Strength Training in Perimenopause:

The Hormone-Supporting Habit You Didn’t Know You Needed

If you’re doing the same things you’ve always done and your body is responding like, “Cute. Anyway…” you’re not imagining it.

Perimenopause is the era where the old rules (eat less, move more, grind harder) stop working as reliably. Not because you’re failing. Because your physiology is changing.

• Estrogen starts to wobble

• Progesterone gets moody

• Sleep can go sideways

• Stress tolerance shrinks

And suddenly your workouts that used to feel energizing… feel like they steal your soul and leave you with sore knees and cravings.

Here’s the good news: you don’t need to punish your body into cooperating. You need to train in a way that supports the new operating system.

And strength training is one of the highest return habits you can build in perimenopause.

Why strength training matters more now (especially if your goal is fat loss)

Most women come to me saying some version of:

• “I just want the belly to calm down.”

• “I feel softer, puffier, inflamed.”

• “I’m doing cardio and eating ‘pretty good’ but nothing is moving.”

• “I’m tired. I don’t want to add more to my plate.”

Totally fair. But here’s the quiet truth: strength training isn’t just about looking toned. It’s about stabilizing the stuff underneath the stuff like blood sugar, stress hormones, muscle, bone, and metabolism.

Think of it like this: cardio is great for your heart. Strength training is great for your infrastructure.

And perimenopause is an infrastructure season.

1) Muscle is your metabolic safety net

As hormones shift, women are more vulnerable to losing lean muscle over time. Muscle is not “extra.” It’s metabolically active tissue that helps you:

• use carbs better (hello, steadier blood sugar)

• maintain a higher resting energy burn

• stay strong, stable, and capable (now and later)

If you’ve ever said, “I gain weight just looking at bread,” what’s often happening is that your glucose handling isn’t as smooth as it used to be, and your body is prioritizing storage over stability.

Building and maintaining muscle helps your body feel safer and more efficient. Less chaos. More calm.

2) Strength training supports insulin sensitivity (aka the belly fat conversation)

In midlife, a lot of “weight loss resistance” is really insulin resistance trying to get your attention.

Strength training gives your muscles a reason to pull glucose out of your bloodstream and store it as usable fuel. That matters because better insulin sensitivity usually means:

• fewer energy crashes

• fewer intense cravings

• less “snacky at 9pm even though dinner was solid”

• easier body composition change over time

Resistance training has been shown to improve insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity in multiple reviews and meta-analyses. Read: 7 Ways to Improve Insulin Resistance.

3) It’s one of the best “cortisol-friendly” workouts (when you do it right)

Perimenopause can come with a shorter fuse: less sleep, more stress reactivity, more anxiety, more “WHY AM I CRYING AT A TOASTER COMMERCIAL.”

Cortisol isn’t the enemy. But chronically elevated cortisol + under-eating + over-cardio is a common midlife combo platter.

Smart strength training can be a regulator because it:

• gives your nervous system a clean “stress, then resolve” pattern

• improves sleep quality for many women

• builds resilience without needing hour-long sweat marathons

Translation: it can feel grounding instead of depleting.

4) Bone density: your future self is begging you to start now

As estrogen declines, bone loss risk increases. Strength training and impact/weight-bearing movement send a signal to your bones that they’re still needed.

I want you to picture “strong bones” as the most boring, unsexy flex… until the day it isn’t.

Even general menopause-focused guidance typically includes 2+ days/week of strength training to protect bones and maintain muscle, alongside aerobic movement.

5) Mood and confidence: the underrated payoff

Yes, there’s the brain chemistry piece. Movement supports mood.

But the deeper part is identity.

When you start getting stronger in perimenopause, something shifts. You stop feeling like your body is a problem to fix and start feeling like it’s a partner you’re rebuilding trust with.

And that… is a different kind of “results.”

“Okay Christie, but I don’t want to live at the gym.”

Perfect. Me either.

What I recommend for real-life women in perimenopause

Minimum effective dose (start here):

• 2 strength sessions/week (25–40 min)

• 1 optional third session if energy is good

• Daily walking (even 10–20 minutes counts)

• 1–2 short “zone 2” cardio sessions if you like it (but not as punishment)

That’s it. That’s the plan. Not a second full-time job.

The strength formula that works (without frying your nervous system)

Choose 5–6 “big” movements and repeat them for 4–6 weeks

Repetition is not boring. It’s how your body adapts.

Think:

• squat pattern (goblet squat, sit-to-stand)

• hinge (deadlift pattern, hip bridges)

• push (incline pushups, dumbbell press)

• pull (row variations)

• carry (farmer carries)

• core stability (dead bug, side plank)

Use the “2 reps in the tank” rule

Most sets should end feeling like: “I could do 2 more reps if someone paid me.”

That’s enough stimulus without lighting you up like a Christmas tree at 2am.

Progressive overload, but make it midlife-friendly

Progressive overload just means you ask your body for a little more over time.

Options:

• add 2–5 lbs to a lift

• add 1–2 reps per set

• add one extra set

• slow the tempo (3 seconds down)

• shorten rest slightly

Small upgrades compound.

A simple 2-day starter week

Day A (30–35 min)

1. Goblet squat – 3 x 8–10

2. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift – 3 x 8–10

3. One-arm row – 3 x 10/side

4. Incline pushups or DB chest press – 3 x 8–10

5. Dead bug – 3 x 6/side

Day B (30-35 min)

1. Step-ups or reverse lunges – 3 x 8/side

2. Hip bridge (weighted if possible) – 3 x 10–12

3. Lat pulldown/band pulldown – 3 x 10

4. Overhead press (light) – 3 x 8–10

5. Side plank – 3 x 20–30 seconds/side

Walk most days. Hydrate. Prioritize protein. (Your muscles are built with building blocks, not vibes.)

Common worries (because yes, I hear these daily)

“I’m already tired.”

Start with 2 days. Keep it short. Lift submaximally at first. Your energy often improves once your body realizes you’re not trying to destroy it.

“I’m scared I’ll get bulky.”

Women in perimenopause are not accidentally waking up as a bodybuilder. The more common issue is the opposite: losing muscle and feeling softer. Strength training helps you look more like you, just sturdier.

“I have joint pain.”

You don’t need high impact. You need smart range of motion, good form, and the right progression. Machines, bands, and tempo work are all valid.

Struggling with inflammation? Here’s everything you need to know about it in perimenopause.

The bottom line

Strength training in perimenopause is not a vanity project.

It’s a hormone-supporting, bone-protecting, metabolism-stabilizing, confidence-rebuilding practice that makes everything else work better: sleep, cravings, mood, body composition, and long-term health.

You’re not “starting over.” You’re training for the version of you that wants to feel strong in her body for decades.

Want support and an actual plan (not just “try lifting”)?

If you want this structured for you, with a realistic weekly rhythm, progressive overload built in, and nutrition targets that support your hormones (without dieting brain)… that’s exactly what we do inside UNSTUCK, my group and 1:1 Health Coaching Program for Women in Perimenopause.

Consistency beats novelty. Every time.