often called Zone 2) alongside periodic higher-intensity efforts (often referred to as VO₂ work) to build a resilient heart and metabolic system. Not all cardio should feel hard — and not all of it should feel easy.

This is why chasing sweat, soreness, or calories burned becomes less useful in midlife. Those are outputs of exercise, not indicators of progress.

Another critical midlife shift? Recovery matters more than ever.

Hormonal changes, increased life stress, and reduced recovery capacity mean that doing more can actually stall progress — or move you backward. This is where many motivated midlife adults get stuck: they work harder, add workouts, push through fatigue… and wonder why results stop coming.

Training respects recovery. Exercising often ignores it.

This is also why apps, random programs, or copy-and-paste workouts fall short for midlife bodies. They can’t account for your history, your stress load, your recovery needs, or how to balance strength and cardiovascular training for longevity.

They offer activity — not preparation.

And preparation is what training is all about.

Practical Takeaways: Are You Exercising… or Training?

Here’s how to tell the difference…

You’re likely exercising if:

• Your workouts feel random or constantly changing with no clear progression

• You choose workouts based on how hard they look or how much they make you sweat

• Success is measured by calories burned, soreness, or exhaustion

• Cardio is done at the same pace every time

• You push through fatigue because “more is better”

You’re likely training if:

• Your workouts are part of a bigger plan, not one-off sessions

• Exercises are chosen on purpose, with a reason behind them

• You track progress — strength, reps, energy, recovery

• Both strength training and cardiovascular work are programmed intentionally

• Cardio varies by goal (some easier, some harder), not just habit

• Rest and recovery are built in, not treated as optional

Training is about preparation — for the life you want to keep living.

And training requires perspective. It’s hard to see the big picture when you’re inside the workout — especially when your body, schedule, stress, and recovery needs are changing.

That’s not a failure. It’s a signal that guidance may be helpful.

TL;DR

If you skimmed, here’s what matters most:

• Any movement is good — but strategy is better.
  Activity matters. But aging strong requires a plan that includes both strength and cardiovascular training.

• Sweat, soreness, and calories burned are not success metrics in midlife.
  Strength gained, energy sustained, recovery improved, and resilience built are far better indicators.

• Muscle is essential — and so is your heart.
  Training should intentionally build and protect muscle and support cardiovascular fitness through strategic work.

• Progress beats intensity. Every time.
  The goal isn’t to crush today’s workout — it’s to be stronger, more capable, and better recovered next month… and next year.

• Training requires perspective — and often guidance.
  When your body and life demands change, having a plan — and someone who can adjust it — becomes a game-changer.

If you’ve been exercising consistently but not seeing the results you expect, it may not be an effort problem. It may simply be time to shift from exercising to training.

Need a Little Guidance?

If you’ve been thinking, “I’m exercising consistently, but I’m not sure I’m training the right way for this stage of life,” you’re not alone — and it’s not a failure.

This is exactly where a real coach can make the difference.

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start training with intention, I’d love to help you build a strategy that supports how you want to live — now and for decades to come.

Book a “no-pressure”, complimentary consult here.

Disclaimer

This blog is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your exercise, nutrition, or wellness routines.