The best exercise during menopause is a mix: about 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity, strength training on at least 2 days, plus some balance and stretching. Weight-bearing moves like walking and dancing, and resistance work like lifting weights, can help protect bones, which become more vulnerable after menopause.
Menopause is a normal stage of life, not a disease. But the years around it can bring real changes. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) notes that during the menopausal transition the body uses energy differently, fat distribution changes, and you may lose muscle and gain fat. Bone density, heart health and physical function can change too. After menopause, women are more vulnerable to heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis, and NIA's advice is to stay active.
Bones: NHS advice says regular weight-bearing exercise, where your feet and legs support your weight, and resistance exercise, such as using weights, can help protect against weakening bones.
Muscle: NIA notes you may lose muscle and gain fat around this time, and muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days a week is part of CDC's guidelines for all adults.
Mood: mood swings, low mood and anxiety are common around menopause, and NHS lists regular exercise among the things to try, along with rest and relaxing activities.
Hot flushes and sleep: NHS includes regular exercise among self-help steps for hot flushes, alongside keeping to regular sleep routines. NIA notes that trouble sleeping is common around midlife.
CDC recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, such as jogging or running, or a mix of the two. Moderate means you can talk but not sing. Weight-bearing choices like walking, running and dancing are the kind NHS highlights for bone health.
Aim for muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days a week, working all the major muscle groups: legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders and arms. Lifting weights, working with resistance bands and body-weight exercises like push-ups all count.
CDC's guidelines for adults 65 and older add balance activities, such as walking heel-to-toe or standing up from a sitting position. If you're younger, a couple of minutes of balance practice is an easy habit to start early.
NHS suggests relaxing activities such as yoga, tai chi or meditation during menopause. Gentle stretching after a walk or strength session fits here too.
This is an example only. Adjust it to your fitness, health and schedule, and build up gradually if you're new to exercise.
Monday: 30-minute brisk walk, then 2 minutes of heel-to-toe walking
Tuesday: 20 to 25 minutes of strength: chair sit-to-stands, wall push-ups, resistance-band rows, glute bridges and calf raises, 2 sets of 8 to 12 each
Wednesday: 30 minutes of cycling on level ground or water aerobics
Thursday: 30-minute brisk walk, then 10 minutes of yoga or stretching
Friday: repeat Tuesday's strength session, plus 2 minutes of standing on one foot near a counter for support
Saturday: 30 minutes of dancing, hiking or doubles tennis
Sunday: 30-minute easy walk, or move it to another day if you need rest
That adds up to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (5 sessions of 30 minutes) and 2 strength days, which matches CDC's adult guidelines. If that's too much right now, CDC notes that some physical activity is better than none.
Dress light, in layers. NHS suggests lightweight clothing, and NIA mentions dressing in layers you can take off.
Keep air moving. Use a fan or carry a portable one, choose a cool room, or exercise outdoors at a cooler time of day.
Have a cold drink ready. NHS lists a cold drink, a fan or a cool shower as ways to ease hot flushes.
Ease off when a flash hits. Drop back to a pace where you can still talk, then build up again when it passes.
Know your triggers. NHS lists spicy food, caffeine, hot drinks, smoking and alcohol as possible triggers, so you might skip a hot coffee right before a workout.
Try the pool. Water aerobics counts as moderate aerobic activity, so it's a fair swap on days when heat bothers you on land.
For more ideas, see the hot flashes guide on our sister site, Honest Little Apps.
This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation. NIA encourages women who are concerned about menopause symptoms to talk with a doctor about lifestyle changes or medicines that might help, and to talk with a primary care provider or mental health professional about mood changes. See your doctor if your periods come very close together, are heavy or last more than a week, or if you have bleeding or spotting after sex, between periods or after a year without a period. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program if you have a heart condition, osteoporosis, joint problems or another health condition, and stop and get help right away for chest pain, dizziness or severe shortness of breath.
Brisk walking is a great base. It counts as moderate aerobic activity, and it's weight-bearing. CDC also recommends muscle-strengthening on at least 2 days a week, so add some strength work if you can.
Strength training is recommended for all adults on at least 2 days a week, and NHS advice highlights resistance exercise, such as using weights, to help protect bones. Start light and build up gradually.
NHS lists regular exercise among the self-help steps for hot flushes. It isn't a guaranteed fix, so if hot flashes are hard to live with, talk to your doctor about other options.
The same as other adults: at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus 2 days of strength training. Start where you are and build from there.
If you'd like a simple record of your symptoms to share with your doctor, My Midlife Story: Menopause is a perimenopause symptom journal for iPhone and iPad. You can log hot flashes, night sweats, sleep and brain fog with one tap, mark a "Something changed" event when a symptom or treatment shifts, and build a one-page visit brief to bring to an appointment. It's free with optional Premium, needs no account, has no ads, and doesn't diagnose or recommend treatment.
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