Why Your Workouts Aren’t Working Anymore (Even If You’re Doing Everything Right)

Why Your Workouts Aren’t Working Anymore (Even If You’re Doing Everything Right)

Show Description 

If your workouts aren’t working anymore in midlife, even though you’re doing everything right, you’re not alone.

In this episode, I’m talking about the frustrating reality so many women face as their bodies change. Weight gain, fatigue, slower recovery, and workouts that don’t produce the same results they used to.

After more than 35 years of running and over 20 marathons, I’ve always been consistent with my fitness and nutrition. But recently, things shifted. What used to work… doesn’t anymore.

We’re getting into what’s actually happening in midlife, why your body may not be responding the same way, and how this impacts not just your workouts, but your identity.

If you’ve been eating clean, staying disciplined, and still not seeing results, this episode will help you feel seen and understand what might be going on.

Show Notes

If you feel like your workouts aren’t working anymore, even though you’re doing everything right, this episode is for you.

I’m sharing my personal experience navigating midlife changes, from weight gain and fatigue to injuries and recovery that doesn’t look the same anymore.

This isn’t about doing more. It’s about understanding what’s changing and learning how to respond differently.

In This Episode:

• Why your workouts may not be working the same way in midlife
• The connection between fatigue, recovery, and weight gain
• How hormonal changes can impact your body and performance
• The mental shift that happens when your identity is tied to fitness
• Why doing more is not always the answer
• What has actually helped me adjust, including walking and strength training
• How to start listening to your body instead of pushing through

Key Takeaways:

• You’re not doing anything wrong if your results have changed
• Midlife requires a different approach to fitness and recovery
• Consistency still matters, but it may look different now
• Your body is not broken, it’s changing
• Paying attention to how your body responds is more important than pushing harder

Midlife Reset with Jama Pantel is a podcast for women who have always had it together… and suddenly feel like something is off.

If you’re in your 40s and noticing shifts in your body, your energy, or your identity, this podcast helps you make sense of what’s happening and figure out how to move forward in a way that actually feels like you again.

New episodes released weekly.

Follow Midlife Reset with Jama Pantel so you don’t miss what’s next.

https://www.jamapantel.com

Transcript

I did everything right.
I worked out. I ate clean. I stayed consistent.

So explain to me… why is my body gaining weight anyway?

Have you ever felt like your body just stopped responding the way it used to… like one day the rules changed, but nobody told you?

Hey y’all, it’s your podcast bestie Jama, and today we’re talking about something I’ve been navigating in real time. Why my workouts aren’t working out the way they used to, and what that actually means in midlife.

Because here’s the thing…
this didn’t happen overnight.

And I think that’s why it took me so long to connect the dots.

Looking back now, I can see it started years ago.

At first, it was small things.
The weight being a little harder to keep off. Nothing major… just enough to notice.

Then came frozen shoulder.

Then knee pain… to the point where I ended up getting injections.

And I remember being told… “this is normal as you age.”

And I was like… wait, what?

Because that wasn’t my normal.

Then came plantar fasciitis… after never dealing with anything like that before.

And still… I didn’t connect it.

I just kept thinking… okay, I’ll work through it. I’ll adjust. I’ll keep going.

Because that’s what I’ve always done.

But then last year… everything kind of stacked.

Brain fog.
Not sleeping through the night.
Hot flashes.
More weight gain.

And that’s when it really hit me.

Like… oh.

Something is actually different.

Y’all know I’ve been a runner for over 35 years. I’ve run more than 20 marathons. This is not new for me.

I know how to train.
I know how to stay consistent.
I know how my body responds when I do the work.

And for most of my life… I could count on that.

I was the steady one.
The consistent one.
The one who could show up and handle hard things.

So when things stopped working the same way…

it messed with me.

And I’m just gonna say it straight…

The most frustrating part of all of this?

The fatigue… and the weight gain.

Because when you wake up already tired…

it’s really hard to convince yourself to go run, or lift, or even go for a walk.

And then when you don’t… or you can’t be as consistent…

the weight comes on FAST.

Faster than it ever did before.

And that part feels so defeating.

And here’s the part that really got me…

I’ve been a vegetarian my whole life.

I eat healthy.
I’ve always eaten clean.
I don’t overdo anything “bad.”

So in my mind… I really thought…

this wouldn’t happen to me.

I thought if I just stayed consistent… if I kept doing what I’ve always done…

I’d be fine.

And now?

I can track my macros.
I can hit my protein.
I can do all the things…

and the weight still comes.

Make it make sense.

And I think this is where a lot of us get stuck… especially if you’ve been someone who’s always been disciplined.

Because we’ve been operating under a belief system for years.

If I just stay consistent… I’ll get results.
If I eat clean… I’ll stay lean.
If I work harder… my body will respond.

And for a long time… that was true.

So when it stops working…

we don’t question the system.

We question ourselves.

We think…
“I must be doing something wrong.”
“I need to be more strict.”
“I need to tighten things up.”
“I need to go harder.”

And I don’t know about you… but I tried that.

I tried tightening things up.
I tried being more disciplined.
I tried doing more.

And all it did…

was make me more tired.

And that’s the part that really messes with your head.

Because you’re used to being the one who can figure it out.

You’re used to being the one who can adjust, pivot, push through.

So when your body doesn’t respond the way you expect…

it feels like you’re losing control.

And I think that’s why this hits so hard for high-achieving women.

Because we’re not used to things not working when we do the work.

We’re used to effort equaling outcome.

And midlife is like…

yeah… we’re changing that equation.

And let’s talk about something else for a second…

the mental math we all start doing.

You start thinking…

“If I can just get back to where I was…”
“If I can just lose this weight…”
“If I can just get my pace back…”

And you’re constantly comparing yourself…

to a version of you that doesn’t exist anymore.

And that’s a hard pill to swallow.

Because the truth is…

your body isn’t broken.

But it is different.

And different requires a different approach.

And that’s the part no one talks about…

it’s not that you stopped doing the work.

It’s that the same work doesn’t work the same anymore.

And this is where it stops being just about workouts…

and starts being about identity.

Because when you’ve been doing something for this long…

it’s not just something you do.

It’s who you are.

I’ve always been the runner.
The disciplined one.
The one who shows up no matter what.

So when your body starts responding differently…

you don’t just question your routine.

You start questioning yourself.

And nobody really prepares you for that.

I wish someone had told my 35-year-old self…

this is coming.

And it’s not going to hit all at once.

It’s going to show up in ways that don’t seem connected.

And when it finally hits…

the anxiety, the frustration, the tears…

it’s going to feel like you don’t even recognize yourself.

That part hit me before the weight ever did.

The weight is just what you see.

That’s what makes it real when your clothes don’t fit anymore.

But everything shifts before that.

So now I’m in this place where I’m still showing up…

but it looks different.

There are days I walk more than I run.

And honestly? That used to bother me.

Strength training has become my bestie.

Slowing down has become necessary.

And I’m learning how to listen in a way I never really had to before.

And even then… it’s not perfect.

Because when you get sick now…

it takes longer to recover.

So it’s harder to stay consistent.
Harder to get back into it.

And if life is busy on top of that… which it usually is…

it just adds to it.

And I want to say one more thing… because I know someone needs to hear this.

Just because your body has changed…

does not mean you’ve lost your edge.

You’re not less disciplined.
You’re not less capable.
You’re not “falling off.”

You’re just being asked to evolve.

And I think that’s the part we resist the most…

because evolving usually means letting go of something that used to work really well.

And I think this is where midlife forces a different kind of conversation.

Because we’ve been taught our whole lives…

push harder.
do more.
stay disciplined.

And midlife is like…

yeah… we’re not doing that the same way anymore.

Not because you can’t…

but because your body is asking for something different.

So instead of asking…

“Why isn’t this working anymore?”

I’ve started asking…

“What is my body actually asking for right now?”

And I don’t have all the answers yet.

I’m still figuring this out in real time.

But I do know this…

you’re not crazy if you feel like things have changed.

And you’re not doing something wrong just because what used to work… doesn’t anymore.

So if this is you…

if you’re tired…
if you’re frustrated…
if you feel like you’re doing all the right things and still not seeing the same results…

I see you.

I’m right there with you.

So this week…

instead of pushing harder…

just pause for a second.

Notice what actually feels good.
Notice what feels forced.
Notice what your body responds well to… and what it doesn’t.

You don’t have to fix it all right now.

Just start paying attention.

Because apparently my body has entered a new phase…

where it has opinions…

and zero interest in my old routine.

Alright y’all… I’ll see you in the next episode.