Exercise & Movement
What worked before doesn't work the same way now. The rules have changed. Here's the new playbook.
Your body has changed. Your workout should too. The exercise advice that worked in your 30s — long cardio sessions, endless crunches, "just move more" — isn't optimized for your body now. Menopause shifts what you need. Here's what actually works.
The Rules Have Changed
Hormonal shifts change how your body responds to exercise. What was optional before is essential now.
The Priority Pyramid
Not all exercise is equal for this life stage. Here's what to prioritize.
Strength Training: The Non-Negotiable
If you do nothing else differently, add resistance training. Here's how to approach it.
Why They Matter
- Work multiple muscle groups at once
- Build functional strength for daily life
- Most efficient use of your time
- Best for bone density stimulation
Key Exercises
Squats (or leg press), deadlifts (or hip hinges), rows, chest press, overhead press, lunges. Master these and you've covered the essentials.
The Concept
- Gradually increase weight, reps, or sets over time
- Body adapts — you need to keep challenging it
- More important than any specific routine
- Track your lifts to ensure progression
How to Apply
Start with weight you can lift 10-12 times with good form. When it feels easy, add 2-5 lbs. Aim to progress every 1-2 weeks.
Why Intensity Matters
- Light weights don't stimulate bone growth
- Need to challenge muscles to build them
- Last 2-3 reps should feel hard
- "Toning" with tiny weights is a myth
The Right Challenge Level
Choose a weight where reps 8-10 are challenging and 11-12 require real effort. If you could easily do 15+, it's too light.
Why It's Different Now
- Recovery takes longer without estrogen
- Overtraining backfires — stress hormones rise
- Sleep quality affects muscle repair
- Rest days are when muscles actually grow
How to Recover Well
48 hours between training same muscle group. Prioritize 7-8 hours sleep. Protein after workouts. Listen to your body — more isn't always better.
Pelvic Floor: The Hidden Priority
Estrogen decline can affect pelvic floor tissue. This contributes to issues many women experience but suffer silently. These are preventable and treatable.
🔴 Signs of Pelvic Floor Issues
- Leaking when laughing, coughing, sneezing, jumping
- Urgency — sudden need to urinate
- Frequent urination (more than 8x/day)
- Difficulty emptying bladder
- Pelvic pressure or heaviness
- Pain during intercourse
- Lower back pain without clear cause
✅ What Actually Helps
- Pelvic floor physical therapy — gold standard. Find a specialist
- Proper Kegels — most women do them wrong; PT can assess
- Hypopressives — breathing exercises that support pelvic floor
- Core stability work — not crunches; deep core activation
- Posture improvement — alignment affects pelvic floor
- Avoid bearing down — straining on toilet, heavy lifting with breath-holding
A Sample Week
Here's what a balanced menopause-optimized exercise week might look like. Adjust to your fitness level and schedule.
💪 Strength Day Structure
- Warm-up: 5 min light cardio + dynamic stretches
- Compound lifts: 3-4 exercises, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
- Accessory work: 2-3 exercises for smaller muscles
- Core: 5-10 min (planks, pallof press, bird-dogs)
- Cool-down: 5 min stretching
Split option: Upper body Mon/Fri, Lower body Wed
🚶 Cardio Approach
- Zone 2 (easy): Most cardio should be conversational pace
- Intervals: 1x/week max — short bursts, not long HIIT
- Walking counts: 7,000-10,000 steps/day is powerful
- Variety: Swimming, cycling, elliptical are joint-friendly
- Outside bonus: Nature walks support mood and sleep
Cautions & Adjustments
A few things to watch for during this life stage.
⚠️ Watch Out For
- Joint pain: Estrogen decline may increase inflammation. Modify exercises that hurt
- Overtraining: Cortisol is already elevated in menopause. More isn't better
- Hot flash triggers: Hot environments, intense exercise can trigger flashes
- Injury risk: Tendons and ligaments are more vulnerable. Warm up properly
- Sleep disruption: Evening intense exercise can worsen insomnia
✅ Smart Adjustments
- Morning workouts: Often better tolerated, don't disrupt sleep
- Cool environment: AC, fans, outdoor morning sessions
- Longer warm-ups: 10 min instead of 5, especially for joints
- Lower impact options: Swimming, cycling when joints flare
- Listen to energy: Scale back on bad days. Consistency > intensity