Login | December 15, 2025
Menopause and working out
PETE GLADDEN
Pete’s World
Published: December 15, 2025
I have to credit one of my clients for today’s column.
She asked me during a recent workout if I was familiar with how menopause could be affecting her fitness program, this obviously because she’s at a point in her life where she’s experiencing menopausal issues.
So let me credit her for this quick dive into the issue of menopause and how it can effect a woman’s fitness regime and more importantly - vice versa!
First, let’s start with the basics.
As most of us know menopause involves the cessation of a woman’s menstrual cycle and it typically occurs in her late 40s or early 50s.
Now this menstrual cycle cessation is triggered by a decrease in the production of estrogen and progesterone in the ovaries.
Thus, because of these hormonal decreases there can be a host of other changes taking place.
Some of the more covert - and insidious - changes can include: An acceleration of bone loss, thereby increasing the risk for osteoporosis; weight gain as a result of a slower metabolism; and changes in fat distribution.
Then there’s the more overt and uncomfortable symptoms that are associated with menopause: Hot flashes, weight gain, mood swings, and sleep disturbances to name but a few.
And what’s so perplexing, especially with respect to the symptoms, is the fact that each woman can experience menopause in a very different way - some experience numerous and severe symptoms while others are completely asymptomatic.
So let’s move on to examine just what kind of an impact menopause can have on one’s exercise program.
Now right off the bat I found no data on exercises that absolutely shouldn’t be performed by menopausal women.
But this comes with a caveat: There’s not a cookie-cutter approach regarding exercise selection for this group of individuals.
Thus, each woman must be evaluated based on her current health and fitness status.
Now with that being said, let me offer several exercise parameters which might need to be modified/eliminated in order to be more appropriate for a menopausal women.
1. Exercise modifications/omissions depend on the woman’s prior injuries, in addition to her joint and bone health status and her fitness level. So if you fall into this group, make sure to check with your health care provider as to the contraindication of any movement patterns and/or exercises that might exacerbate a current condition or prior injury.
2. Frequency of high intensity workouts: Menopausal women can sometimes require more time between high end workouts - a caveat which pertains to most seniors in general. As we age, our bodies require a bit more recovery time between really hard workouts. But again, recovery time and intensity are typically prescribed on a case by case basis.
3. Inclusion of high impact exercises: Some menopausal women could be at risk for bone fractures and breaks as a result of bone loss and osteoporosis. Thus, if high impact exercises are to be on the workout menu then an evaluation by a health care professional prior to engaging in said exercises is an absolute must.
And now to the good news - exercise can have a very positive effect on menopausal women.
Here are just a few of the benefits that exercise can provide a woman going through menopause.
1. Strengthening the bones: It’s been proven that exercise can slow bone loss after menopause, thereby lowering the incidence of fractures and osteoporosis.
2. Mood Boosting: Menopausal women - in addition to senior and masters age adults - typically have a lower risk of depression and cognitive decline when they exercise.
3. Lowering the risk of other diseases: Weight gain as a result of menopause can have deleterious health implications such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
4. Preventing weight gain: Women tend to lose muscle mass and gain abdominal fat due to menopause. Thus, regular physical activity can help prevent fat gain and curtail muscle loss.
5. Reducing the risk of cancer: Exercise during and after menopause can help a woman lose excess weight/maintain a healthy weight, which might offer protection from various types of cancers like breast, colon and endometrial.
As you can see there are guidelines that a menopausal woman may need to abide by when embarking/participating in a fitness program, so first and foremost consult with your healthcare professional.
Yet no matter what those potential downsides of exercising during menopause might be, there are still a boatload of upsides.