Menopause brings about significant changes in a woman's body, impacting everything from bone density to muscle mass. Research increasingly highlights the benefits of strength training during perimenopause and menopause, showcasing its potential to alleviate symptoms, improve bone health, and combat sarcopenia. Women are embracing strength training in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, shifting the focus from minimizing size to maximizing strength.
The Importance of Strength Training During Menopause
Menopause has a multisystem effect. The decline in estrogen levels during menopause can lead to a decrease in muscle mass, strength, and bone mineral density. Strength training is particularly effective in counteracting these negative effects. Weight-resistance exercises are key for bone health. Resistance training (RT) is effective in counteracting the age- and menopause-related loss of muscle mass (MM) and strength in middle-aged women (40-60 years).
Counteracting Muscle Loss (Sarcopenia)
Loss of muscle mass (MM) is part of the aging process. MM in men and women has been shown to decrease by 3 to 8% per decade after the age of 30, and by 5 to 10% after age of 50. This reduction in MM and also strength during the aging process may lead to physical disability, negatively affects the performance of everyday life, and increases the risks of falls and fractures. For context, post-menopausal women with reduced MM show a 2.1-fold higher risk of falling and a 2.7-fold higher risk of bone fracture than women with preserved MM. Furthermore, since skeletal muscle is a highly metabolically active tissue, common metabolic disorders associated with aging, such as diabetes, may also be associated with the decline in MM.
Boosting Bone Health
Estrogen plays a key role in maintaining bone density, and its decline during menopause increases the risk of osteoporosis. When you put stress on your bones, they respond by bulking up their density. Having better bone density as you get older lowers your risk of osteoporosis and broken bones. Regular strength training helps to maintain muscle mass and thereby the bone mass and strength.
Managing Weight and Metabolism
Postmenopausal metabolic rate declines, increasing the likelihood of weight gain and visceral fat accumulation. Strength training increases muscle mass, which leads to a higher metabolism. The higher your metabolism, the more calories you burn - even when you’re resting. More muscle may also help you burn more fat while you exercise
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Improving Overall Health
Strength training has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure, and reduce cardiovascular disease risk-concerns that become more prominent after menopause. Resistance training improves insulin sensitivity, lowers blood pressure, reduces visceral (deep belly) fat, and improves immunity.
Getting Started with Strength Training
Many women over 40 are ready to learn to lift but aren’t sure where to begin. They may not want to go to a gym or join group classes and are unsure what to do at home.
Addressing Common Questions
Some common questions surrounding strength training for menopause include:
- What are the best strength training exercises for menopause?
- How many times a week should I strength train?
- How many movements should I do?
- How many sets and reps?
- How do I structure my workouts?
Frequency of Strength Training
In a review article in the Journal of Mid-life Health concerning strength training for menopause, it was found that strength training only 2 times per week, but at 80% of total effort (80% of a 1 rep max) was sufficient stimulus for bone mineral density changes. This suggests that maximal load and NOT load frequency, is most relevant in bone mineral density changes.
Anecdotally, women have increased strength with only one session per week, but the effort level was high and the clients were motivated and had started with no experience. Consistency is key, so if you can only strength train one time per week, then start there. Depending on the schedule and preferences of the woman, lifting 2 times per week is a minimum and 3 times per week is ideal.
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Exercise Selection and Workout Structure
Ideally, a routine would incorporate lower body movements, upper body movements, and accessory movements. Knowing this and the number of days per week you can commit to strength training, you would split the movements into 2 or 3 days. If you are only training 1 day per week to begin, you will still want to split the movements as if you are lifting 2 days and then alternate from week to week.
Here’s what this might look like, broken down for two or three days of training:
Two Days a Week:
- Day 1: Squat, Upper Body Push, Single Leg Variation
- Day 2: Hinge, Upper Body Pull, Carry
Three Days a Week:
- Day 1: Squat, Upper Body Push
- Day 2: Hinge, Upper Body Pull
- Day 3: Single Leg Variation, Carry
In general, pairing a lower body exercise with an upper body exercise is beneficial when the focus is longevity, and strength training for menopause is all about longevity!
Sets and Repetitions
Start with 3 sets of anywhere between 8 and 15 reps. In the beginning, focus on reps of 15 to dial in the motor coordination. Higher repetitions focus on understanding the movement pattern but are still within the strength-building window.
As you get comfortable with pushing your efforts, reps can be lowered. One study found that only 3 sets of 8 reps was sufficient to increase bone mineral density, but these women were lifting at 80% of their one rep max, which means they were lifting heavy. Eighty percent should feel like you only have 2 more reps that you could squeeze out.
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Structuring Your Workouts
Structure workouts as follows:
- General increase in blood flow: bike, run, dynamic warm-ups
- Specific warm-up: rehab exercises, any movements or mobilizations that prime you for the main lift that day
- Main lift - relatively heavy (this can depend on the rep scheme, how you feel that day, etc.) with 1-2 minutes of rest between sets
- Accessory movements (if you are efficient and have time left after main lifts)
- Cooldown stretches with deep breathing to down-regulate the nervous system
Following this outline will give you a great workout to focus on strength training for menopause and help to get you on your way to building muscle and stronger bones to help you stay active and happy for the rest of your life. It’s all about the quality of life as you age, because who wants to be stuck in the house throughout retirement? Let’s get strong to go out and adventure, see the world, stay active, and enjoy running around with grandkids!
Sample Full-Body Workout
This workout targets all of the major muscle groups and can be completed in under 20 minutes.
Warm-Up: 5 minutes of dynamic stretches and walking or jogging in place.
The Workout: 15 to 20 reps for each exercise, repeated for two circuits. As you get stronger, increase the amount of weight and do 2 to 3 rounds of 12 to 15 reps for each exercise.
- Squat: Stand with feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms out in front of you as you slowly bend your legs to squat down. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause in this position. Exhale, and reverse the move by pressing into the mid-foot to straighten legs and stand up.
- Bent-Over Row: Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and hinge your torso forward by bending at the waist. Keep your upper body still and lift the dumbbells to the sides of your chest, elbow pointing toward the ceiling. Squeeze at the top and pause. Slowly lower the weights to the starting position.
- Chest Press: Lie on your back on the ground with a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your knees and extend your elbows to a 90-degree position. Press the dumbbells up over your chest until they're almost touching. Pause. Lower the weights back down to the start and repeat.
- Plank: Start on all fours, then press up as if you were going to do a push-up - hands shoulder-width apart and directly under your shoulders. Your body should be in a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Bring your belly button to spine to engage your core muscles and squeeze your glutes. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
Cooldown: 5 minutes of stretching for the legs, shoulders, chest, and arms.
Additional Tips for Staying Motivated
- Time Your Workouts: Do more intense exercise early in the day and lighter workouts at night to work with your hormones, not against them.
- Find a Workout You Love: Any type of exercise is worth doing.
- Flow Through Some Yoga Poses: Yoga is good for managing menopausal symptoms, especially those related to sleep disturbances.
- Work on Your Balance and Stability: Incorporate specific exercises that target balance and stability.
Considerations
- Consult Professionals: If you’re finding it hard to start, finding an in-person program can make a big difference.
- Listen to Your Body: Senior women should know how to read the signs of their body. Don't ignore the signals of overwork.
- Exercise with Osteoporosis: Exercises for women with osteoporosis should not include high-impact aerobics or activities in which a fall is likely.