7 Tips for Exercising During Menopause, According to Experts

1. Start Slow

Have you never worked out? You can start at any time! (But first make sure your doctor says it's okay, especially if you have heart issues.) As you build up, it's important to do things slowly and keep your workouts short.

2. Focus on Building Muscle

Strong muscles decrease bone loss and weight growth, protecting your health as you age. Due to bone loss and midsection weight gain after menopause, "which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

3. Train Balance and Stability

A review published in January 2023 in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that lifting weights can not only make your muscles and bones stronger, but it can also help you keep your balance, which makes you less likely to fall.

4. Add Meditation to the Mix

Meditation and exercise aren't replacements for each other, but it can help to think of them as compatible activities that you should do together as part of your weekly workout plan.

5. Prioritize Recovery

Of course, the work you put in at the gym is important. But how you recover and refuel afterward is even more paramount to your overall wellness. This holds especially true after menopause.

6. Kick Up Your Cardio

Higher estrogen levels reduce heart disease risk. Although estrogen levels decrease throughout menopause, its preventative impact against heart disease also decreases.

7. Listen to Your Body

If something hurts during a workout, stop and try another exercise. If you don't feel ready for a HIIT workout but love walking, great get after those steps. If you feel like your workout class is too much for you, don't ignore your intuition.