5 Ways Strength Training Can Help During Menopause
How Menopause Affects Hormones and Increases the Risk of Metabolic and Bone Health Issues
JJ Virgin
2024
Trump's Win Can Help
CANCEL KELLOGGS CAMPAIGN
Trump wins 2024 election
RFK JR
Pursuit of Pet Longevity
FUREVER FAITHFUL
World Premiere at the A4M
A4M
From Misinformation to Integrity
PEER REVIEW REVOLUTION
Biohack Yourself World Premiere
GUEST LIST
LATEST STORIES
Menopause brings significant hormonal changes that can impact your health in various ways. As estrogen and progesterone levels decline, you may face challenges with your metabolism, bone density, and muscle mass. These hormonal shifts can increase your risk of osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and insulin resistance.1-3
However, there's a powerful tool to combat these menopausal challenges: resistance training. Lifting heavy things isn’t just about building muscle; it's about building resilience. Here are five ways strength training can help you navigate this transitional phase more effectively.
ADVERTISEMENT
1. Preserves Bone Density
Menopause significantly impacts bone health. About 40% of postmenopausal women experience fractures. Strength training can help by stimulating bone remodeling, which replaces old bone tissue with newer, stronger tissue. This process improves bone mineral density, particularly in fracture-prone areas like your spine and hips.4, 5
When you lift weights, you subject your bones to healthy stress. This prompts osteoblasts (the cells responsible for bone formation) to generate new bone tissue. Over time, this continuous bone remodeling leads to stronger, more resilient bones less prone to fractures.6
2. Builds and Maintains Muscle
After age 30, muscle mass decreases by about 3-8% every decade if you’re not proactive, and that decline can accelerate after 60. This loss of muscle mass, strength, and function can lead to disability as you age. Strength training counteracts this decline and reduces the risk of sarcopenia, a condition characterized by decreased muscle mass and strength.7, 8
Maintaining muscle mass makes it easier to perform daily activities like lifting groceries, climbing stairs, or getting up from a chair without assistance, allowing you to maintain a higher quality of life.
JJ Virgin
Celebrity Nutrition Expert + Fitness Hall of Famer
3. Improves Metabolism
Over 43% of menopausal women struggle with obesity and about 20% experience unwanted weight gain of 10 pounds or more during menopause. The risk of metabolic syndrome also increases, potentially leading to insulin resistance, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.9, 10
Resistance training can help combat these issues by increasing muscle mass, which boosts your basal metabolic rate (BMR)—the number of calories your body burns at rest to maintain basic bodily functions like breathing. This increase in BMR enhances your body's ability to use glucose effectively, helping to keep blood-sugar levels in check. Additionally, strength training improves your body's capacity to use stored fat for energy, leading to better body composition by reducing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass.11, 12
ADVERTISEMENT
Our top picks
Dr. Steve Gundry
Health through gut wellness
MHI
The myths around testosterone
Weber Medical
Multi-wavelength light therapy
Dr. Todd Ovakaitys
Why you should save the umbilical cord
ADVERTISEMENT
4. Supports Joints
Joint stiffness affects over half of women during menopause, contributing to discomfort and reduced mobility. Strength training provides added support and stability by strengthening the muscles surrounding your joints, reducing strain, and alleviating pain. Resistance exercises also improve your range of motion, making movements smoother and more comfortable. This increased flexibility makes everyday activities easier and reduces your risk of accidents, supporting long-term joint health and mobility.13 - 15
5. Improves Mental Health
Menopause can increase your risk of depression and anxiety. Strength training offers significant benefits to help manage your mood. Lifting heavy things reduces stress and boosts mood by releasing feel-good endorphins, improves self-esteem and body image as you build strength and see physical improvements, and supports brain health by reducing the risk of cognitive decline.16, 17
Moreoever, strength training promotes the growth of new brain cells, enhancing your thinking skills. The increased blood flow to your brain from exercise also improves memory and focus.18 By fostering mental and emotional resilience, strength training equips you with the psychological strength to face the challenges of menopause with confidence.
JJ Virgin
Author of 4 New York Times bestsellers
References:
Sipilä S, Törmäkangas T, Sillanpää E, Aukee P, Kujala UM, Kovanen V, Laakkonen EK. Muscle and bone mass in middle-aged women: role of menopausal status and physical activity. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2020 Jun;11(3):698-709. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.12547. Epub 2020 Feb 3. PMID: 32017473; PMCID: PMC7296268.
Cheng CH, Chen LR, Chen KH. Osteoporosis Due to Hormone Imbalance: An Overview of the Effects of Estrogen Deficiency and Glucocorticoid Overuse on Bone Turnover. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jan 25;23(3):1376. doi: 10.3390/ijms23031376. PMID: 35163300; PMCID: PMC8836058.
Buckinx F, Aubertin-Leheudre M. Sarcopenia in Menopausal Women: Current Perspectives. Int J Womens Health. 2022 Jun 23;14:805-819. doi: 10.2147/IJWH.S340537. PMID: 35769543; PMCID: PMC9235827.
Finkelstein JS, Brockwell SE, Mehta V, Greendale GA, Sowers MR, Ettinger B, Lo JC, Johnston JM, Cauley JA, Danielson ME, Neer RM. Bone mineral density changes during the menopause transition in a multiethnic cohort of women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Mar;93(3):861-8. doi: 10.1210/jc.2007-1876. Epub 2007 Dec 26. PMID: 18160467; PMCID: PMC2266953.
Hong AR, Kim SW. Effects of Resistance Exercise on Bone Health. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2018 Dec;33(4):435-444. doi: 10.3803/EnM.2018.33.4.435. PMID: 30513557; PMCID: PMC6279907.
Cleveland Clinic: Osteoblasts & Osteoclasts: Function, Purpose & Anatomy
Volpi E, Nazemi R, Fujita S. Muscle tissue changes with aging. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2004 Jul;7(4):405-10. doi: 10.1097/01.mco.0000134362.76653.b2. PMID: 15192443; PMCID: PMC2804956.
Hurst C, Robinson SM, Witham MD, Dodds RM, Granic A, Buckland C, De Biase S, Finnegan S, Rochester L, Skelton DA, Sayer AA. Resistance exercise as a treatment for sarcopenia: prescription and delivery. Age Ageing. 2022 Feb 2;51(2):afac003. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afac003. PMID: 35150587; PMCID: PMC8840798.
Knight MG, Anekwe C, Washington K, Akam EY, Wang E, Stanford FC. Weight regulation in menopause. Menopause. 2021 May 24;28(8):960-965. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001792. PMID: 34033603; PMCID: PMC8373626.
Swarup S, Ahmed I, Grigorova Y, et al. Metabolic Syndrome. [Updated 2024 Mar 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459248/
Mayo Clinic: Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier
Healthline: 14 Benefits of Strength Training, Backed by Science
Harvard Health: Beyond hot flashes
Mayo Clinic: Exercising with arthritis: Improve your joint pain and stiffness
Alizadeh S, Daneshjoo A, Zahiri A, Anvar SH, Goudini R, Hicks JP, Konrad A, Behm DG. Resistance Training Induces Improvements in Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2023 Mar;53(3):707-722. doi: 10.1007/s40279-022-01804-x. Epub 2023 Jan 9. PMID: 36622555; PMCID: PMC9935664.
Alblooshi S, Taylor M, Gill N. Does menopause elevate the risk for developing depression and anxiety? Results from a systematic review. Australas Psychiatry. 2023 Apr;31(2):165-173. doi: 10.1177/10398562231165439. Epub 2023 Mar 24. PMID: 36961547; PMCID: PMC10088347.
Seguin RA, Eldridge G, Lynch W, Paul LC. Strength Training Improves Body Image and Physical Activity Behaviors Among Midlife and Older Rural Women. J Ext. 2013 Aug;51(4):4FEA2. PMID: 25767297; PMCID: PMC4354895.
Psychology Today: The Surprising Brain-Health Benefits of Weightlifting
