What My 40s Have Taught Me About Strength, Health, and Happiness
- Mandy Resmodo
- May 12
- 4 min read
by: Mandy Resmondo
In my 20s and 30s, I lived for the burn. CrossFit, long-distance running, two-a-day workouts. You name it. If it didn’t leave me in a puddle of sweat, it didn’t feel like it counted. Like so many women, I chased the high that comes with pushing your limits and challenging yourself physically. It wasn’t just about looking fit. It was about being tough, disciplined, and unstoppable. And for a long time, that served me.
But it wasn’t just about physical fitness. If I’m honest, I was also using my workouts to outrun hard days or poor nutrition, avoid tough conversations, and sweep uncomfortable emotions under the rug. I wore intensity like armor because when your body is exhausted, there’s no energy left to deal with what’s really going on inside. I thought I was coping. But in truth, I was just hiding behind the noise of constant motion.
Then came my 40s and with them all the hormonal changes that naturally occur in a woman’s body.
It wasn’t a dramatic overnight shift. It was subtle at first: sleep disruptions (including those pesky night sweats that leave your pajamas soaked), constant fatigue, weight gain in places I never had it before, other hormone fluctuations I couldn’t out train, and a recovery time that started to stretch longer than my workouts. The harder I pushed, the more my body pushed back. It forced me to re-evaluate what health really meant and what I actually needed to thrive.
A New Health Mindset In My 40s
So, what did I do? I began the hard work of unlearning everything I had learned and implemented over several years related to fitness, nutrition, and overall wellness.
I traded punishing routines for more strategic, intentional movement. These days my workouts look more like short, effective bursts of cardio, strength training that supports longevity, and stretching that keeps me limber and pain-free. I’ve learned to listen to and work with my body instead of against it and in return, it shows up strong for me in all the ways that matter. Health in my 40s looks entirely different.
And let’s not forget about the emotional work that needed to be done too. I’ve learned that real strength is facing discomfort head-on, not avoiding it. I don’t work out to suppress stress anymore. I move to support my body, clear my mind, and show up more fully for my life. Movement is no longer punishment or done out of guilt, it’s nourishment for my mind, body, and soul.
However, the most vital part of that healing and growth has been through my faith. My relationship with God has been a foundation through all these shifts. Prayer grounds me. Fellowship encourages me. Studying the Word gives me wisdom and perspective, especially when the noise of the world tells me to do more, be more, push harder. I’ve learned that rest doesn’t equal weakness. That grace is stronger than hustle. That I don’t have to carry everything on my own. And that wellness isn’t just about fitness and how you look physically but it’s about wholeness, the holistic you: physical, mental, spiritual.
Here's the truth: I don’t train to compete anymore. I train to live well and living well to me means being able to show up for the activities I love, the people I love, and to pay it forward.
Whether I’m hiking mountain trails, biking along the coast, paddling out into the surf, lacing up my skates, traveling the world with energy and curiosity, or chasing after my dog, I now have the peace and comfort of being my true self. Staying strong and physically fit means I get to fully enjoy the life I’ve built and keep doing the things I love for decades to come.
As I’ve aged, I’ve also understood and embraced the importance of boundaries in my personal and professional life. Setting boundaries may be the absolute best thing I’ve done for myself. I’ve gained the strength to say no to things that don’t bring me joy or that over commit my time and I’ve done this without the lingering feeling of guilt.
Perhaps the most radical shift I’ve made is I’ve stopped fighting aging and started honoring it. I used to think I peaked in my 20s. Now I know better. I’m stronger, wiser, and more self-aware at 46 than I’ve ever been.
The older I get, the more comfortable I feel in my own skin. I’m more confident in who I am not just how I look or what I achieve, but in my purpose, my values, and the way I show up in the world. I trust myself more. I need less validation and I’m no longer afraid to slow down if it means living more fully.
To the women out there feeling like your body is betraying you know this: it’s not. It’s just asking you to evolve. Listen. Learn. Adjust. You don’t have to give up your strength or your ambition. You just have to redefine what strength, health and happiness look like.
For me, it looks like strong legs for hiking, a balanced core for surfing, stamina for travel, and a calm mind for everything else life throws at me. It looks like a prayer in the morning, a workout that energizes me (not depletes me), a walk with my dog, and peace that comes from knowing I don’t walk through any of this alone. I always have God on my side.
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