Kate Rowe-Ham knew something was up when her crippling anxiety became compounded by breathlessness, broken sleep and joint pain. But having just given birth to her third child in her early 40s, she put it down to being a tired mum.
Years passed until, when she was 44, she decided enough was enough. ‘It was only when I started doing some dedicated research into my symptoms that I landed on the cause: perimenopause,’ she tells Women’s Health. At the time, Rowe-Ham was teaching five spin and six HIIT classes a week, but after she noted that every resource seemed to direct her towards strength work, she took up weightlifting.
‘I dropped from six HIIT classes to one per week, and took up three to four weightlifting sessions each week,’ she explains. ‘The change was almost immediate; within a month, my energy levels soared and my anxiety plummeted. I thought that more was better, but instead of feeling fitter, I felt drained. By reducing the intensity of my workouts and focusing on building muscle, everything shifted.’
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Now, aged 49, Rowe-Ham coaches other women with similar experiences through her fitness app, Owning Your Menopause. ‘My workout approach has transformed the health, energy and confidence of so many women I’ve trained,’ she says.
Below, she shares her weekly workout routine, plus the exact workouts she credits for helping her overcome the hormonal rollercoaster she was riding. ‘A key part of this programme is progressive overload, which means gradually increasing the challenge on your muscles over time, either by lifting heavier, adding reps, or slowing the tempo down for more time under tension. This is what drives strength gains, supports bone density, balances hormones, boosts metabolism and helps futureproof your body.’
Monday: Upper-body strength
- When Rowe-Ham does it: 6.30-7.15am
- Format: 4 rounds. Increase weight and reduce reps on each round.
- Weight ladder: Choose these weights from round one to four: 5kg → 8kg → 10kg → 12.5kg
1/Bent-over row: 12/10/8/6 reps
2/Tricep extensions: 12/10/8/6 reps
3/Chest press: 12/10/8/6 reps
4/Plank shoulder taps: 4 × 30–45 second hold (progression: add plate to back)
5/Overhead press: 12/10/8/6 reps (hold at 10kg if 12.5kg is too heavy)
6/Upright row: 12/10/8/6 reps
7/Butterfly sit-ups: 12 reps every round
Tuesday: HIIT + run
When Rowe-Ham does it: 6.30-7.15am
HIIT
- Format: Do 4–5 rounds of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, or 4-5 rounds of 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off.
1/Jump squats
2/Lunge hops
3/Mountain climbers
4/Side lunges
5/Skaters
6/Russian twists
Run/walk later in the day if you have the time
- 5 min steady jog
- 5 min brisk run/intervals if energy allows
- 5 min cool-down jog/walk
Wednesday: Run
When Rowe-Ham does it: 9am
- 5 min brisk walk warm-up
- 30-45 min run
- 5 min cool-down walk + stretch
Thursday: Lower-body strength
- When Rowe-Ham does it: 6.30-7.15am
- Format: 4 rounds. Increase weight and reduce reps on each round.
- Weight ladder: 5kg → 8kg → 10kg → 12.5kg
1/Clamshells (activation): 3 × 15 each side (bodyweight or mini-band)
2/Romanian deadlifts: 12/10/8/6 reps
3/Single-leg hip thrust: 12/10/8/6 reps
4/Weighted single-leg hip thrust: 12/10/8/6 reps (increase weight across sets)
5/Weighted squat: 12/10/8/6 reps
6/Weighted sumo squat: 12/10/8/6 reps
7/Staggered stance Romanian deadlift: 12/10/8/6 reps (per leg, increase weight each round)
PM (optional): 30–40 min walk (brisk but relaxed pace)
Friday: Full-body strength and power (6:30–7:15 AM)
- When Rowe-Ham does it: 6.30-7.15am
- Format: 4 rounds. Increase weight, reduce reps.
- Weight ladder: 5kg → 8kg → 10kg → 12.5kg
1/Dumbbell swing: 12/10/8/6 reps
2/Jump squats: 12/10/8/6 reps
3/Squat thrusters: 12/10/8/6 reps
4/Alternating jackknife: 12/10/8/6 reps
5/Walkout plank taps: 12/10/8/6 reps
6/Side lunges: 12/10/8/6 reps
7/Burpee overhead press: 12/10/8/6 reps(per side)
Saturday: Yoga
- When Rowe-Ham does it: 8.30-9.15am
45 min yoga or mobility flow (hips, spine, recovery)
PM (optional): Gentle walk later in the day
Sunday: Recovery Walk (8:30–9:15 AM)
45-60-min easy walk (zone 2, relaxed pace)
As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director (and a qualified yoga teacher), Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism. She secured her first role at Look Magazine, where her obsession with fitness began and she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!. Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red.
Now, she oversees all fitness content across womenshealthmag.com.uk and the print magazine, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, where we showcase the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise. She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how.
Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.