The workouts don’t need to be extreme to make a difference. This assumption, is what holds women back from starting at all. It doesn’t need to be intense, to be effective.

 It just needs consistency. “The most beneficial approach is a combination of moderate aerobic activity, like brisk walking, cycling, swimming, strength training (to preserve muscle and bone density), flexibility and balance exercises (like yoga or Pilates),” explains Dr Al Ani.

 As both agree: The most protective approach is a balanced routine that includes regular cardio, like brisk walking or cycling to support heart and metabolic health, strength training a few times a week to maintain muscle and bone density, some weight-bearing movement (like walking or light jogging) for bone health, and simple balance or flexibility exercises such as yoga.

 And the message both doctors repeatedly return to is simple: You need to be consistent.

The 'most' protective benefits would come from getting stronger. This requires weight training with progressive overload, explains Sarah Lindsay, founder of Dubai's ROAR. The programs need to be periodised, monitored over several weeks to make a significant change. "This is a process that I believe can last a lifetime. Getting strong once can result in being stronger forever," she says.

It's much easier to maintain once you get there and your perception of effort and difficultly adjusts when you really know what your body is capable of. All this said, any and all exercise is worth doing. Even walking, movement, mobility, sport, dancing all add up.

Resistance training sounds intimidating, but it's really about moving your muscles against an opposing force.

That force could be dumbbells, resistance bands, kettlebells, weighted balls, or simply your own body weight through movements such as squats, lunges, planks, or push-ups. It means any movement that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance. And in midlife, that muscle strength becomes critical.

For years, women were encouraged to focus almost exclusively on cardio and shrinking their bodies. But doctors and trainers now stress that preserving muscle mass may be one of the most important ways women can protect themselves against ageing.

Moreover, as Dr Rajul Matkar, specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist had earlier told us: Resistance training converts fat to lean muscle, which is particularly important for older women, who generally tend to lose muscle mass after turning 50, especially in the menopausal stage. They are at risk for osteoporosis.

Strong muscles help support strong bones. They improve balance, stability, posture, and mobility. They reduce the risk of fractures and falls later in life.

And yet, despite these benefits, midlife is often the exact stage when women stop prioritising movement altogether.

 The reality is that midlife women are often stretched in every direction. There’s work, family, children, ageing parents, household responsibilities and hormonal exhaustion. It adds up to lack of sleep.

 By the end of the day, exercise can feel impossible. The result is that women often spend years putting themselves last, exactly when their health needs more support.

However, Lindsay adopts a rather empathetic approach. "I don't want to sound non empathetic to people’s busy lives and I completely understand that some people are under huge stress and limited time," she says, adding that in almost all cases the biggest barrier is that women do not prioritise themselves. "We put ourselves last on the list of who around us matters when we should be first. Nothing is more important than your health even if your reasons are so that you can take care of loved ones. Women deserve to be healthy, protect and look after themselves and of course feel good."

And so, the smartest approach may be the most straightforward one. The doctors say women do not need dramatic overhauls or complicated fitness routines to benefit. “The easiest way for women to stay active without feeling overwhelmed is to build movement into everyday routines instead of treating it like a separate workout,” says Dr Thomas.

 That means small, sustainable movement counts. “Short bursts of activity—like 10–15 minute walks, taking stairs, stretching while doing chores, or moving during phone calls—add up over the day and still meet health goals,” she says.

 Dr Thomas describes it as a ‘small steps often’ approach,’ adding that it “works better than waiting for long, dedicated workout sessions.”

 The advice feels almost radical in a culture that constantly tells women health must look dramatic to matter.

 For women who feel they are starting late, doctors say the most important thing is simply to begin.

 “The most important step is to make regular movement a fixed part of your week that you can stick to long-term, even if it starts small,” says Thomas.

 In midlife, exercise becomes an investment in the next 20 or 30 years of life,  and in the woman who will one day live them.

Abhinav Malhotra, Founder - Abhifit, breaks it down: