One of the topics that can be very confusing and frustrating about perimenopause and menopause is exercise and fitness. So many women have questions, ranging from "Which exercises are best during menopause?" to "How can I rebuild my muscles during menopause?" and "How can I lose weight in menopause?" and more. All of these are great questions, and while each woman is unique and must find what works and does not work for her, here are some tips and guidelines to start you on your journey.

Exercise in menopause: HIIT

First and foremost, you should consult with your physician before starting any exercise program, especially if you are not used to exercising. It’s also recommended that you consult or work with a trainer or coach who is familiar with the nuances of menopause and who can guide you on developing an exercise program that works for you for safety reasons and to reap the most benefits.

Chiropractor Dr. Shelly Burns, who is also a life coach and fitness expert, shares her expertise on exercise in menopause, and her advice may be music to your ears! She notes that “things like HIIT [high-intensity interval training] workouts are better, they’re shorter amounts of time.” Who doesn’t want to save time AND get great results?

If you’re not familiar with HIIT, basically it involves engaging in activity at 90 percent capacity for 30 to 60 seconds, followed by 30 to 60 seconds of low activity, and then repeating this cycle 5 to 10 times. For example, you might jog for 30 seconds, then walk moderately fast for 60 seconds, then repeat the cycle 5 to 10 times. Always remember to warm up and cool down for 3 to 5 minutes each time you exercise. 

“And if you do it right, and you work at 90% capacity for 15 minutes, you'll feel like you did a two-hour workout,” says Burns. “So that's the benefit too. It's a shorter amount of time and…you get more benefits in HIIT workouts.”

HIIT allows you exercise without stressing your body to the point where you can’t recover. Recovery is essential, especially in the menopausal years when women need more recovery, explains Burns. If you don’t allow your muscles and body to rest, your stress level will rise, and stress affects your mood, sleep, digestion, sex drive, blood pressure, and more. It also fuels inflammation in the body, which in turn can make menopause symptoms worse and have a negative impact on your overall health.

Exercise in menopause: Strength training

Burns also strongly recommends strength training for women older than 40 because both bone and muscle mass decrease over time along with declining estrogen levels. Again, however, she emphasizes that lifting light weights and other strength building exercises such as resistance training (e.g., using exercise bands or using your body as resistance with pushups, etc) should be done in ways that don’t overly stress the body. Strength training can help women tone, strengthen, and rebuild muscle.

You don’t need to go to an expensive gym to do strength training: you can do it at home with a few dumbbells (5 lbs up to 20 lbs is common) and exercise bands for 15 minutes two or three times a week. Use the weights for activities such as squats, pressing overhead, or arm curls. You also can use your body weight to develop upper body strength by doing pushups or pull ups. Work all areas of the body in each session: biceps, back, chest, thighs, and legs.

Exercise is important in perimenopause and menopause, and it needs to be done smart: keep stress low, work on strength, allow recovery, and do it regularly (4-5 days of the week). With this recipe you can enjoy symptom relief, weight control, more vitality, and improved mood.

Exercises eases symptoms

If the thought of exercising most days of the week doesn’t sound too appealing, this will hopefully change your mind: you can get relief from some of your perimenopause and menopause symptoms. Numerous research studies have shown that women in perimenopause and menopause who exercise regularly can enjoy these benefits.

For example, 80 women ages 40 to 65 were assigned to one of two groups: exercise three days a week for 60 minutes (including warmup, walking, strength building, and cool down) three days a week for 12 weeks, or a non-exercise group. Women in the exercise group showed a significant improvement in vitality and mental health when compared with controls. They also showed improvement in all quality of life factors when compared with controls, including pain, mental health, physical functioning, general health, vitality, and social functioning.

In another 12-week exercise study involving late-perimenopause and postmenopausal women, 106 participated in aerobic exercise three days a week while 142 did not. At the end of the study, women in the exercise group reported greater improvement in insomnia, sleep quality, and depressive symptoms.

Burns notes that many women experience pain as their estrogen levels decline, but that exercise and strength training can make them feel better. It will take a few weeks before improvement is apparent, but “you’ll actually start to feel better, your joints will feel better because when you move, you’re lubricating the joints.”

Protein and exercise

Protein is important throughout your lifespan, but especially so in perimenopause and menopause. Why? There are several reasons.

Researchers note that the body’s need for protein increases during perimenopause because of “hormonally-induced tissue protein breakdown.” Experts also suggest that women need to consume less calories in the form of carbs and fats and more protein to make up for the biological changes associated with menopause. This shift in eating habits, along with regular exercise, can result in weight loss.

The risk of osteoporosis increases in the menopause years, and getting an appropriate amount of protein may improve bone density and bone health. A study from the National Osteoporosis Foundation found that greater protein intake may help protect bone mineral density in the lumbar spine.

Since women begin losing muscle tone and strength in their thirties and beyond, eating enough protein and engaging in strengthening exercises can help maintain and regenerate muscle. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism, which in turn can help ward off weight gain.

How much protein do women in menopause need every day? Experts don’t always agree on the exact amount, but you can determine your needs based on your personal factors by using this protein calculator, which factors in age, weight, height, and activity level.

Bottom line

If you want to be fit and healthy in menopause, exercise is a key ingredient. A woman’s exercise needs change in perimenopause and menopause, so now is a great time to make some adjustments to your fitness plans and your protein intake as well. You’ll feel so much better for it!