Jill Brown Fitness

Hi 👋 If you’re new here, I’m 59, I’ve had 4 surgeries, and I lift half the weight I used to. And I’m still holding it together. Focused on post-menopause muscle, staying lean to protect my joints, and fighting gravity.

For years I taught class after class, lifted heavy, and did a LOT of HIIT. I was always starving and never fully recovered. I thought I could out-exercise my diet. I trained hard — but not smart.

Now? Lighter weights taken to fatigue. Protein I actually track. Calories that fit my age and how much I move. Cardio with intention — a mix of steady state and some HIIT — for my heart. I spend more time on lifting, because building and holding muscle gets harder as we age. I stopped skimping on sleep and take a full recovery day once or twice a week. Half the grind I used to do — and I still look like this (in good natural lighting anyway 😆).

🔖 Save this if you needed to hear it. Send it to the friend still killing herself in the gym for it.

✅ If you want help doing this instead of guessing, my Lean & Strong group opens in September — free framework & waitlist links in bio.

Sometimes I get asked to try skincare products. When 213Deli invited me to this influencer event at the Griffin Club, I jumped. I tried Lancer products before and they really were noticeably better. Excited to try these!
Afterall, skincare is taking care of your health too.

The worst thing you can do for a bad back is to rest for too long.

I’ve had 3 spine surgeries. Degenerative disc disease since my 20s turned into spondylolithsesis. I had to give up running, jumping, burpees, lifting heavy and jumping rope.

But that doesn’t mean quitting.

Taking it too easy is how backs get worse. The weaker your core and glutes get, the more your spine has to absorb on its own. But there’s a balance — too much and too little are both bad. Nobody tells you that part.

Here’s what I actually do to keep training at 59. Save it if your back needs this.

Here’s what I actually do to keep training at 59. Save it if your back needs this.

Follow for the fitness truth nobody’s telling women over 50.

🏃‍♀️ Instead of running: stair machine, spin, uphill treadmill, rowing
🦘 Instead of jumping: step-ups, low-impact agility, ball slams, battle ropes
🏋️‍♀️ Instead of heavy: weights I can do for 10-20 reps, taken to fatigue — research shows that builds just as much muscle

And underneath all of it: protein (seriously), creatine for 30+ years, and PT exercises I actually do consistently — not just when something hurts.

You don’t need to run, jump, or lift heavy to be lean and strong. You need what works for the body you have now.

Injuries don’t end this. They just mean you adapt.

Save this for your next workout. Follow for what actually works after 40. 💪

I wasn’t born with good glutes. Flat butt my whole life (FBS is real 😅). Then a hip replacement at 54 limited what I can do — no deep squats, no heavy spinal loading, the exact moves most people rely on for glutes.

So I train around it. These 5 are my top picks for building glutes without wrecking the joint:

1. Reverse hypers (holding a plate)
2. Banded lateral work — crab walks, monster walks, clamshells
3. Hip thrusts
4. B-stance + single-leg RDLs
5. Bulgarian split squats (I stop at 90° for my hip)

You don’t need the moves you can’t do. You need the ones that work for the body you’ve got.

Save this for your next lower-body day. Follow for what actually works after 40. 💪