Fitness Myths

Fitness Myths That Hold Women Over 40 Back from Trying Triathlon

I've heard every myth under the sun, mostly because I've used most of them myself at various points. After a couple of hip procedures, I told myself that as I was approaching fifty, it was time to look after my body. I planned to go for regular walks, join a Pilates class, and continue with my leisurely morning swims. I believed that I needed to start taking it easy!

But here's the thing: breaking free from these myths didn't just change my fitness - it changed my entire perspective on what's possible. ‘Nothing is Impossible’ – Ironman.

Myth: You Need an Athletic Background to Start

This is probably the biggest load of garbage I have ever heard. "I was never athletic in school," women tell me, as if your PE teacher's opinion from 1985 has any bearing on what you can achieve today.

All right, confession time. I wasn't completely hopeless at sport as a kid - I actually loved running the 800m and 1500m on Sports Day. Not because I was any good, but because I loved the freedom of running around a track plus the fact no one else wanted to do it! And yes, I was one of those kids who enjoyed cross-country runs, getting muddy while my friends dragged their feet at the back. I didn’t particularly enjoy sitting in class learning about circuit boards and Bunsen burners, so PE was the best part of my day.

I even did a couple of marathons back in the dark ages, but not for any noble athletic reasons. I wanted to raise money for my sister-in-law who died of cancer at a horrifically early age. It was hard, but I was doing it for her, not because I fancied myself as some sort of running legend. I did another one afterwards to prove to myself I could, then started to question my why? And the truth is I had no answer, I didn’t enjoy it, so I stopped!' Just like that. For years, running to catch the London Underground was about as energetic as I got.

But here's the thing - none of that ancient history meant diddly squat when I started triathlon at 51. Those old marathons didn't stop me from getting a headache and my legs from screaming at me, when I started running. Or make me any less terrified of drowning in open water or any more graceful on a bike.

Do you know what's actually valuable? Being stubborn, determined, and willing to look like a complete muppet while you're learning something new. Those are skills you develop through life experience, not through being good at netball when you were fifteen.

Every single skill I needed for triathlon - proper swimming technique, cycling endurance, and running stamin - I had to learn (or re-learn) as a middle-aged woman. In fact, learning these skills as an adult was probably better because I appreciated the effort it took and celebrated every small improvement like I'd just won an Olympic gold.

Myth: You Have to Be Fast to Participate

What a load of …….! Fast compared to who exactly? The Olympic athletes? The club champions? The slim beauty you saw on Instagram who makes everything look effortless while you're still trying to figure out how to stop and unclip your cleats!

When I did my first Half Ironman, I wasn't fast. I was probably in the bottom quarter of finishers, possibly bottom few if we're being brutally honest, and do you know what? It was absolutely brilliant. Me and my daughter got more cheers from the spectators (possibly out of pity, but I'll take it) and embraced the fact we were in a different country having the adventure of a lifetime.

Your pace is your pace. The only person you need to be faster than is the version of yourself who's sitting on the sofa making excuses and watching Netflix instead of getting out there and having a go.

Myth: Triathlon is Only for Elite Athletes

This myth probably comes from watching professional triathletes on TV. But here's what they don't show you on television: the thousands of age-group athletes who participate in triathlons every weekend. People like teachers, accountants, parents, shop assistants, and bird handlers (yes, that's me) who've decided to challenge themselves and see what they're capable of. People who train around work schedules, family commitments, and all the general chaos of real life.

The beauty of triathlon is that there are a variety of distances. Sprint distances are completely achievable for most people with a few months of training and a reasonable amount of stubbornness. You don't need to be elite to participate - you just need to be willing to work towards something that initially seems completely impossible and probably slightly mental.

The Truth About Starting Sport Later in Life

Here's what's actually true about starting sport after 40. Your body changes, but it doesn't stop responding to training. Yes, recovery takes longer than it used to - what used to be mild stiffness now requires actual recovery strategies and possibly some creative swearing. Yes, you need to be smarter about rest and injury prevention because your body is less forgiving of stupid decisions. But your muscles can still get stronger, your cardiovascular system can still improve, and your endurance can still increase. Age doesn't disqualify you - it just means you need to train differently than you might have at 21, with more sense and less invincibility.

Starting something new later in life actually has massive advantages that younger people don't have. You have more mental toughness from dealing with life's curveballs - compared to juggling teenagers, job stress, and aging parents, a bit of physical discomfort during training is entirely manageable. You have a clearer sense of why you want to do something difficult, which means your motivation comes from a much deeper place than just wanting to look good in Lycra.

As for menopause - that delightful life stage that makes you question everything - it doesn't mean giving up on fitness goals. Many women find new strength and motivation during this time, partly because they're bloody-minded enough to prove that they're not "past it," and partly because training can actually ease symptoms and boost mood when everything else feels unpredictable.

And the "I don't have time to train properly" excuse? Look, none of us have time to train ‘properly,’ whatever that means. We all squeeze sessions in around work, family, and the general admin of adult life. Even short, focused workouts add up. Quality beats quantity every time, especially when you're balancing everything else life throws at you. Fifteen-minute sessions are infinitely better than no sessions. Something is always better than nothing, even if that something is just a brisk walk around the block while muttering about how you should be doing more.

The biggest truth about starting sport after 40? You're not too late, too slow, too old, too unfit, or too anything. You're exactly the right age to surprise yourself with what you're capable of when you stop listening to limiting beliefs and start listening to the part of you that wonders "what if I actually tried this mad thing?"

Breaking free from these myths changed everything for me. It opened up possibilities I'd never considered and showed me that the stories we tell ourselves about aging and capability are often just that - stories. And here's the best bit: you get to write a different ending.

What myth has been holding you back? Because I guarantee you, it's not as true as you think it is, and you're probably much more capable than you've been giving yourself credit for.