# Strength training during menopause: how to start · Menopause Lift > Source: https://menopauselift.com/articles/strength-training-menopause-how-to-start Strength training ## Strength training during menopause: how to start Two short sessions a week that work every major muscle group is the target, and you can meet it at home with a chair, a wall and two filled water bottles. By Claire Hollis, 1 November 2026 The NHS asks adults to do strengthening activities that work the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms on at least two days a week, on top of their walking or other aerobic activity ([NHS physical activity guidelines for adults](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64/)). For bones, the US National Institutes of Health recommends a mix of weight-bearing exercise, resistance training and balance work ([NIAMS, Exercise for your bone health](https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/exercise-your-bone-health)). Everything below turns those two pages into a routine a beginner can keep. ### Why strength matters more from your forties The NHS lists weakening bones and muscle aches and joint pains among the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, and notes that weight gain in these years is common and tends to settle around the stomach and upper body ([NHS, Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause-and-perimenopause/symptoms/)). Underneath the scale, the transition also speeds up fat gain and starts a slow loss of muscle, as our article on [whether menopause causes weight gain](/articles/does-menopause-cause-weight-gain) explains. Bone loss is the change you cannot feel. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases calls osteoporosis a silent disease, the major cause of fractures in postmenopausal women, and says that for many women it begins to develop a year or two before menopause. Low estrogen after menopause is one of the risk factors it names, and so is a life with little physical activity ([NIAMS, Osteoporosis](https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/osteoporosis)). The same institute points out that older adults also tend to lose muscle, a condition called sarcopenia, and that strong muscles help with balance and with avoiding the falls that break bones. Resistance training is the one habit that answers both. NIAMS explains that it makes muscles work harder and puts stress on bones, which can make the bones stronger as well. ### What counts, and how hard it should feel You do not need a gym. The NHS list of muscle-strengthening activities includes lifting weights, working with resistance bands, bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, yoga, pilates, tai chi, heavy gardening and carrying heavy shopping bags. For a full session that needs only a chair and a wall, see our [no-equipment home workout for women over 50](/articles/home-workout-for-women-over-50). Effort is what makes it count. The NHS says to keep going with each exercise until you need a short rest before repeating it. If you finish a set and could carry on chatting through another ten, the weight or the move is too easy, and the next session should ask a little more. After 65 the NHS adds balance and flexibility to the same two days a week, and says that if you have fallen or worry about falling, those exercises will make you stronger and more confident on your feet ([NHS guidelines for older adults](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-older-adults/)). ### A first month, week by week I would start with the NHS home strength routine, because it needs nothing you do not already own and it covers the legs, hips and arms in about fifteen minutes ([NHS strength exercises](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-exercises/)). Pick two days with at least one rest day between them, such as Tuesday and Friday. #### Weeks one and two: learn the moves * Sit-to-stand from a firm chair without arms, 5 slow repetitions, standing up with your legs and not your hands. * Mini-squats holding the back of the chair, 5 repetitions, knees pointing forward over the big toe. * Calf raises holding the chair, 5 repetitions, lifting both heels slowly. * Wall press-ups at arm's length from the wall, 3 sets of 5 to 10. * Biceps curls with light weights or filled water bottles, 3 sets of 5 with each arm. Go slowly. The NHS notes that for sit-to-stand the slower the repetitions, the better, and slow lowering is where most beginners find the work. #### Weeks three and four: add a little Keep the same days and the same moves, and raise one thing at a time: a few more repetitions, a second set of the leg moves, or calf raises without holding the chair, which the NHS gives as the harder version. If you own a resistance band, it is a good moment to add a pulling move for the upper back, since the routine above is light on the back muscles the guidelines name. If you would rather start seated, or already own light dumbbells, our [4-week strength plan](/articles/your-first-month-of-strength-training-a-4-week-plan) sets out the same month for your starting level, with two or three sessions in each week, ready to print. By the end of the month the aim is two sessions a week that you no longer have to talk yourself into. Heavier weights, a gym or a class can come after that, once the habit is there. ### Add walking and balance to the week Strength days sit alongside the 150 minutes a week of moderate activity in the NHS guidelines, the kind that leaves you able to talk but not sing. NIAMS treats brisk walking, stair climbing, dancing and racket sports as weight-bearing exercise for bone, and suggests balance training such as tai chi, step-ups, lunges and standing on one foot. A brisk walk on the days between strength sessions covers most of this. ### When to check with a doctor first The NHS advises speaking to a GP first if you have not exercised for some time or have a medical condition or concern. NIAMS asks anyone with low bone density, osteoporosis or other physical limitations to talk to a healthcare provider before starting, so they can help choose activities that are safe. Joint pain that is new, or that gets worse with exercise, is also worth raising at an appointment. ### Keeping track of what you did Two sessions a week is easy to plan and easy to let slide, so a simple record helps. A paper calendar with a tick for each session works. If you would rather follow along on your phone, [Her Good Days](https://hergooddays.com/#get) is a free app that keeps a dated log of perimenopause and menopause symptoms, sleep, periods and medication, and it includes 5 to 20 minute programs led by its trainers Sarah Bennett and Elena Ruiz: strength basics with bodyweight, dumbbells or bands, gentle yoga, tai chi for balance and walking, each with easier, harder, seated and supported versions. Every feature is free. The App Store and Google Play listings are coming soon, so for now the link above is where to find it. --- [ ](/) Strength training, muscle, bone and weight in perimenopause and menopause for women aged 35 to 65 and beyond, based on NHS, NIH and other official guidance. 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