Olympian encourages weightlifting during menopause

Olympian Sally Gunnell is working with a number of famous faces on a charity campaign designed to get women weightlifting, particularly as they approach menopause.

During Menopause Awareness Month, the gold medalist, who lives near Brighton, is involved in the British Heart Foundation (BHF) 31-day Strong Woman Challenge.

New research from the BHF suggests many women in midlife are not aware that perimenopause and menopause can lead to faster muscle loss, and Gunnell is keen to get these women lifting.

She told BBC Radio Sussex: "If we can invest in keeping our muscles strong and our bones strong in our 50s, 60s, and 70s we can still walk up that hill, we can still play with the grandkids."

According to research published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine earlier this year, doing 90 minutes to two hours of weight training a week can greatly reduce the risk of an early death.

The BHF challenge is encouraging women to develop their strength in this way with a different exercise each day in the month of October.

Gunnell, who won gold in the 400m hurdles at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and golds in the World and European championships, and the Commonwealth Games, stressed that "you don't need much" for good strength training but there are "barriers" in place.

There are concerns over getting "bulky" and often women can be unsure "where to start, how to start", she said.

Gunnell's advocacy around menopause is not new, with the Olympian discussing its challenges when she guest edited an edition of the BBC Radio Sussex and Surrey Mid Morning show in January last year.

She says she still feels as passionately, arguing it is about women having "that quality of life" as they age.

The "confidence" that comes with feeling strong is a bonus, Gunnell says.

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Sussex on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.