--- title: 'How Strength Training And Exercise Can Support Longevity In Perimenopause ' slug: strength-training-exercise-perimenopause-why-it-matters lifeStage: perimenopause category: Movement medicalReviewer: 'Dr Shree Datta, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist ' reviewerId: 'https://blog.bloume.com/perimenopause/medical-board.md#dr-shree-datta' lastUpdated: '2026-07-20' primarySource: 'Exercise and the menopause' --- # How Strength Training And Exercise Can Support Longevity In Perimenopause As your oestrogen levels fall through perimenopause, you may notice changes that go beyond hot flushes. Your bones become more vulnerable, your muscle feels less resilient, and your cardiovascular risk rises. Strength training and regular movement are among the most effective ways to support your health through this shift. This article walks through what is happening in your body, and why building and holding on to strength matters more during the perimenopausal years. **Q: How often should you do strength training in perimenopause?** A: General guidance points to strengthening activities that work all your major muscle groups on at least two days a week. That can mean lifting weights, using resistance bands, or bodyweight moves such as squats and press-ups. How you structure those sessions depends on your current fitness and any health conditions you have, so it is worth talking through the specifics with a GP or a qualified fitness professional. During perimenopause, falling oestrogen has real, measurable effects on your bones, your muscle, and your heart health. Understanding why strength training and movement matter through this shift can help you make informed choices about how you move. ## Why strength training and exercise in perimenopause matter for your bones Oestrogen helps keep your bones strong. As your levels drop through perimenopause and into menopause, bone density falls, and that can raise your risk of osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones and makes them more likely to break. The years around menopause are when bone density can drop most, which makes this a useful window to act. Your bones stay strong when you give them work to do. A mix of weight-bearing exercise with impact, such as jogging, and muscle-strengthening work through resistance training helps your bone health. Progressive resistance training, where you gradually add weight over time, tends to be the most effective kind of muscle-strengthening exercise for your bones. Weight-bearing exercise can protect your bone strength. That includes gentler options such as walking and stair-climbing, which give you an accessible place to start if heavier resistance training feels like too much right now. > **INFO**: Weight-bearing exercises, where your feet and legs carry your weight, such as walking or running, alongside resistance exercises using weights, can help protect against weakening bones. ## Holding on to muscle mass as oestrogen declines If keeping your muscle feels harder than it used to, falling oestrogen is part of the picture. As levels drop, muscle mass and strength tend to decrease too. This can speed up around menopause, so the muscle you have may take more deliberate effort to hold on to. Strength exercise is the most effective way to build new muscle. Building and keeping muscle raises your metabolic rate, the speed at which your body uses energy. As oestrogen drops, muscle can decline and your metabolism may slow, and that can feed into changes in your weight and body composition. Strengthening activities that work all your major muscle groups on at least two days a week are the general guidance. Lifting weights, using resistance bands, and bodyweight moves such as squats and press-ups all count. You do not need a gym to get started. ## How exercise supports your heart health? Your risk of heart disease climbs during menopause, partly because you lose the oestrogen that helps protect it. As those levels fall, your heart and blood vessels become more vulnerable. Regular exercise supports your heart by helping to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol in a healthy range. Aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week is the standard guidance for heart benefit. Aerobic activities such as brisk walking and swimming feed directly into your fitness. Stopping smoking, eating well, and keeping up regular exercise are key lifestyle steps for lowering your risk of coronary heart disease, the narrowing of the arteries that supply your heart. Strength training sits within this picture. Combining cardiovascular exercise with resistance work gives your heart, your muscles, and your bones the strongest support. ## Putting it all together The three areas here, your bones, your muscle, and your heart, all respond to exercise in overlapping ways. A routine with weight-bearing activity, progressive resistance training, and regular moderate-intensity movement covers all three. What matters most is staying consistent over time rather than going hard in any single session. > **WARNING**: If you have a diagnosed condition such as osteoporosis, a heart condition, or joint problems, speak to your GP or a qualified healthcare professional before you start or change an exercise routine. This article is for information only and does not replace advice tailored to you. --- **Q: How often should you do strength training in perimenopause?** General guidance points to strengthening activities that work all your major muscle groups on at least two days a week. That can mean lifting weights, using resistance bands, or bodyweight moves such as squats and press-ups. How you structure those sessions depends on your current fitness and any health conditions you have, so it is worth talking through the specifics with a GP or a qualified fitness professional. **Q: What types of exercise are most beneficial for bone health in perimenopause?** A mix of weight-bearing exercise with impact, such as jogging or brisk walking, and muscle-strengthening work through resistance training tends to help most. Progressive resistance training, where you gradually add weight over time, is especially effective for your bone health. Gentler options such as walking and stair-climbing also offer protective benefits and make a practical place to start. **Q: Does strength training help with cardiovascular health during perimenopause?** Your cardiovascular risk rises as oestrogen falls. Regular exercise, including strength training alongside aerobic activity, is one of the key lifestyle steps for supporting your heart. Aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week supports your blood pressure and cholesterol. If you have any concerns about your heart health, raise them with your GP. **Q: Can exercise slow muscle loss in perimenopause?** Falling oestrogen is linked to a drop in muscle mass and strength, and this can speed up around menopause. Strength exercise is the most effective way to build and hold on to muscle. Keeping your muscle also supports your metabolic rate, which may slow as oestrogen levels fall. Consistent resistance training over time gives you the best results. ### Clinical Sources - [Exercise and the menopause](https://www.womens-health-concern.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/29-WHC-FACTSHEET-Exercise-in-menopause-JUNE2023-A.pdf) - [Royal Osteoporosis Society: Exercise and Osteoporosis](https://theros.org.uk/information-and-support/bone-health/exercise-for-bones/) - [Treatment for symptoms of the menopause](https://www.rcog.org.uk/for-the-public/browse-our-patient-information/treatment-for-symptoms-of-the-menopause/) - [Things you can do to help menopause and perimenopause symptoms](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause-and-perimenopause/things-you-can-do/) - [How Do Hormonal Changes Affect Our Muscles, Joints, And Whole Musculoskeletal System?](https://www.deborahthomasphysio.co.uk/post/how-do-hormonal-changes-affect-our-muscles-joints-and-whole-musculoskeletal-system) - [Exercise and the menopause](https://www.womens-health-concern.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/29-WHC-FACTSHEET-Exercise-in-menopause-JUNE2023-A.pdf) - [Exercise, Nutrition and Lifestyle in Menopause](https://mft.nhs.uk/app/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/SMPIL-24-007-Exercise-Nutrition-Lifestyle-in.pdf) - [Exercise and the menopause](https://www.womens-health-concern.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/29-WHC-FACTSHEET-Exercise-in-menopause-JUNE2023-A.pdf) - [Exercise, Nutrition and Lifestyle in Menopause](https://mft.nhs.uk/app/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/SMPIL-24-007-Exercise-Nutrition-Lifestyle-in.pdf) - [Primary prevention of coronary heart disease in women](https://thebms.org.uk/publications/consensus-statements/primary-prevention-of-coronary-heart-disease-in-women/) --- Reviewed by Dr Shree Datta, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist | [Medical Board](https://blog.bloume.com/perimenopause/medical-board.md) | July 2026