At 38, turning 39 this year, something interesting has started happening to me, maybe because of my age, or maybe because of my profession? But either way, more and more conversations around me seem to be about hormones.
Men talking about testosterone levels.
Women talking about perimenopause and menopause.
People feeling flat, tired, unmotivated, anxious, or simply just ‘not themselves’.
At the same time, not out of fear, but out of responsibility and almost necessity, I have started paying more attention to my own health.
Because when you start getting closer to 40, you realise something important.
The decisions you make in this decade are not just about the next year or two.
They shape the next 30 or 40 years of your life.
And there is another reality that sits quietly underneath this conversation.
In Australia, around three-quarters of people who die by suicide are men, and the highest rates occur in men between roughly 40 and 59 years old.
Men aged 45–49 record some of the highest suicide rates of any age group, accounting for a significant proportion of male suicides each year.
In fact, suicide statistics show that about seven Australian men die by suicide every day.
At the same stage of life, women are often dealing with their own major hormonal shifts through perimenopause and menopause.
So here we are.
Men navigating midlife hormonal changes.
Women navigating midlife hormonal changes.
Careers, families, responsibilities, stress.
And it raises an important question.
If hormones really do influence our mood, our energy, our motivation, our resilience and our ability to enjoy life…
What would happen if both men and women learned how to manage them better?
What would that mean for our relationships?
For our families?
For the way we age?
Because the goal shouldn’t just be to survive this stage of life.
It should be to thrive in it.
As Ben Bergeron from CompTrain often says, the goal is to be happy, healthy and humble, and still kicking ass into your 90s.
But to do that, we need to understand something important about hormones.
Hormones are not just things that happen to us.
They are responses to the way we live.
Sleep affects hormones.
Training affects hormones.
Nutrition affects hormones.
Stress affects hormones.
Light exposure affects hormones.
Which means the real question isn’t:
“How do I hack my hormones?”
The real question is:
“How do I build a lifestyle that allows my hormones to work the way they were designed to?”
When you look at people who are energetic, strong, mentally resilient and ageing well, five patterns consistently show up.
This article is designed to walk through those five patterns and begin building a repertoire of lifestyle decisions we can focus on from today onward. Decisions that help move us toward a life that is healthier, more stable, more fulfilling and ultimately more meaningful.
The goal is not perfection, but direction. To stack the odds in our favour, make better daily choices, and do our best to avoid the major health setbacks that so many people begin to experience during these years.
1. Lift Heavy Things
Resistance training is one of the most powerful activities we can do to send the correct hormone-building signals to the body.
When we lift challenging loads, the body responds by increasing:
- Testosterone
- Growth hormone
- Insulin sensitivity
- Muscle tissue
- Bone density
- Nervous system resilience
But not all resistance training creates the same signal.
The body responds most strongly when we train with compound movements that engage large muscle groups.
This is why effective strength programs often include movements from powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting, such as:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Bench press
- Snatches
- Cleans
- Jerks
These movements recruit large amounts of muscle and motor units, demanding coordination, stability and strength.
They challenge the nervous system.
And that challenge is exactly what stimulates adaptation.
But good strength training goes beyond just the big lifts.
Strong programs also include accessory movements, such as:
- Rows
- Lunges
- Pressing variations
- Posterior chain work
- Single-leg work
These exercises strengthen weak links, improve balance and support long-term structural development.
And just as importantly, intelligent training includes prehabilitation and rehabilitation work.
Things like:
- Rotator cuff strengthening
- Midline stability
- Hip stability work
- Scapular control
- Mobility and activation drills
These movements may not look impressive on social media, but they are the reason people can keep training for decades instead of months.
Because longevity in training does not come from avoiding hard work.
It comes from preparing the body to tolerate it.
And that leads to the most misunderstood part of training.
Intensity.
Intensity is the signal that tells the body change is required.
Back when I used to present workshops and training courses on exercise science, I often used an analogy to explain what training actually does to the body.
In many ways, exercise in the modern world acts as the body’s controlled “near-death experience.”
We deliberately place the body under physical stress, lifting heavy loads, increasing heart rate, pushing our muscles and lungs beyond their comfort zone. The body interprets this as a threat to survival and, in response, adapts.
Muscles become stronger. Bones become denser. The heart and lungs become more efficient. The nervous system becomes more capable.
In other words, the body prepares itself to better handle the next difficult or dangerous task that might come its way.
Without intensity, the body has no reason to build stronger muscle, stronger tendons or a more capable nervous system.
But intensity does not mean destroying yourself every session.
It means lifting loads that are challenging enough to force adaptation, while still allowing recovery.
When done properly, strength training sends a powerful message to the body:
“You still need to be strong.”
And the body responds accordingly.
Strength training also has one of the strongest hormonal impacts of any form of exercise. Heavy compound lifts stimulate increases in testosterone, growth hormone and IGF-1, which are all involved in muscle repair, tissue growth and long-term physical resilience. At the same time, resistance training improves insulin sensitivity, helping the body regulate blood sugar more effectively and reducing the risk of metabolic disease.
In simple terms, lifting heavy weights signals to the body that strength and capability are still required, and the hormonal system responds accordingly.
But it’s not just heavy lifting that creates this response. Short bursts of anaerobic work, high-intensity intervals, and even well-structured aerobic training, such as Zone 2 work, place different demands on the body, stimulating adaptation across multiple hormonal pathways.
This is why a combination approach to training is so powerful. When strength, conditioning and aerobic training are structured well together, with the use of varied loads, movement patterns and intensities, the body receives a broad spectrum of signals that encourage strength, resilience and long-term health.
It’s also why training styles like the strength and conditioning approach we use at Vasse Strength and Conditioning, which draws from CrossFit-style programming with varied movements and intensities, can be so effective. The goal isn’t to stay safely inside a comfort zone, but to expose the body to the kinds of challenges that stimulate meaningful adaptation.
Because when the body is regularly challenged through strength, intensity and aerobic capacity, the hormonal system responds by helping us become stronger, fitter and more capable for the tasks life throws at us.
2. Sleep (This Is Non-Negotiable)
If training is the signal for adaptation, sleep is where the adaptation actually happens.
During deep sleep:
Growth hormone is released.
Testosterone production increases.
Cortisol levels are regulated.
The nervous system recovers.
Muscle tissue repairs.
Poor sleep disrupts all of these processes.
Research consistently shows that poor sleep is associated with:
- Higher cortisol
- Lower testosterone
- Increased hunger hormones (ghrelin)
- Reduced satiety hormones (leptin)
- Poor insulin sensitivity
Which means fat loss becomes harder, recovery slows down, and energy levels drop.
Most adults function best with 7–9 hours of quality sleep per night.
Simple habits that support sleep include:
- Consistent sleep and wake times
- A dark, cool bedroom
- Limiting screens before bed
- Avoiding caffeine late in the day
It may not sound exciting.
But sleep is one of the most powerful regulators of hormones we have. Unfortunately, in the modern world, poor sleep has become almost epidemic, affecting people of all ages. And yet the quality of our sleep continues to influence everything! Our energy, our recovery, our mood and ultimately how well we age.
There are plenty of resources out there to help with this habit. But let’s be honest, if we could, we would love to get more sleep, so maybe we really just need to prioritise it more?
3. Eat Real Food That Provides the Building Blocks for Hormones
Hormones are built from nutrients.
Protein provides amino acids.
Fats provide cholesterol, which is necessary for many hormone pathways.
Vitamins and minerals act as cofactors that enable hormonal reactions.
When diets are dominated by ultra-processed foods, the body often lacks the raw materials it needs.
A solid nutritional foundation generally includes:
Adequate protein
Around 1.6–2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day.
Healthy fats
Foods like eggs, fish, meat, olive oil, nuts and seeds provide essential fatty acids and cholesterol.
Vegetables and fruit
Providing fibre, antioxidants and micronutrients.
Key minerals
Including zinc, magnesium, iodine and selenium.
Nutrition does not need to be extreme.
But it does need to be nutrient-dense and consistent.
The reality is that the food and drinks we consume provide the raw materials needed to produce hormones. Cholesterol and dietary fats are involved in the production of steroid hormones such as testosterone and oestrogen, while protein provides amino acids needed for tissue repair and metabolic regulation. Key minerals such as zinc, magnesium, iodine and selenium also play essential roles in supporting thyroid function and hormonal balance.
Processed foods, refined sugars, excessive alcohol and many modern vegetable oils can work against all of this. It might feel harmless in the moment to lean on these foods regularly, but over time, they are destroying both our physical and mental health.
Now, I’m not suggesting life needs to be lived in extremes. I enjoy a beer and the occasional day away from structured eating like anyone else. But the more I research and write these articles for you all, the more seriously I find myself taking the impact that everyday food choices have on our hormones and long-term health.
It is genuinely worthwhile to take a step back and honestly assess how often these foods appear in your diet. Small changes made consistently toward more whole, nutrient-dense foods can go a long way in supporting healthier hormones and a stronger, more capable body over time.
4. Manage Stress
Cortisol often gets labelled as the “bad hormone”.
In reality, cortisol is essential.
It helps regulate blood sugar.
It helps us wake up in the morning.
It allows us to respond to stressful situations.
So the reality is the problem isn’t cortisol. The problem is chronic stress.
When cortisol remains elevated for long periods of time, it interferes with:
- Testosterone production
- Thyroid function
- Recovery
- Immune function
Modern stress rarely comes from physical threats. Our jungle days are over.
It comes from work, finances, information overload and constant stimulation.
The body doesn’t always distinguish between these stressors.
Which is why recovery practices become important.
Things like:
- Exercise
- Time outdoors
- Social connection
- Adequate sleep
- Structured downtime
The goal is not to eliminate stress.
The goal is to balance it.
The modern conversation around stress management has become a little strange.
We are constantly told to “step away from things”, to “prioritise self”, to slow down, give up challenging exercise and replace it with gentler options like yoga or Pilates.
Now, before anyone misunderstands me, those activities absolutely have their place. Mobility work, breathing, and slower training sessions, they can all be valuable tools when used appropriately.
But somewhere along the line, the message seems to have shifted toward removing challenge from life altogether. And when that happens, we don’t end up calmer, we often end up more anxious, more self-focused and less resilient.
The reality is that the problem most people face is not simply being busy.
The problem is being busy without purpose.
Chronic stress keeps the body in a prolonged state of elevated cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. While cortisol is essential in short bursts, helping us wake up, respond to challenges and perform, long-term elevation can suppress testosterone production, interfere with thyroid function and impair recovery.
But purposeful stress is different from chaotic stress.
Training hard.
Building something meaningful.
Contributing to your family, friends and your community.
Pursuing goals that actually matter.
These things don’t just add stress to life; they organise it.
When life has direction and meaning, the nervous system handles pressure far better than when we simply sit around analysing our feelings and trying to remove discomfort altogether.
In many cases, the healthiest thing someone can do for their hormones, their mindset and their long-term resilience is not to withdraw from life.
It is to engage with it more deeply.
To be busy, but busy with purpose and moving toward goals that mean something. Like getting a grasp on your hormones.
5. Get Natural Light and Move Daily
I bet none of us does this enough! and if we do, is it correct?
The human body evolved around the rhythm of the sun.
Morning sunlight helps regulate the circadian rhythm, which influences many hormones, including:
- Cortisol
- Melatonin
- Insulin
- Growth hormone
Exposure to natural light early in the day helps anchor the body’s internal clock and improves sleep later that night.
Daily movement also improves metabolic health by supporting:
- Blood sugar regulation
- Circulation
- Joint health
- Insulin sensitivity
This does not always require intense exercise.
Walking, being outdoors and avoiding long periods of sitting can have powerful long-term effects.
But the question remains, are you actually doing it?
A simple place to start is by getting 10–20 minutes of natural sunlight early in the morning or sometime before lunch. Ideally, within the first hour of waking, but let’s be real, how are we going to do that?
For many Australians, exposing the arms and face to sunlight several times per week can help maintain healthy vitamin D levels, which play an important role in immune function, bone health, hormone regulation and mood.
Vitamin D is often referred to as the “sunshine hormone”, and low levels have been linked to fatigue, low mood and reduced resilience.
Combine this with regular outdoor movement whenever possible. Activities such as walking the dog, taking a phone call while walking, parking a little further away from the shops and walking in the sun.
None of these things sounds revolutionary. But done consistently, they reconnect the body with the environment it was designed to live in.
And sometimes the simplest behaviours like getting sunlight, movement, and fresh air, are the ones that quietly support our hormones, our energy and our mental wellbeing the most.
The Bigger Picture
The people who struggle most with hormones are often searching for complicated answers.
A new supplement.
A secret protocol.
A magic solution.
But when we look at people who remain energetic, capable and mentally resilient into their later decades, something else becomes clear.
They live differently.
They train consistently.
They sleep properly.
They eat real food.
They manage stress.
They spend time outdoors.
They build strong bodies and resilient minds.
At Vasse Strength and Conditioning, that has always been the mission.
Not to train people just to burn calories.
But to build capable people.
Capable in their 40s.
Capable in their 50s.
Capable well past their 70s if we can.
Because ageing is inevitable. And I’ll be honest, I’m on my way there every day!
But degeneration does not have to be.
If we can build the habits that support our hormones now, we don’t just change the next year of our lives.
We change the next 30 or 40 years.
And that might be one of the most important investments we ever make.
Because if I’m being honest, I’m getting a little tired of hearing conversations about hormones that seem to give people a way out. As if the answer is simply to withdraw, slow down, medicate the symptoms and quietly accept the decline.
Yes, there are medical conversations to have. There are prescriptions that may be appropriate in some cases; use them because it is the fast track to getting well sooner. Full disclaimer: I will when I need to.
There are risks and realities that need to be understood. But no matter what path you take, the answer should never be to simply sit down, curl up and take the hit.
Fight for your health.
Fight for your strength.
Fight for your ability to live well.
Life is worth living, and it deserves to be lived with energy, purpose and enthusiasm.
Get your hormones moving in the right direction. Train hard. Recover well. Play hard. Stay curious. Stay capable.
Because you’re worth it.
And so is everything and everyone around you.
Get up.
Get after it.
Become extraordinary.