HEALTHY HABITS FOR WOMEN OVER 40: IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO GET STARTED… and a great Kale Salad
Entering your 40s marks a meaningful phase of life, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Hormonal shifts, reduced muscle mass, and greater stress can make routines harder, but this season is also the best time to build healthy habits for women over 40.
Aging expert Maddy Dychtwald calls midlife your “freedom zone”, a time to redefine priorities and invest in lifelong well-being. In Ageless Aging, she champions micro-commitments, small, sustainable actions that close the gap between intention and behavior and can influence a surprising share of our day-to-day well-being.
Clinicians echo that message. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Vonda Wright (Unbreakable: A Woman’s Guide to Aging with Power) underscores the protective power of strength training, flexibility, aerobic fitness, and nutrition to prevent frailty and chronic disease. And lifestyle expert Lisa Curry (Healthy Happy You) highlights sleep, diet, exercise, and mindfulness as anchors when hormonal shifts test our emotional and physical resilience. Together, these voices affirm that midlife habits aren’t just about avoiding decline, they’re about thriving and energizing your body and spirit well into the decades ahead
Why Your 40s Are the Best Time to Build Healthy Habits
Many women notice shifts in muscle mass, sleep quality, and stress tolerance in their 40s. Authors and clinicians alike point to strength training, flexibility/mobility work, fiber-forward nutrition, restorative sleep, and mindset as keystones. The goal isn’t perfection; the goal is small, consistent actions that compound into resilience.
5 Simple Ways to Build Healthy Habits at 40+
Start small. Add one vegetable to a meal or walk 5 minutes after dinner.
Use cues. Tie a habit to a trigger (time, place, or routine) so it becomes automatic.
Stack it. Attach a new habit to an existing one (stretching while you’re boiling water for tea.).
Track wins and celebrate. Log habits in a notebook, journal or put a sticky note on your fridge and celebrate small milestones.
Follow the 2-Day Rule. Miss a day? Fine. Missing a day doesn’t ruin progress. Don’t miss two, get back on track as soon as possible.
3 Ways to Replace Habits That Don’t Serve You
Map the loop. Identify the cue → routine → reward; keep the cue/reward, swap the routine.
Change the environment. Make the desired choice obvious and the old one less convenient.
Plan a “when-then.” When stress hits, then take a 3-minute breath walk instead of snacking.
How a Health Coach Helps You Make It Stick
Uncover your why. We clarify the deeper motivation behind your goals so change feels purposeful, not forced. Discovering your why gives your health and wellness goals a deeper sense of purpose, making them more meaningful and personal. It helps you stay motivated and committed, especially when challenges or setbacks arise. A strong why shifts your focus from short-term outcomes to long-term benefits, like increased energy, confidence, or quality of life. Ultimately, knowing your why turns health habits into intentional choices rather than temporary fixes.
Personalize the plan. One size doesn’t fit all. We tailor strategies to your lifestyle, schedule, preferences, and constraints, so wellness is sustainable. For example, if a client wants to improve their nutrition but dislikes cooking, the coach might suggest quick, no-cook meal options or guide them in choosing healthier takeout. They’ll also consider the client’s schedule, stress levels, and support system to design sustainable habits.
Build your toolkit. We create trigger plans, flexible routines for messy weeks, and practical backups for travel or long workdays. Specifically, a health coach can help you manage triggers by first identifying what situations, emotions, or environments tend to lead to unhealthy choices - like stress causing late-night snacking. They can then work with you to create personalized strategies, such as mindfulness techniques, healthier coping mechanisms, or adjusting your routine to avoid those triggers. For example, if stress at work leads to skipping workouts, a coach might help you build a short, energizing morning routine to stay consistent. By providing accountability and support, they help you respond to triggers with intention rather than default habits.
Grow confidence. We celebrate small wins and reframe setbacks as data, not failure, so momentum keeps building. Meeting small goals builds self-efficacy that spreads to all areas of life.
Final Thoughts: Start Small. Stay Consistent.
You’re not defined by limitations; you’re full of agency, wisdom, and purpose. Tiny habits—repeated consistently—transform how you feel and live in midlife. Every midnful choice adds up to a life richer in strength, joy and longevity.
Ready to build habits that last? Book a complimentary Health Discovery Call to get a personalized, step-by-step plan
Recommended Books for More Inspiration
Peter Attia (with Bill Gifford), Outlive — Extending healthspan through smart, personalized prevention.
Lara Briden, Hormone Repair Manual — Nutrition and lifestyle strategies to support hormones after 40.
James Clear, Atomic Habits — Identity-based strategies for tiny shifts that drive big change. (This is a great book to read and learn about how to create healthy habits!)
Lisa Curry, Healthy Happy You — Practical pillars: sleep, diet, exercise, mindfulness.
Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit — How to identify cues/rewards and rewire loops.
Maddy Dychtwald, Ageless Aging — Micro-commitments and purpose to reshape midlife.
Tamsen Fadal, How to Menopause — Science + storytelling to navigate the transition with confidence.
FAQ
Is it harder to build healthy habits after 40?
Not when you start small. Midlife is ideal for strength, sleep, and nutrition upgrades; your body still adapts quickly, and tiny, consistent steps compound.What healthy habits matter most in perimenopause?
Protein with every meal, regular strength training, daily walking, fiber-rich plants, consistent sleep/wake times, and stress-lowering practices (breath work, time in nature).How long until a new habit sticks?
Many people feel momentum in 2–4 weeks. Focus on doing the habit, not perfection and use the 2-Day Rule to stay consistent. Keep in mind, it’s not always about how long, but more about how many times and how consistently you practice your new habit.
Yours in wellness,
Marguerite H. Griffin
Integrative Nutrition, Health and Wellness Coach
Relational Forest Therapy Guide
Refreshing Kale Salad
This is a favorite of mine. The ingredients are yummy. And the dressing truly makes the salad pop with flavor. And, it’s ready in 20 minutes.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp real maple syrup
1/1/2 tsp dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 lb. curly kale (about 2 large bunches)
1 large (9 oz.) apple, recommend gala, julienned
2 medium carrots, shredded (1 cup)
3/4 cup unsalted slivered almonds, toasted
3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
1/3 cup sliced red onion, sliced very thin
Instructions:
In a mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let rest in fridge while preparing remaining salad ingredients.
Remove kale leaves from thick ribs. Rinse and run leaves through a salad spinner to dry well. Working in batches on a cutting baord, gather and bunch kale leaves together and thinly slice creating ribbons.
Transfer kale to a very large bowl along with apples, carrots, almonds, cheddar cheese and red onion.
Whisk dressing again then pour over salad. Toss well to evenly coat.
Serve within a few hours for best results.
Marguerite’s Version: I use red curly kale. Talk about eating the rainbow! Such a nice presentation. And I think I mentioned in a recent blog, I usually am too hungry to toast the almonds. I usually add walnuts to get some omega-three fatty acids. I use whatever kind of apple I’m in the mood for or what’s on sale. Pink Lady apples are my favorite. I also add unsweetened dried cranberries. You might want to double the salad dressing to use for another meal. Honestly, the dressing is good on fish, roasted potatoes, steamed veggies… the list goes on. It’s all about the dressing… and the kale, of course!