Strength Training as We Age: Why It Matters in Perimenopause and Menopause
Strength Training as We Age: Why It Matters in Perimenopause and Menopause
Strength training is often associated with building muscle, lifting heavier weights or changing how our bodies look. But its benefits go far beyond appearance.
As we move through our 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond, maintaining muscle strength, bone health and physical function becomes increasingly important. For women experiencing perimenopause and menopause, strength training can be a particularly valuable part of looking after long-term health.
You don't have to become a gym enthusiast, lift heavy weights from day one or follow an intense exercise programme to get started. The aim is to find a form of resistance exercise that suits your body, your circumstances and your life.
So, why does strength training matter as we age, and how can you begin to make it part of your routine?
What happens to our muscles and bones as we age?
Muscle mass and strength naturally change as we get older. The hormonal changes associated with menopause can also influence body composition and bone health.
Oestrogen plays a role in maintaining bone health. During the menopausal transition, declining oestrogen levels are associated with an increased rate of bone loss in some women. This doesn't mean that everyone will develop osteoporosis, but it does make looking after our bones an important consideration.
Maintaining muscle strength matters too. Our muscles help us lift, carry, climb stairs, get up from the floor, maintain balance and respond when we lose our footing.
These aren't simply fitness goals. They're part of being able to move through everyday life with confidence and independence.
The good news is that strength can be developed at any age, including if you've never followed a structured strength-training programme before.
Five benefits of strength training in menopause and midlife
1. Supporting bone health
Our bones are living tissue. They respond to the demands placed on them, including the forces created when muscles work against resistance and when we bear weight through our skeleton.
Appropriately chosen resistance and weight-bearing exercises can help maintain or improve bone strength. This is particularly relevant during and after menopause, when bone loss can accelerate.
Strength training is not a guarantee against osteoporosis, and the right exercise programme depends on your individual health and bone health. However, it is one of the practical ways you can support your skeleton as you age.
If you've been diagnosed with osteoporosis or have a history of fragility fractures, seek advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional about which exercises and loading levels are suitable for you.
2. Maintaining muscle strength and everyday function
Muscle strength helps us do the things we often take for granted: carry shopping, lift a suitcase, climb stairs, get out of a chair or pick something up from the floor.
Resistance training challenges the muscles to adapt. Over time, a progressive programme can help you become stronger and make everyday activities feel more manageable.
You don't need to train for a particular physique to benefit. Building and maintaining strength is valuable in its own right.
It can also help you continue doing the activities you enjoy, whether that's hiking, gardening, yoga, swimming, playing with your children or simply feeling more capable in daily life.
3. Supporting balance and physical confidence
Strength, balance and coordination work together.
Developing lower-body strength, in particular, can support activities such as standing up, stepping over obstacles and climbing stairs. Combining strength work with balance exercises can also be useful as we get older.
Confidence matters here, too. If you feel uncertain about movement, you may begin avoiding activities that once felt straightforward. Gradually building strength in a way that feels safe and achievable can help you reconnect with what your body is capable of.
This doesn't mean pushing through pain or ignoring limitations. It means finding an appropriate starting point and progressing at a pace that works for you.
4. Supporting metabolic and cardiovascular health
Muscle is involved in how the body uses and stores glucose, and resistance training can support aspects of metabolic health, including insulin sensitivity.
Strength training can also contribute to a wider routine that supports cardiovascular health, particularly when combined with aerobic activity, everyday movement, adequate rest and a balanced diet.
During perimenopause and menopause, some women notice changes in body composition, including a tendency to accumulate more abdominal fat. These changes are influenced by several factors, including ageing, hormones, sleep, activity and individual circumstances.
Strength training can help build or maintain muscle, but it isn't a magic solution for weight changes, nor should body size be the only measure of whether exercise is benefiting you.
There are many reasons to become stronger that have nothing to do with how your body looks.
5. Supporting mood and wellbeing
Exercise can be a useful part of supporting mental wellbeing. Many people find that regular physical activity helps them feel more energised, improves their sense of achievement or provides time away from everyday demands.
Strength training may offer these benefits alongside the physical ones. Learning a new skill, noticing progress and discovering what your body can do can also be rewarding.
However, it is important to keep expectations realistic. Strength training is not a treatment for every menopause symptom, and research does not establish that it reliably resolves symptoms such as hot flushes, anxiety or disrupted sleep in everyone.
If you're experiencing difficult menopausal symptoms, there are other forms of support and treatment worth discussing with your healthcare professional.
Do you have to lift heavy weights?
No. There isn't one correct way to strength train.
Resistance exercise can include free weights, weight machines, resistance bands and exercises using your own body weight. Depending on your starting point, even movements such as repeated sit-to-stands from a chair can be a useful way to begin.
The important thing is that the exercise provides an appropriate challenge to your muscles, and that you gradually adapt the programme as your strength and confidence improve.
As you become more experienced, you may increase the weight, the number of repetitions or the difficulty of an exercise. This is often described as progressive resistance training.
You don't need to rush this process. Good technique, a suitable level of challenge and enough recovery are more important than lifting a particular weight.
If you're new to strength training, a qualified exercise professional can help you learn the movements and choose a suitable starting point.
How often should you strength train?
UK guidance recommends muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days a week for adults.
This is a useful general target, rather than a rule that you must meet immediately. Your starting point will depend on your current activity levels, health, experience and the time you have available.
You could begin with one manageable session a week and build gradually. Alternatively, you might find two shorter sessions easier to fit into your routine than one longer workout.
Strength training can sit alongside walking, cycling, swimming, Pilates, yoga or other activities you enjoy. These forms of movement offer different benefits, and they don't need to compete with one another.
The most useful routine is one you can adapt and sustain, rather than a perfect programme that leaves you exhausted or is difficult to maintain.
What if you're tired, achy or struggling with menopause symptoms?
Perimenopause and menopause don't look the same for everyone. Changes in sleep, energy, mood, temperature regulation and musculoskeletal comfort can affect how you feel about exercise from one day to the next.
You may have weeks when training feels straightforward and others when it takes more effort. That doesn't mean you've failed or lost all your progress.
Consider adjusting the duration, intensity or type of activity when needed. You might choose a shorter session, reduce the weight, take more recovery time or focus on gentle movement until you're ready to do more.
Muscle soreness can occur after unfamiliar exercise, but sharp, severe or persistent pain shouldn't automatically be dismissed as a normal part of training. Seek appropriate advice if symptoms concern you, particularly if they're new or worsening.
If fatigue, joint pain or other symptoms are significantly affecting your daily life, speak to your GP or another suitable healthcare professional rather than assuming menopause is the only explanation.
How to get started: make strength training work for you
If strength training feels unfamiliar, start with the practical rather than trying to overhaul your whole routine.
Choose a starting point that feels manageable. This might be a beginner session at a gym, a few simple exercises at home or support from a qualified trainer.
Focus on the major muscle groups. A balanced programme will generally include exercises for the legs, hips, back, chest, shoulders, arms and trunk.
Build gradually. Increase the challenge over time rather than trying to do everything in your first session.
Allow time for recovery. Sleep, rest and adequate nutrition all contribute to your ability to adapt to training.
Look beyond the scales. Notice changes in strength, balance, confidence, stamina and how everyday activities feel.
Make room for real life. Your routine needs to work around your commitments, energy and circumstances. Consistency doesn't require perfection.
If you have a significant health condition, are recovering from an injury or have concerns about bone health, seek individual advice before beginning or substantially changing your exercise programme.
Strength isn't just about getting older. It's about what you want to keep doing.
It's easy to think about exercise in terms of what we want to change about our bodies. But strength training offers another perspective: what do you want your body to help you do, now and in the years ahead?
Perhaps it's walking further, travelling, gardening, playing a sport, lifting your grandchildren, feeling more confident in the gym or simply making everyday tasks easier.
There is no single goal that matters to everyone. Your reasons for wanting to become stronger are personal, and your approach to exercise should reflect that.
Perimenopause and menopause can be a useful prompt to pay attention to long-term health, but you don't need to wait for this stage of life to begin. And if you're already there, it's certainly not too late.
You don't have to transform your lifestyle overnight. You can start where you are, work with your current abilities and build from there.
Strength training is an investment in your future capacity: the ability to move, participate and keep doing the things that matter to you.
Further reading
This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Exercise recommendations should be adapted to your health, abilities and circumstances.
Comments