Should women over 40 do MORE cardio for fat loss?

Are you 40+ and still relying on cardio to burn fat? Here’s why that might be holding you back.

If you’re a woman over 40 looking to lose weight, chances are you’ve been told that cardio is the ultimate fat-burner. You’ve probably logged countless hours on the treadmill or bike, only to find your results slowing down. It’s time for some tough love: cardio isn’t your fat loss savior.

Yes, cardio burns calories in the moment, but it’s not the long-term solution you’ve been promised. In fact, if you’re focused solely on cardio, you could be sabotaging your fat loss efforts. Let’s break it down.

Cardio Is a Quick Fix, Not a Solution

When we think of fat loss, we often imagine burning as many calories as possible, and cardio seems like the obvious answer. It’s fast-paced, it gets your heart rate up, and you leave the gym sweaty and satisfied. But that satisfaction is often short-lived.

Cardio burns calories while you’re doing it, but once you stop, so does the burn. That’s why you might notice that despite upping your cardio sessions, the scale isn’t moving—or worse, it’s creeping up. The issue? Cardio doesn’t address the bigger picture of fat loss, especially for women over 40.

The “Skinny Fat” Trap

Women over 40 face a unique challenge when it comes to fat loss: muscle loss. Every year, after the age of 30, we naturally lose muscle if we don’t actively work to maintain it. Unfortunately, hours of cardio don’t help with that—actually, they make it worse.

When you focus on cardio without strength training, you risk losing muscle, which can leave you looking “skinny fat.” This means that while you might weigh less, your body composition doesn’t change in the way you want. You lose tone, definition, and strength—all while potentially gaining back more fat than you’ve lost.

Why Building Muscle Is the Real Key to Fat Loss

If cardio isn’t the answer, then what is? Strength training.

Building muscle is crucial for women over 40 because muscle is metabolically active tissue. That means the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. Strength training helps to preserve and build muscle, which keeps your metabolism running strong.

While cardio burns calories during the workout, strength training continues to burn calories long after your session is over. It’s called the afterburn effect (or EPOC—excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). Your body uses more energy to repair the muscles you’ve worked, meaning you’ll keep torching fat even while you rest.

More Cardio, More Cravings?

Here’s another reason to rethink your cardio routine: it can actually make you hungrier. Have you ever finished a long run or intense spin class, only to feel ravenous afterward? That’s because excessive cardio can spike your hunger hormones, causing you to eat more than you need to, often without realizing it.

What’s worse is that, as your body adapts to your cardio routine, you’ll have to keep doing more to burn the same amount of calories. It’s an exhausting cycle—more cardio, more cravings, more frustration.

Balance Is Key

Does this mean you should ditch cardio altogether? Not at all. Cardio has its place—it’s great for heart health, endurance, and stress relief. But if fat loss is your goal, it’s time to shift your mindset. Focus on building muscle through strength training and use cardio as a complementary tool, not the main event.

The Bottom Line: Cardio Alone Won’t Get You There

If you’re still stuck in the mindset that cardio is your fat loss hero, it’s time for a tough love moment: cardio alone won’t get you where you want to be. Building muscle, on the other hand, will help you reshape your body, boost your metabolism, and create long-term fat loss results.

Remember, the goal is not to weigh less at all costs—it’s to create a body composition that makes you feel strong, confident, and capable. So, next time you hit the gym, skip the endless cardio and pick up some weights. Your body—and metabolism—will thank you.

Ready to rethink your fat loss approach? Check out the EM2WL Training App for a step-by-step strategy on exactly how to use muscle building (not cardio) as your fat loss secret.