A quarter of women claim their greatest test of strength in the past month was maintaining life's routines while exhausted, compared to just 8% who cited completing a workout, according to new research.
The survey, conducted by Optimum Nutrition, found that 24% of women said maintaining routines while exhausted was their biggest strength test, with balancing competing responsibilities (19%) coming second and navigating difficult emotional situations (17%) rounding out the top three. Completing a workout was cited by only 8%.
Shift in How Women Define Strength
The findings come from STRONG: The Female Strength Report, a study of 2,000 women in Britain co-authored by Professor Kirsty Elliott-Sale, a leading expert in female physiology and endocrinology. The report reveals a fundamental shift in how women define, experience, and evaluate strength in 2026.
For decades, strength has been defined through performance and physical appearance, with research and discourse often shaped by male physiology and experiences. Today, a more expansive definition is embraced, placing equal weight on mental resilience, adaptability, and functional capability alongside physical performance.
Despite 45% of women surveyed associating strength with physical power, 47% identified mental strength as the greatest contributor to their overall sense of strength. Almost two-thirds (59%) also said they value mental strength more than physical appearance or athletic performance, signalling a clear shift in priorities.
Five Dimensions of Strength
The report identifies five interconnected dimensions of strength: physical, mental, functional, adaptive, and social. It explores how women experience them in everyday life and across different life stages.
Of those quizzed, 59% define 'strength' as moving through life comfortably and confidently, claiming it's a more meaningful measure of power than lifting maximum weights. The research also shows that strength is not static, with 79% saying their definition changes across different stages of life.
Confidence Gap and Practical Barriers
Despite growing awareness, the report highlights a confidence gap between understanding strength and acting on it. Of those quizzed, 86% recognised that hormonal fluctuations can influence physical and mental strength, yet only 10% regularly adapt their training or nutrition, and 41% make no adjustments at all.
Two-thirds (66%) also said they're unaware of NHS muscle-strengthening guidelines, despite the role strength can play in supporting mental resilience, adaptability, and everyday capability. The barriers are largely practical rather than motivational, with 28% citing lack of time, 26% lacking energy, and 25% not knowing where to start.
Accessibility and education remain key, with more than half (57%) believing fitness advertising presents a narrow view of strength. Of those surveyed, 68% say functional strength remains underrepresented in fitness culture, highlighting the need for more discussions around what strength really means and how to build it.
Expert and Athlete Perspectives
Professor Kirsty Elliott-Sale said: "STRONG: The Female Strength Report provides valuable insight into how women define and experience strength today. The findings reinforce that strength is not simply about physical performance, but about enabling women to live capable, healthy and fulfilling lives across every stage of adulthood. By combining scientific evidence with women's lived experiences, we can build better products, better support and better education that reflects what strength really means today."
Emily Campbell, Olympic weightlifter and Optimum Nutrition athlete, said: "Strength means different things to different people, and that is exactly what this report captures. The report shines a light on the many ways women experience strength in everyday life and encourages all of us, from coaches and athletes to brands and communities, to better recognise, support and celebrate strength in all its forms."
Alongside the research, Optimum Nutrition says it invests in evidence-based nutrition, including products such as Clear Whey Protein, designed to support recovery and everyday performance.
