Womens Health USA – Summer 2025

Summary

Lizzo fronts Women's Health USA Summer 2025 with "Forever Fitness at Every Age & Stage" — a cover theme that promises strength in your 20s, HIIT in your 40s, stability in your 60s, deadlifts in your 80s and planks in your 100s. The 92-page issue challenges the longevity narrative that has excluded women, with Editor's Letter declaring that experts dislike the word "longevity" and prefer "healthspan." Lizzo reveals at 37 how she reinvented her life and body — dropping 16% body fat through strength training after crippling back pain forced a change.

"The Perimenopause Playbook" (p.66) delivers everything needed to navigate the misunderstood stage, while "Why Cancer Is On the Rise" (p.60) combines warning with actionable prevention. "Redefining Longevity" (p.76) gives the concept a women-centred makeover. "Ladies Who Lift" (p.86) profiles women over 50 who compete in powerlifting, proving age is no barrier to barbells. "Sex, Drugs & the Pursuit of Health" (p.82) profiles an entrepreneur on a mission. The Strong Start section (p.7) opens with Gabrielle Lyon, DO's quote: "Muscle health, strength, and mass have emerged as robust predictors of healthy aging." Recipes include Grilled Ranch Chicken Skewers.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Feature: Forever Fitness

p.52 · Lizzo's Evolution
The singer reveals how she transformed herself after crippling back pain forced a reckoning. She dropped 16% body fat through strength training and nutrition overhaul, working with a coach. Her key insight: exercise week became central to her mental health maintenance. Start with 2 strength sessions per week, even if only 20 minutes each.

p.66 · The Perimenopause Playbook
Everything to know about the misunderstood stage — symptom tracking, hormone therapy options, and exercise modifications. The article includes a perimenopause symptom checklist to bring to your gynaecologist. Log your symptoms daily for one month before your appointment.

▸ Health & Longevity

p.60 · Why Cancer Is On the Rise — And What You Can Do About It
Investigates the rising cancer rates in younger women, focusing on environmental and lifestyle factors. Actionable prevention strategies include limiting alcohol to 3 drinks per week, getting HPV vaccinated, and knowing your family history. Schedule any overdue screenings within the next 30 days.

p.76 · Redefining Longevity
"It's time for a makeover — with women in mind." The article argues that the longevity industry has ignored female physiology, from research funding to product design. Seeks out female-specific longevity clinics and biomarkers calibrated for women.

▸ Strength & Community

p.86 · Ladies Who Lift
Profiles women in their 50s, 60s and 70s who compete in powerlifting. Each shares her starting weight on the bar and her current personal record. Join a powerlifting gym or find a female-only lifting group on Instagram to start.

p.82 · Sex, Drugs & the Pursuit of Health
An entrepreneur's mission to destigmatize sexual health and pleasure as part of overall wellness. The article links libido to cardiovascular fitness and muscle mass. Add one pelvic floor exercise to your daily routine for 8 weeks and track changes.

▸ Strong Start

p.7 · Strong Start — Welcome to the Musclespan Movement
Opens with Dr Gabrielle Lyon's argument that muscle health is the single best predictor of healthy aging. Introduces "musclespan" as a concept. Calculate your muscle mass relative to your height and compare to age-adjusted norms.

p.4 · Editor's Letter
Explains why "longevity" has become a loaded term co-opted by tech billionaires and why "healthspan" matters more for women. Read it before recommending the issue to someone skeptical of the wellness industry.

▸ Food

Grilled Ranch Chicken Skewers
Recipe: 1 tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning, 3 tbsp olive oil, chicken strips, red and green bell peppers, red onion. Each skewer provides approximately 28g protein. Prep the skewers the night before for a 10-minute cook time after work.

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Editor's Take

The age-stage workout promise on the cover is not just marketing — "Ladies Who Lift" (p.86) and the Perimenopause Playbook (p.66) deliver genuine substance for women over 40. The Lizzo cover story is honest about her physical limits and the role of coaching. But the "Sex, Drugs" piece (p.82) reads more like a brand profile than journalism, and the cancer feature (p.60) covers ground done better in other issues. Best suited for women aged 35-65 looking for midlife fitness and healthspan guidance. Younger readers may find the menopause-heavy focus less relevant.

Strengths
• Age-stage fitness framework from 20s to 100s
• Perimenopause symptom checklist for doctor visits
• Powerlifting profiles of women over 50

Weaknesses
• "Sex, Drugs" feature reads as advertorial
• Cancer prevention article lacks original reporting

Verdict: Recommended — The strongest midlife fitness issue WH USA has produced this year; buy it for the Perimenopause Playbook alone.