Perimenopause & menopause
MENOPAUSE.
You can still build muscle, get stronger and lose body fat. Adapt your training and food intake around your goals, symptoms and recovery.
Keep building strength
Strength training improves strength before and after menopause. Symptoms and poor sleep may affect what you can manage, but don't remove your ability to progress. (2)
Put it into practice: Aim for two strength sessions each week, covering your major muscles with controlled, challenging exercises. Add reps or a little weight as you get stronger.
Look beyond scale weight
Body fat and lean tissue can change even when weight stays similar. The scale alone can miss progress in strength, fitness and daily life. (1)
Put it into practice: Choose a few useful measures, such as strength, waist, fitness or symptoms. Look at trends over several weeks rather than one session or weigh-in.
Use weights and cardio
Lifting helps strength and lean mass, while cardio supports fitness and metabolic health. Including both covers a wider range of benefits. (3) (4) (5)
Put it into practice: Alongside lifting, build towards about 30 minutes of cardio on most days. Walking, cycling, swimming or suitable classes can work, and shorter amounts help you get started.
Support your bone health
Exercise can modestly improve bone density. Strength, weight-bearing activity and suitable impact may help, but newer heavy-training findings don't establish one programme for everyone. (6) (7) (8)
Put it into practice: Ask about suitable bone-loading exercises. Osteoporosis or previous fragility fractures need qualified guidance before adding impact or heavier work.
Get help for disruptive symptoms
Exercise can support health without reliably improving hot flushes or every menopause symptom. Persistent disruption deserves care as well as a training adjustment. (9)
Put it into practice: Have an easier session ready for poor sleep or difficult symptoms: fewer sets, less weight or lower intensity, with rest when needed. Get help for severe or persistent symptoms, abnormal bleeding, pelvic-floor concerns or treatment questions.
Fat loss remains possible
Fat loss is still possible after menopause with a manageable calorie deficit. Keeping strength training and adequate protein in the plan supports the wider goal. (3) (10)
Put it into practice: Include a good protein source at meals and eat enough to recover. If fat loss is your goal, use a modest deficit and ease restriction if energy or performance keeps dropping.
What we know about perimenopause
Most intervention research concerns postmenopause; evidence during perimenopause is more limited. There isn't one proven stage-specific programme that suits everyone. (7)
Put it into practice: Start with the foundations above and adapt around your symptoms, experience and health. Ask your coach for training changes and your clinician for medical or hormone-treatment advice.