Menopause and Exercise: Finding the Sweet Spot (Without Losing Your Mind)

Here’s the thing: midlife women are bombarded with messages about how we must exercise during perimenopause and menopause. And yes, movement is non-negotiable for health. But the way it’s often presented? Overwhelming at best, unrealistic at worst.

It sometimes feels like this:
You’re already expected to go into your doctor’s appointment with a degree in menopause studies, and now apparently you need to train like an Olympic athlete too. But careful — don’t spike your cortisol in the morning! Don’t run — it’s not the 80s anymore! Cardio is out. Do lift heavy weights! No, actually, you can lift lighter… but only if you’re consistent. It often depends on what expert you are listening to.

Confused? Exhausted just thinking about it? You’re not alone.

The Truth Lies in the Middle

The reality is far less extreme. You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight or buy into “all or nothing” thinking.

Yes, resistance training does matter — it protects against sarcopenia, supports bone health, and keeps metabolism humming. Cardio has its place too — for heart health, lung capacity, and energy. And let’s not forget high-impact exercise, whether that’s running, jumping, or skipping — it’s essential for bone strength.

And the truth? Almost any kind of movement makes you feel better. You’ll rarely, if ever, come away from exercise feeling worse — I’d almost guarantee it.

You don’t need to quit cardio to lift weights, and you don’t need to turn your life upside down to make exercise work for you. The sweet spot lies somewhere in the middle. Consistency beats intensity. Progress beats perfection.

I’ve worked with clients who never exercised much before midlife and felt completely paralysed by all the advice out there. Once they realised they didn’t need to lift the heaviest weights in the gym or abandon the short jogs they enjoyed — that simply moving in ways that challenged them and fit into their lives was enough — the shift was huge.

Why It Matters Now

Hormonal changes do make movement more important. Lower estrogen levels affect muscles, bones, and connective tissue. That’s why exercise isn’t about “looking toned” — it’s about preventing osteoporosis, protecting joints, supporting brain health, and improving mood.

But here’s the part we don’t hear enough: it’s also about joy. Exercise that feels punishing won’t stick. Exercise that feels doable, fun, or even just not dreadful will. Whether that’s lifting weights, hiking, dancing, swimming, or brisk walking, it counts.

I’ve heard advice from “experts” — but we need to be careful with that word. One endocrinologist, brilliant in her field, told women to forget about walking altogether. But being an expert in endocrinology doesn’t automatically make her an expert in exercise. Walking has well-documented benefits: no, it won’t do much for bone health, but it has a multitude of other advantages for physical and mental wellbeing. We need to look at the whole person, not just one thing in isolation.

Likewise, I came across a very successful personal trainer who shared an “introductory routine” for peri- and menopausal women who had never exercised before. His plan? Five sessions a week, mixing resistance training, cardio, and HIIT. For beginners, that’s completely unrealistic. OMG.

My Reflection

For me, the real breakthrough was realising I didn’t need to exercise “perfectly” — I just needed to do it consistently. Some weeks are better than others. Some days it’s strength training, other days it’s a long walk. And that’s okay.

We can also build gradually. Jumping straight into heavy lifting is more likely to cause injury than progress.

So let’s turn down the noise. You don’t need extremes, and you don’t need to compare yourself to anyone else’s regime. What you do need is to move your body, regularly and with purpose, in ways that work for you.

That’s enough. That’s more than enough.

Resources & Further Reading

🎧 Podcasts & Interviews

📚 Books

ROAR (Revised Edition) by Stacy Sims — science-based training and nutrition for women
Next Level by Stacy Sims — specifically for peri- and postmenopause fitness and health
Owning Your Menopause: Fitter, Calmer, Stronger in 30 Days by Kate Rowe-Ham (UK)
Unbreakable by Dr Vonda Wright — strength, longevity, and vitality in midlife
The Menopause Metabolism Fix by Cara Metz — structured short-programme workouts

OMG: The Women's Health Brief