How Exercise Became My Secret Weapon Through Menopause
By Randy Boyer | Fact Checked | Sources
I'll be honest, when menopause hit, I felt like my body had turned against me.
The weight crept on despite eating the same way I always had and my usual exercise routine. My sleep became a struggle (hello, 3 am wake-ups, can’t go back to sleep). My energy tanked. And don't even get me started on the mood swings and brain fog.
I knew I needed to do something different. So, I got serious about changing my exercise routine. Not in a "punish my body" way, but in a "let's work together" kind of way. And it's made all the difference.
Consistency Over Intensity: My Weight Training Journey in Perimenopause
I used to focus on cardio because when I was younger, that was the answer to everything. But once I hit perimenopause, I learned that strength training is where the magic happens for women our age.
I started lifting weights 3-4 times a week- heavier challenging weights. Nothing crazy, just consistency. Some days it's 30 minutes, sometimes 40. The key? I show up. My weekly weight training schedule looks like this:
- Day 1: Upper body: 30-40 minutes
- Day 2: Lower body: 30-40 minutes
- Day 3: Upper body: 30-40 minutes
- Day 4: Full Body: 30-40 minutes
Tip: Where do I find my workouts, you’re wondering? Since over the years, I built up a simple home gym, YouTube. There are some amazing creators (some menopausal) with easy-to-follow workouts. You can do this whether you go to a gym or work out at home. I do want to urge you that form is key, so if you're not experienced and doing this on your own, I highly recommend a trainer to start.
What I've noticed with a conistent exercise routine:
- My metabolism actually feels like it's working again
- I'm stronger than I was in my 30s!
- My body composition is changing even when the scale isn't moving much
- I feel more capable in everyday life
Muscle mass, unfortunately, declines as we age, especially during menopause. But lifting weights fights back. It's like telling your body, "Nope, we're not doing that decline thing."
Zone 2 Cardio: The Thing I Didn't Know I Needed in Perimenopause and Menopause
I used to think cardio meant going hard or going home. Turns out, that's not what our menopausal bodies need most.
Enter Zone 2 cardio: moving at a pace where you can still hold a conversation but are slightly out of breath. Zone 2 is roughly 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. I keep an eye on my heart rate with my Fitbit to make sure I'm staying in my Zone 2 range. For me, that's brisk walks, easy bike rides, or a good house cleaning! I’ve got a treadmill at home, so the weather never stops me.
I aim for 20 minutes on the days I weight train and 30 minutes on my other days. Sometimes I listen to a podcast, watch my favorite show (while on the treadmill), or I just zone out with music. It's become my moving meditation.
The benefits of Zone 2 cardio have been surprising:
- Better fat burning (Zone 2 is the sweet spot for this)
- Improved cardiovascular health
- Stress relief without overtaxing my system
- More energy throughout the day
Plus, it doesn't leave me wiped out like intense workouts used to. My body actually recovers instead of feeling beaten down. Intense workouts can cause a stress response in your body and raise cortisol (the stress hormone) levels, which doesn't work in your favor.
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Tip: I have 2-3 days of recovery each week, so no planned exercise. My body gets a chance to rest and recover.
The Sleep Connection (Because Nothing Works Without It)
Here's the thing: You can exercise all you want, but if you're not sleeping, you're fighting an uphill battle.
Sleep became my nemesis in perimenopause and continued into menopause. I'd fall asleep fine, then boom, wide awake at 2 or 3 am, my mind racing, feeling stressed and restless, worrying about falling back to sleep, and all the stuff on my to-do list for the next day.
I started taking Morphus Magnesium before bed, which helped calm my nervous system. Then I added a sleep supplement (Morphus Sleepus) that's been a game-changer for staying asleep through the night and having fewer bathroom visits. No grogginess in the morning, just actual restful sleep. I never miss taking both before bed because I've made sleep a priority, and it works.
Better sleep means:
- I actually have energy to exercise
- My body recovers from workouts
- My appetite stays in check (sleep deprivation makes you hungry!)
- I'm not a stressed-out mess
Exercise and sleep are in this beautiful cycle; moving my body helps me sleep better, and sleeping better gives me energy to move. Win-win.
Gut Health: The Unsexy Topic That Matters During Perimenopause and Menopause
Let's talk about something nobody warns you about: menopause can wreak havoc on your digestion.
Constipation, bloating, irregular bathroom habits- fun times. Turns out, hormones affect everything, including your gut.
I started prioritizing fiber in my diet and with a fiber supplement I fell in love with (I use a prebiotic fiber supplement called Fiberus because, honestly, eating enough fiber is hard). Getting my gut in order made such a difference.
Why fiber matters for exercise:
- I'm not bloated and uncomfortable when I work out
- My energy is more stable (gut health = better nutrient absorption)
- Regular digestion = less inflammation
- I just feel better overall-pooping everday feels really good
A happy gut is foundational to everything else working properly.
Keeping Inflammation in Check in Perimenopause and Menopause
Inflammation is like this silent troublemaker in menopause. Joint pain, stiffness, and that general feeling of "everything hurts" are signs of inflammation in the body. And inflammation can lead to other health challenges.
Every day I take omega-3s (the kind with high EPA and DHA, Omega 3-T is my go-to). It's helped tremendously with:
- Joint comfort during and after workouts
- Recovery time
- General aches and pains
- Even my mood (inflammation affects your brain too!)
- And something that most people don't know, but those pesky itchy ears... who knew!
When inflammation is lower, exercise feels better. And when exercise feels better, I'm more likely to do it. Another positive cycle.
The Weight Management Reality
Let's be real, I need to be more conscious of everything to keep my weight. And you know what? That's okay.
Because exercise (plus sleep, gut health, and managing inflammation) has helped me:
- Stop the endless weight gain that felt inevitable
- Maintain a weight I'm comfortable with
- Feel strong and capable instead of just focusing on the number on the scale
- Keep my clothes fitting (mostly!)
- Liking what I see in the mirror
The scale doesn't always reflect what's happening. I've had months where the number barely budged, but I went down a pants size because muscle was replacing fat. Muscle burns more energy than fat, but it’s not just about how much you burn. It’s about the quality of that energy use; muscle improves metabolism, strength, and vitality in ways fat doesn’t.
The goal isn't perfection, it's about feeling good in my body and maintaining my health as I age.
Stress Management: The Bonus Benefit of Exercise
Here's something I didn't expect: exercise became my stress management tool.
Menopause already comes with anxiety and irritability (thanks, hormones). Add in the regular day-to-day stress of life, and it's a lot.
Moving my body, whether it's lifting weights or taking a long walk, has become my reset button. It's like I can physically move the stress out of my system.
I'm calmer. More patient. Less reactive. My family has probably noticed this as much as I have.
What I've Learned
Menopause isn't something to "fix" with exercise and supplements alone. But these things have helped me work with my body instead of against it.
My approach now:
✓ Strength train consistently (3-4x/week)
✓ Move most days (Zone 2 cardio)
✓ Prioritize sleep (magnesium + sleep support every day)
✓ Support my gut (fiber + probiotics every day)
✓ Manage inflammation (omegas every day)
✓ Give myself grace on off days when i just can't
None of this is about being perfect. Many weeks I hit all my workouts. Sometimes I just don't. The key is to get back to it without guilt and aim for as much consistency as possible.
The Bottom Line
Exercise didn't "cure" my menopause symptoms. But it gave me back a sense of control when everything felt out of control.
I'm stronger, I sleep better, I have more energy, and I feel more like myself.
If you're in the thick of perimenopause or menopause and feeling defeated, start small. Pick one thing, maybe it's a 20-minute walk, or adding some light weights, or just prioritizing sleep.
You don't have to do everything at once. But doing something! That makes all the difference.
Your body is still capable of amazing things. It just needs a little support and maybe some magnesium. 😉
