Moving well through menopause: a practical guide to exercise and your body
For a long time, the natural milestones of women's health were spoken about in whispers - periods, libido, and menopause most of all. That's changing, and it should. Menopause is something every woman who menstruates will eventually experience, yet many still feel confused about the changes and the plethora of information on the interwebs!
At Aleenta, we'd rather have the conversation out loud. This guide walks through what's actually happening in your body during menopause, why movement matters more than ever, and how to build an exercise routine that supports you through each stage and beyond.
Normalising the topic isn't only a women's job - it's everyone's. Understanding menopause means you're prepared for the changes when they arrive, and better able to support the women in your life going through it. And throughout all of it, the most important thing to remember is that you're not alone, and that being patient and kind with your body is part of the process. If something feels off, don't dismiss it: your GP or a women's health specialist is there to help.
Menopause basics
What is menopause?
Menopause marks the end of menstruation. It's diagnosed in hindsight - once you've gone 12 consecutive months without a period. In Australia, the average age of menopause is 51, with a normal range of roughly 45 to 55. Menopause that happens before age 45 is considered early, and before 40 is called premature menopause; it can occur naturally or as a result of surgery, chemotherapy or radiation.
It helps to think of menopause not as a single event but as a transition that unfolds over years.
Perimenopause (the transition)
Perimenopause is the lead-up to your final period - the phase when symptoms typically begin. You're usually still menstruating, but your cycles may become irregular as your ovaries gradually wind down hormone production. Clinically, it's often marked by persistent differences of seven or more days in the length of consecutive cycles. On average, perimenopause lasts three to four years, though it can be as short as a few months or last close to a decade, and it can begin anywhere from the mid-30s to the late 40s. This is the stretch where hormones fluctuate most unpredictably, and where most women first notice symptoms.
Menopause
Menopause itself is a single point in time: the day that marks 12 months since your last period. By this stage your ovaries have largely stopped producing oestrogen and releasing eggs.
Postmenopause
Everything after that milestone is postmenopause. For many women, symptoms ease over time, though some continue to experience them for years. Because oestrogen now sits at consistently low levels, this is also when longer-term health considerations come into focus - particularly bone health and cardiovascular health. The good news is that how you live, eat and move makes a real difference to both.
The short version: your body shifts from a monthly rhythm of circulating hormones to a new, lower-hormone baseline. Because those hormones influence everything from body composition to bone strength, finding movement that works for you during this time is genuinely worthwhile.
What happens to your hormones
A lot is changing, but three hormones do most of the heavy lifting.
Oestrogen is the primary female hormone, supporting reproductive tissues as well as bone, heart and brain health. Through perimenopause its levels don't simply fall - they swing, with peaks and troughs before settling low. Higher levels can bring bloating, breast tenderness and heavy bleeding; lower levels are linked to hot flushes, night sweats, palpitations, headaches, disrupted sleep, fatigue, mood changes, vaginal dryness and accelerated bone loss.
Progesterone helps regulate the menstrual cycle. As it becomes less predictable through perimenopause, periods can become irregular, heavier or longer before stopping altogether.
Testosterone is often misunderstood here. Contrary to a common belief, testosterone doesn't drop because of menopause. It declines gradually with age — beginning well before menopause — and research suggests it may even rise again in the late 50s. It continues to be produced in small amounts by the ovaries and adrenal glands and contributes to libido, energy and muscle.
Symptoms you might notice
Everyone's experience is different, so your symptoms may look nothing like another woman's. Common ones include:
- Irregular or unpredictable periods
- Hot flushes and night sweats
- Mood changes, anxiety or low mood
- Disrupted sleep and insomnia
- Brain fog and short-term memory changes
- Joint pain, fatigue and weakness
- Shifts in weight, often around the abdomen
- Headaches
- Reduced libido
- Vaginal dryness, urinary changes and more frequent UTIs
- Itchy skin, hair changes and breast tenderness
If reading that list feels daunting, that's understandable - menopause can be genuinely challenging, and we won't pretend otherwise. But it's also navigable, and countless women have moved through it before you. Support, information and the right routines all help. (And to anyone reading this for the women in their lives: a little empathy and patience goes a long way.)
Why movement matters during menopause
Menopause doesn't mean stepping back from your fitness — if anything, it's one of the most valuable times to keep moving. The key is working with your body's changing needs rather than against them.
Falling oestrogen affects the body in a few important ways. It influences how the body stores fat and regulates metabolism, which is part of why many women notice weight changes, particularly around the middle. It also affects muscle: muscle mass tends to decline as oestrogen drops, and because strong muscles help maintain strong bones, this has knock-on effects for the skeleton. Bone loss is significant in this window — women can lose up to around 10% of their bone mass in the first five years after menopause, and roughly a quarter of Australian women over 60 have osteoporosis. Lower oestrogen is also associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Regular, varied exercise helps counter much of this. While the evidence that exercise reliably reduces hot flushes is limited, movement is well established to:
- Help maintain a healthy body composition and preserve muscle mass
- Strengthen bones and reduce the risk of fractures and osteoporosis
- Lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes
- Support metabolism as oestrogen declines
- Ease lower back pain through stronger, more supported muscles
- Reduce stress and lift mood through the release of endorphins
How much, and what kind?
Australia's physical activity guidelines for adults recommend 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity (or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity) each week, plus muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days, and balance and functional activities on three or more days. In practical terms, setting aside around 30 to 40 minutes most days, mixing moderate and more vigorous movement, puts you in a good place.
Because menopause affects everyone differently, the single best thing you can do is choose movement you genuinely enjoy. Motivation is hard to summon mid-symptom, so an exercise you look forward to — ideally with other people — becomes a welcome relief rather than another chore. Aim for a blend of aerobic, strength and balance work across the week.
A simple intensity check — the talk test: during moderate activity you should be able to hold a conversation but not sing. During vigorous activity you'll manage only a few words at a time. You're not aiming to be completely breathless.
Aerobic and endurance exercise
Cardio raises your heart rate and recruits large muscle groups, supporting heart health, metabolism and (when it's weight-bearing) your bones. Good options include:
- Running and brisk walking
- Swimming and cycling
- Barre, HIIT, boxing and rowing
- Dancing and group fitness
- Vigorous housework or gardening
If you're returning to exercise, start with around 10 minutes of light cardio and build time and intensity gradually. There's no prize for rushing it.
Strength training
This is arguably the most important addition during menopause. Because falling oestrogen compromises both muscle and bone, weight-bearing and resistance work directly help preserve bone mineral density. Current evidence points to resistance training two to three days a week at a moderate-to-high intensity, ideally combined with some impact activity, as the most effective approach for bone health. Good options include:
- Reformer and mat Pilates (with bands and light weights)
- Resistance machines
- Dumbbells and free weights
For the lower body, squat and lunge patterns are excellent — focus on good form and progress your load gradually to avoid injury. If you have osteoporosis or are at high risk, check in with a physiotherapist, osteopath or exercise physiologist before starting, and know that band- and bodyweight-based work still offers real benefit.
Balance and breath
Lower-impact, balance-focused movement builds core strength, helps prevent falls, and offers genuine stress relief. Consider:
- Flow, restorative or yin yoga
- Tai chi
- Gentle Pilates
- Meditation and breathwork
These also teach breathing techniques that can be useful when symptoms flare. If you have osteoporosis, take care to limit activities with a higher risk of falling.
Practical tips for exercising through menopause
Menopause and its stages can span more than a decade, so it's worth building habits that work with your body:
- Warm up and cool down properly to protect against injury.
- Wear light, breathable clothing and train in cooler conditions - early morning, late afternoon or air conditioning - to limit overheating.
- Take regular breaks and keep cold water close by.
- Set realistic, achievable goals so you feel a sense of progress.
- Prioritise protein to help preserve muscle mass, and speak to your GP or a dietitian about nutrition that suits your goals.
- Limit smoking and alcohol - both can worsen symptoms like hot flushes and disrupted sleep.
- Avoid intense workouts right before bed; opt for gentle yoga, breathwork or a warm bath instead.
- Exercise with friends or family when you can — it helps with both motivation and mood.
- Favour movements that work the larger muscle groups, like the legs, which are metabolically active and support overall strength.
- Be kind to yourself. Missing a day or two isn't a setback worth dwelling on.
It's also worth knowing that exercise is one tool among several. For many women, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT, the term now used in place of "HRT") is a safe and effective option to relieve symptoms and protect bone health - generally for women under 60 - and it can work alongside an active lifestyle. Whether MHT is right for you is a conversation to have with your doctor.
You've got this
Building an exercise routine you actually enjoy is valuable at every stage of life, not just during menopause. We can't promise movement will switch off every symptom, but daily activity reliably supports your long-term health — your bones, your heart, your strength and your mood.
Above all, you're not alone in this. Menopause is simply the next stage of life, and it's one you can move through with confidence.
Looking for workouts designed with menopause in mind? Let us know and we're happy to support you during this time. Head here to review our class styles.
Sources:
- Perimenopause — Australasian Menopause Society
- What is menopause? — Australasian Menopause Society
- Menopause — Jean Hailes for Women's Health
- Osteoporosis — Australasian Menopause Society
- Menopause and Bone Health — Healthy Bones Australia
- Impact of MHT, exercise, and their combination on bone mineral density (scoping review, 2025)
- Optimal resistance training parameters for improving BMD in postmenopausal women (meta-analysis, 2025)
- Physical activity recommendations for adults (18–64) — Australian Government Dept of Health
This is general wellbeing information, not medical advice — individual circumstances vary, so anyone with specific concerns should speak with their GP or a women's health specialist.
