Stronger with Age

26/09/2026

😍😍😍

Great to see Be Well Wigan's Strength training programme with Stronger with Age featured in the latest issue of HCM Magazine!

If you're looking for a supportive space to get stronger without the pressure of training alone, our Female LIFT sessions are the perfect place to start.

And we've now added more classes! You can book a session at:
📍 Howe Bridge Leisure Centre
🗓 Tuesdays & Fridays
⏰ 7:00am

📍 Wigan Life Centre - Healthy Living Zone
🗓 Wednesdays & Fridays
⏰ 7:00am

To book, visit the Be Well App or click here: https://bewellwigan.gladstonego.cloud/book

16/09/2026

Really excited to contribute to such an importance piece by Kath Hudson and HCM Magazine 🏋🏻‍♀️

Encouraging women to participate in strength training is all the rage right now.

But oftentimes the messages are...

✔️VAGUE - 'something is better than nothing' or 'just do whatever you'll enjoy' - what is 'something' to someone who has never lifted weights and how will anyone know what they enjoy if they've never tried strength training?

or simply, just

✔️factually INCORRECT - 'you need a women's specific strength training programme' or 'you need to sync your training to your cycle' - no, women do not need a women's only programme, and no, there's no evidence of cycle syncing either, so let's stop adding to the confusion.

Women want and need REAL structural and social support to get started on their strength training journey...they need programmes and services that encourage a sense of belonging, competence, and autonomy.

So, if we are serious about helping more people meet the strength component of the physical activity guidelines, let's get serious about helping them actually do it.

Shout out to Be Well Wigan Wigan Council for leading this space!!

It's a must read: http://lei.sr/j6a2e

11/09/2026

Think you don't need muscle strength in your 80's? Think again!

In (surprisingly!) the only prospective study to examine the relationship between upper and lower body muscle strength and risk of severe fall-related injuries in the oldest of older adults, Berg et al. followed n=3,059 Norwegian adults aged 80 years and older for over 3.4 years.

They found that those older adults with higher levels of hand and leg strength had up to a 59% lower risk of a severe but non-fatal or fatal (!) fall injuries (compared to individuals with reduced strength).

So, while we cannot prevent every fall, the quicker we can help older adults re-gain those decades of lost muscle strength, the quicker we can help them protect themselves against severe fall-related injuries (and death!!).

Just another reason to get STRONGER with AGE - because it is NEVER too early or too late!!

10/09/2026

Causes I'm prepared to spend my career fighting for:

*FULLY* SUPPORTING people who want to participate in strength training.

I hear (FAR too often) from motivated women who desperately want to start strength training but cannot find the structural or social support they need. It will cost far less to support them now than it will cost us when they show up instead with the devastating consequences of low muscle strength.

Every story only gets me more fired up.

14/08/2026

VERY excited to start this new research in healthcare settings 🏋🏻‍♀️🩺🥼

11/08/2026

Some of the most commonly cited barriers to muscle-strengthening exercise participation are

✔️ a lack of awareness that muscle-strengthening recommendations and guidelines even exist

✔️ a lack of understanding of what activities count towards the muscle-strengthening guidelines and

✔️ a lack of knowledge on how to safely and effectively perform muscle-strengthening exercise

Both the World Health Organization and ISPAH - The International Society for Physical Activity and Health suggest that developing a mass media campaign can transmit clear, consistent messages about physical activity to large populations. The House of Commons Department of Health and Social Care also recently called for a 'national movement campaign.'

We think a well coordinated campaign that is designed with and resonates with the public can help increase the awareness of the importance of muscle-strengthening exercise, what counts as muscle-strengthening exercise, and convey how to safely and effectively get started with muscle-strengthening exercise.

So, we engaged the public to help us form 11 initial recommendations for future muscle-strengthening campaigns.

Here's what they suggested...

1. Use images of real people being active and strong in a variety of ways, focusing on diversity of body types, ethnicities, and ages. Avoid stick people or cartoon icons.

2. Quotes and success stories are an excellent use of text.

3. Peers are the preferred source of information and inspiration. Capitalise by asking more people to share their stories and experiences (see guidelines 1 and 2).

Interested in seeing all 11 recommendations? Check out our paper (link in bio)

29/07/2026

Have you listened to the latest Exercise Science podcast yet?

We discuss the FITT-VP framework to help you remember the variables when starting on your strength training journey!

28/07/2026

Join us as we talk about how to get started with strength training in later life!

Want to convince an older adult to start strength training? This is the episode for you!

28/07/2026

Lunges in primary care?!

While we all know there are countless benefits of physical activity, we know that primary care practitioners who are physically active themselves are more likely to give physical activity advice to their patients (Lee, 2024).

Greater Manchester Moving supports GP surgeries across Greater Manchester to sign up to the Active Practice Charter, an initative from the Royal College of General Practitioners and to inspire and celebrate GP practices that commit to increasing activity and reducing sedentary behaviour in both staff and patients.

However, all too often, increasing physical activity conjures up ideas on how to get more aerobic-based activity in only...and sadly, muscle-strengthening activity is often forgotten.

So, what better way to increase activity and reduce sedentary behaviour than to take a 1-minute lunge break before and after sitting for my seminar about how to increase activity and reduce sedentary behaviour during the workday? 😆

I am honoured to contribute to this fantastic initiative by ensuring that strength exercises are seen as an effective, efficient, and enjoyable way to both break up sedentary behaviour and get a little moderate to vigorous muscle-strengthening activity in too!

And whether you’re inside or outside of Greater Manchester, follow over at - we have some new resources coming out shortly especially for primary care!!

13/06/2026

We are looking for our next cohort! If you’re in Wigan, this is for you!!