Train with Intention
Exercise through Midlife Changes
Hey Ladies,
If you are like me, beginning or past the second half I want to let you know I am here for you! This is not a stage of life when you have to stop moving. It is a time to train with more intention and purpose: building strength, supporting your heart and bones, caring for your pelvic floor, and making space for recovery You have taken care of everyone else in your life and now its time for you!
Your symptoms, medical history, training background, and energy can change from week to week. A supportive plan does not promise to eliminate menopause symptoms; it helps you stay capable, confident, and connected to your body while adapting to what your body needs.
What happens hormonally?
During perimenopause, ovarian hormone production becomes more variable. Estrogen and other reproductive hormones may rise and fall unpredictably before the final menstrual period. Menopause is the point when menstrual periods have stopped permanently, and post menopause is the time afterward. Estrogen then remains substantially lower than it was earlier in adult life.
These changes can affect more than periods and hot flashes. Some people notice changes in sleep, mood, body composition, muscle, bone density, connective tissue, vaginal and urinary tissues, and cardiovascular risk. Others have few symptoms. There is no single menopause experience, and the same person may feel different from one month or year to the next.
Possible experiences: hot flashes or night sweats; disrupted sleep; changing energy and recovery; joint aches or stiffness; changes in muscle or bone strength; vaginal dryness; urinary urgency or leakage; and shifts in mood or body composition.
A body-aware approach
Use symptoms as information, not as a verdict on what your body can do. Adjust the dose, pace, impact, or exercise when needed, while keeping movement enjoyable and purposeful.
Why strength training matters
Resistance training can help preserve or build muscle, support bone health, improve physical function, and make everyday tasks feel more manageable. Carrying shopping, climbing stairs, getting up from a chair, lifting a child, and protecting long-term independence all depend on strength. Seeing yourself become more capable can also build confidence.
Aim for strength training on at least two days each week, covering the major muscle groups: legs, hips, back, chest, shoulders, arms, and trunk.
How to lift and progress safely
1. Learn the movement first. Practice with body weight or a light load until the pattern feels controlled.
2. Choose a manageable load. You should be able to breathe steadily and complete the planned repetitions with proper form, feeling like you could perform 2 more reps if you had to.
3. Build consistency before intensity. Two full-body sessions each week can be a strong starting point.
4. Add one variable at a time. Increase load, sets, range of motion, or control when you feel ready, slowly and one thing at a time.
5. Adjust the session when life demands it. Use less load, fewer sets, more support, or a shorter session during poor sleep, illness, symptom flares, or high stress.
What does “two reps left in the tank” mean?
This is called approximately two repetitions in reserve, or 2 RIR. It means you finish a set when you estimate you could still complete about two more technically sound repetitions if you absolutely had to. You stop before your form or breathing breaks down, rather than taking every set to failure.
Example: You plan to do 10 squats. Rep 10 feels challenging, but your posture and breathing remain controlled. You believe you could perform two more good repetitions, so you finish the set at approximately 2 RIR.
For many people who are learning or returning to lifting, working mostly around 2–4 RIR is a useful starting range. Perceived effort is individual, though, and it can change with sleep, stress, pain, symptoms, and experience. The goal is a challenging but repeatable session—not exhaustion for its own sake.
The pelvic floor: support, strength, and coordination
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues that supports the bladder, bowel, and pelvic organs. It contributes to bladder and bowel control, sexual function, and managing pressure when you cough, jump, lift, or move through daily life.
Pregnancy history, constipation, chronic coughing, surgery, ageing, hormonal changes, and repeated high-impact demands can all influence how these tissues work. Lower estrogen can also contribute to vaginal dryness, urinary urgency, recurrent urinary symptoms, or discomfort with sex. These concerns deserve care rather than embarrassment.
50% of women post menopause experience urinary incontinence, prolapsed pelvic floor or both and many go without diagnosis. If you have leaking that will not go away, pain, heaviness it’s a good idea to seek out a pelvic health therapist. For general concerns and prevention there is a lot we can do. Our pelvic floor is made up of 70% slow switch muscle fibers, and 30% fast switch. The fast switch we work with a short and fast lift and hold (zip up those tight jeans I often say in your workouts) for instance in a hip lift. The slow twitch involves longer holds 6-8 seconds or more where you are contracting to 30%, like in the hundred or stomach series. These are included in your workouts daily so you do not have to worry but it is also you can practice on your own.
Why cardio still matters
Aerobic activity supports heart health, blood pressure, blood sugar regulation, mood, stamina, brain health, and quality of life—not just calorie expenditure. The general adult guideline is at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, plus muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days.
If you are starting from a low base, begin with smaller bouts and build gradually. Five- or ten-minute walks count as useful practice, and several short bouts can add up over the week.
·Moderate intensity: you can speak in sentences, but you would not comfortably sing.
Choose activities you are likely to repeat: brisk walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, hills, intervals, rowing, or a class you enjoy.
Recovery is training information
Notice how you feel during the session and over the next day. Good programming leaves room to adapt without turning normal fluctuations into failure.
A realistic sample week
Day
Example plan
Monday
Total Body Tone/Pilates Strong or your favorite workout
Tuesday
Brisk walk, cycle, swim, or several shorter cardio bouts.
Wednesday
Live Zoom workout w/Jill or your favorite workout.
Thursday
Rest day or an easy walk. Priorities sleep, hydration, and adequate food.
Friday
Live zoom Pilates fusion or your favorite workout
Saturday
Cardio session w/yoga or stretching or core
Sunday
Rest, gentle mobility, an easy walk, and a check-in with how your body feels.
This template can be shortened, rearranged, or built one small piece at a time. Consistency matters more than perfection. Choose movement you enjoy, progress patiently, and let your plan support the life you want to keep living. Reach out for help creating a schedule that works for you!
Further reading
· CDC adult physical-activity guidelines
· ACOG information on vulvovaginal health
· The Menopause Society: information for women
· Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy