Strength training during menopause: how to start
How often to lift, which muscles to work and a first-month plan you can follow at home, based on NHS and NIH guidance for women in perimenopause and menopause.
Exercise habits and tracking through menopause
Planning a week you can keep, and logging workouts, weight and symptoms so you can see the pattern.
About this topic
The NHS suggests spreading activity over four or five days a week, or every day, and breaking up long spells of sitting. That is easier to keep when the week is planned and the sessions are written down.
Guides here cover planning strength days around work and sleep, adjusting on days when symptoms are moderate or severe, and keeping a simple record of sessions, weight and symptoms to take to an appointment.
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Questions about habits and tracking
How should I spread my exercise over the week?
The NHS suggests spreading it evenly over 4 to 5 days a week, or every day, with strength work on at least two of them.
Is it worth logging my workouts?
A record shows whether you are keeping to your plan and makes it easier to describe your activity and symptoms to a doctor.
What if I miss a week?
Start again at the same level or a little easier. Guidance asks for regular activity, so the next session counts more than the missed one.
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Each topic gathers the guides on one subject, with the sources they draw on.