Workouts that Work in Menopause

Clear the clutter of conflicting advice. Here’s research-backed advice for how to exercise for health, longevity, body composition, bone density, and strength!

Resistance Training

The biggest improvement is when going from no resistance training to ANY resistance training.

Lifting weights also improves strength, muscle & connective tissue, bone mass, power, balance, sit-to-stand speed, timed up-and-go, gait speed, muscular endurance, and sleep quality + overall health.

Not to mention reduce risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, & depression.

Lifting decreases fall risk, the highest comorbidity leading to mortality in women.

The best plan is one you can stick with:

  • Any tools that “do the job:” body weight, dumbbells, machines, bands, barbells, etc.

  • Individualized vs one-size-fits-all approach

Beyond training consistently

  • Training close to failure for strength & muscle building

What “does the job”

Challenging for Strength > 80% of 1 Rep Max

Builds Muscle 10+ sets per week

Trains Power 30-70% & emphasizes moving quickly through concentric

Taking sets close to failure

Power

Power starts decreasing first, ~40s

Aerobic Training

Improves muscle function & processes

Protects against the leading cause of death in women (heart disease)

Myth Busting

You can totally build strength, bone, & muscle in post-menopause (doi https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2026.03.002)

It’s virtually impossible to “accidentally” get bulky from lifting. It requires eating enough protein & carbs — and in a surplus — and training like a beast an average of 2-3 times per week.

Muscle and fat take up almost the same amount of space in your body.

Your glucose, cortisol, etc. are supposed to increase and decrease in response to life's inputs. If you are concerned about “spikes,” here’s a perspective that might help your brain. Instead of trying to control your inputs (avoiding certain foods, eating so-called magical foods, avoiding cardio, or taking supplements), you have the choice to focus on building a more responsive system (regulating your circadian schedule, lifting, taking recovery days, eating enough calories & carbs) that will benefit you in more ways than enabling your cortisol and glucose to respond less-dramatically to everyday life stuff.