Why You Shouldn’t Skip Strength Training During Menopause

You know how important exercise is for your health and well-being. You do your best to go for walks each week, but who has time for going to a gym to lift weights between taking care of kids, parents and myriad other responsibilities?

Doctors and fitness experts alike recommend doing both types of exercise each week. But is strength training truly important, especially if you aren’t interested in bulking up? (Though if you are, more power to you.) If you’re approaching or going through menopause, you might not want to write it off.  

Why strength training matters for women in menopause

Strength training includes any type of exercise that involves working and putting stress on your muscles and bones. (But it’s a good kind of stress). This can be with weights, weight machines or simply your bodyweight.

There are many benefits to strength training, including:

• Slowing or reversing muscle loss
• Boosting metabolism
• Improving joint health
• Enhancing everyday function (aka the ability to do daily tasks)
• Improving mental health

But one of the biggest benefits if you’re a woman, especially if you’re nearing or in menopause? Improved bone health.  

“Bones respond to stress. Lifting weights signals bones to become denser and stronger,” says Omar Bhatti, MD, a physiatrist and sports medicine expert at UW Medicine who is also a team physician for the Seattle Seahawks. “Regular resistance training can slow bone loss and help prevent osteoporosis.” 

Why does this matter? If you were assigned female at birth and aren’t taking any hormone-modifying medications, your estrogen levels will naturally decrease as you get older, which puts you more at risk for osteoporosis.  

“Strength training has been shown to increase bone density and help prevent fractures as you age,” Bhatti says.  

So it’s not all about getting ripped — strength training is crucial to protect your bones as you go through menopause.  

How to get started with strength training

OK so you get why it’s important, but you haven’t touched a weight in years. Where do you start? If you don’t have much experience with strength training, it’s important to start slowly so you don’t injure yourself. Bhatti recommends starting with bodyweight exercises and then progressing to small weights.  

“Bodyweight training helps build foundational strength and mobility, and can also improve endurance, stability and coordination,” Bhatti says.

You’ll need to include weights at some point if you want noticeable gains (aka muscle growth), but bodyweight exercises will still help you get stronger. Once you progress to weights, start with no more than 10 pounds. You should be able to do 10 to 15 reps, with the last feeling challenging but not out of control.  

Try to do strength training twice a week. Here are the top seven bodyweight exercises Bhatti recommends for beginners:  

Squats

You know how you don’t like sitting on public toilet seats, so you squat above them instead? Do that, but without the toilet (and keep your torso upright).  

Planks

Lie on the floor and then push yourself up onto your hands and toes and hold your body parallel to the floor. There is a proper form for a plank, so make sure you’re doing it correctly to maximize the benefits.

Wall pushups

These are easier than traditional floor pushups, yet still build chest, shoulder and arm strength, Bhatti says. Make like you’re doing a pushup, but instead of on the floor, do it against the wall.  

Biceps curls

You can use resistance bands or small weights to make these even more effective. 

Glute bridges

Lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet a little apart and firmly on the floor. Then raise your hips as high as you can without causing pain. Keep your arms at your sides.  

Bird dogs

Kneel on the floor with your palms on the floor in front of you. Raise one leg behind you and the opposite arm straight out in front of you (so if you raise your left leg, raise your right arm). Repeat on the other side.  

Dead bugs

Lie on your back, with your legs raised so your knees are above and in line with your hips. Slowly lower one leg so it’s straight and hovering above the ground, then lower your opposite arm behind you. Repeat with the other leg and arm.  

How to do strength training the right way

When you try these exercises, focus on your form and how you feel. Can you tell which muscles are engaging? It’s OK to push yourself a little, but don’t push yourself into pain. Feeling a little bit of a burn is normal and fine, but anything worse than that means it’s time for a break.  

And if a movement doesn’t feel great, try something else. You should focus on doing exercises that make you feel good, not pushing yourself to do things you don’t like.  

If the exercises above aren’t your style, give Pilates, yoga or barre a try, whether by taking a class or checking out the plethora of free videos online.  

And if you have questions or want to make sure you’re choosing exercises that are less likely to injure you, ask your doctor or physical therapist for advice.