Why Strength Training Matters in Perimenopause and Menopause

I'm going to keep this in general terms, because every woman's experience is different and I'm a coach, not a doctor.

Muscle mass naturally tends to decline as we get older if we don't do anything to keep it. It happens gradually, and a lot of women don't notice until everyday things start to feel harder: carrying groceries, lifting a suitcase into the overhead bin, getting up off the floor after playing with a grandkid.

Bone health is also widely discussed around menopause, and it's a good topic to bring up with your healthcare provider. They can talk with you about your own situation and whether any screening makes sense for you.

Then there's energy. Changes in sleep, stress, schedules and how you feel day to day can all add up. Some weeks you might feel strong and ready. Other weeks just getting out the door feels like the workout.

None of this means something is wrong with you. It means your body is changing, and it's worth adjusting how you care for it.

When I talk about building muscle, I'm not talking about how you look. I'm talking about what you can do.

Muscle is what lets you climb stairs without thinking about it, pick up a heavy bag of dog food, shovel the driveway in January, and catch yourself when you trip on a curb. It helps you stay independent and capable, and that matters more and more as the years go on.

Strength training is how you ask your muscles to stick around. When you lift something challenging, your body gets the message that it needs to stay strong enough to do that again. Skip that message for long enough, and it gradually lets the strength go.

The encouraging part is that it's never too late to start. Your body responds to training at any age. Whether you've lifted for years or have never touched a dumbbell, you can get stronger from where you are right now.

Resistance training and weight-bearing activity are commonly recommended as part of a lifestyle that supports bone health. When you load your body through squats, lunges, carries, presses and rows, you're asking your skeleton to handle some stress, and that's generally a good thing for staying strong and steady.

I want to be careful here: exercise isn't a treatment, and it isn't a replacement for medical care. If you have concerns about your bones or have been told you have low bone density, check with your doctor about what kinds of exercise are right for you. Then let your coach know so we can plan around it.

Balance and stability work fits in here too. Single-leg exercises, controlled step-ups and loaded carries help you feel more confident on your feet, which is something I think every woman deserves.

I won't promise that lifting weights will fix hot flashes, sleep trouble or mood swings. Those are real symptoms, and your doctor is the right person to help you sort through them.

What I can say is that a lot of people find regular exercise helps them feel more energetic, more grounded and more like themselves. There's something about finishing a hard set and realizing you're stronger than you thought. It carries over into the rest of your day.

There's also the simple benefit of routine. When so much feels unpredictable, having a few workouts on the calendar each week can be an anchor. You show up, you move, you see familiar faces, and you leave feeling a little better than when you walked in.

The U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults do muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days a week, plus at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity. That's a good, realistic starting framework, and you don't have to hit it all on day one.

Here's what I tend to focus on for women in this stage:

• Big, useful movements: squats, hinges (like deadlifts), pushes, pulls and carries. These cover the muscles you use most in real life.
• Weights that feel challenging but doable. The last couple of reps should take some effort while your form stays solid.
• Gradual progress. Add a little weight, a rep or a set over time. Slow and steady wins here.
• Recovery that counts. Rest days, decent sleep when you can get it, and walking all help your body keep up with your training.
• Flexibility on rough days. If you slept poorly or feel off, lighten the load or shorten the session. Showing up at 70% still counts.
• Listening to your body. Sharp pain, dizziness or anything that feels wrong means stop and check in with your healthcare provider.

Consistency matters far more than intensity. Two or three good sessions a week, done month after month, will do more for you than one heroic week followed by burnout.

At our gym in Edina, every class is coached and every workout is scaled to the person in front of us. That's especially important in midlife, when your energy, joints and schedule might look different from week to week. If you need a lighter option, a different exercise or a little more rest, we adjust. Nobody is expected to keep up with anybody else.

Our Strength & Conditioning Circuit classes are 45 minutes, and our noon Express classes are 30 minutes, which can be a nice fit if your days are full. We hold classes Monday through Saturday, with early morning, mid-morning, noon and Saturday morning options.

If you're not sure where to start, or you have questions about how to work around how you're feeling, I'd love to talk it through with you. A free 15-minute consult is a low-pressure way to tell me what's going on, what you're hoping for, and what's been getting in the way. From there we can figure out a sensible first step together, whether that's trying a free week of classes or something else entirely.

You don't have to have it all figured out. You just have to start where you are.