Is Menopause Weight Training What You Need Right Now?

If you’ve been reading up about menopause, chances are you’ve heard that lifting heavy weights is the ultimate solution to staying strong, keeping your bones healthy, and maintaining your shape. And while that advice sounds empowering, there’s a caveat: if you’re exhausted, stressed, and already running on empty, suddenly pushing yourself into heavy weight training could potentially do more harm than good.

Yes, strength training is important, but that doesn’t mean every woman in menopause needs to start deadlifting her body weight right now.

In this post, I’ll explain why heavy weight lifting is so highly recommended, why it can actually backfire for many women, and what to do instead to build strength, energy, and confidence at your body’s pace.

Why Strength Training for Menopause Gets So Much Attention

It’s no wonder everyone’s talking about weight training for women in midlife. Science continues to show that resistance training is one of the best ways to support healthy aging.

When you lift weights, or use your own body weight for resistance, you help your body preserve lean muscle mass, which naturally starts to decline with age. Keeping your muscle not only helps you stay independent in your senior years, but more lean mass means a higher metabolism, improved insulin resistance, and stronger bones.

For women in all stages of menopause, these benefits are especially valuable. As estrogen levels drop, bone density decreases and the risk of osteoporosis and sarcopenia (muscle loss) rises. Strength training helps counteract that by stressing your muscles and bones so that they are forced to adapt.

Weight training also boosts confidence and mood. Lifting -- even light weights -- releases endorphins, supports hormone balance, and gives you that satisfying sense of getting stronger. For many women, it’s an empowering way to reclaim their relationship with their bodies during a time of transition.

So yes, resistance training deserves its good reputation. The issue isn’t that it’s wrong -- it’s that it’s often presented without nuance.

Most of the advice you see online skips over the readiness part. If your body is already in stress mode, fatigued, or undernourished, jumping straight into heavy lifting can be counterproductive. You may not recover well, and your nervous system can interpret intense workouts as just another form of stress.

That’s why it’s so important to start where you are, not where social media says you should be.

When Menopause Weight Training Advice Backfires

Even though strength training is wonderful for women in all stages of menopause, the way it’s often presented can set women up for frustration.

Many women in midlife are already juggling demanding jobs, family responsibilities, and the physical and emotional changes of menopause. Their nervous systems are running on high alert much of the time. Add poor sleep, not enough nourishment, or low iron, and their bodies are already in “energy debt.” Maybe they've been sedentary for years, or even decades.

Then along comes a well-meaning trainer or an influencer online saying, “You just need to lift heavy!” So they give it a try.

And what happens?

They feel wiped out for days. They may feel the need to reach for sugar or caffeine for energy. Maybe they injure their low back, hip, or shoulder. Suddenly, the thing that was supposed to make them stronger leaves them feeling weaker and discouraged.

This doesn’t mean they’ve failed or that strength training doesn’t work for them -- it simply means their body isn’t ready for that level of stress yet.

When your nervous system is already in “fight or flight,” intense exercise can keep it there. Instead of building muscle and strength, it adds another layer of strain. Your cortisol levels stay elevated, recovery slows down, and fatigue gets worse.

Over time, this cycle can lead to burnout, injuries, and the belief that exercise “just doesn’t work” for you anymore, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

The missing piece is understanding that exercise is still a stressor, even though it's the “good kind.” When your system is depleted, you need to rebuild your foundation before adding more stress.

Once your energy, sleep, and nutrition are in a better place, that same weight training that used to knock you down will actually lift you up.

What’s Actually True About Menopause Weight Training

You don’t need to “go hard” to make progress -- you need to be consistent.

If you’ve been sedentary for a while, then before you think about lifting heavy, your body needs a strong foundation:

• Nourishment: Fueling yourself with the right nutrients so your muscles have what they need to rebuild after a workout.

• Rest and recovery: Getting enough sleep and adding practices like yoga nidra, so your nervous system can repair and your energy levels can rebuild.

• Gentle movement: Practices like walking, yoga, tai chi, or qigong get your body moving, improve circulation and brings blood to your muscles, without overly taxing your system.

These practices aren’t “less than.” They’re the foundation for sustainable strength training later on.

I know this from my own experience. Even though I was very active in my 20s and 30s, during menopause I went through a period of deep fatigue. Any attempt at even a moderate workout left me drained for days. I had to step back and focus on nutrition, rest, and gentle movement first. Over time, my energy returned, and I was able to reintroduce resistance training safely and effectively.

When you give your body time to rebuild its reserves, you not only help prevent injury -- you set yourself up for long-term progress and strength that lasts.

How to Prepare for Menopause Weight Training

Now that you know heavy weight training isn’t the first step -- it’s a later step -- here’s what you can do instead:

1. Start with recovery. Support your nervous system with rest and relaxation practices. Yoga nidra is one of the best tools for this, helping your body move out of “survival mode.”

2. Focus on your nutrition. Adjust your meals (and perhaps supplements) to support your energy.

3. Add gentle, consistent movement. Short walks or light yoga done regularly do wonders for circulation, metabolism, and mood.

When we work together in my coaching programs, I help you:

• Troubleshoot your fatigue and identify what’s draining your energy

• Create a nourishing vegan meal plan that supports hormone health

• Use yoga nidra or meditation practices to reset your nervous system and improve recovery

• Develop a step-by-step movement plan that fits your body and your lifestyle

When you build this foundation first, your energy improves, your workouts feel enjoyable again, and your body becomes ready for strength training that actually builds you up instead of breaking you down.

“But Won’t This Slow Down My Progress?”

You might be thinking, “If I take it slow, won’t it take me longer to get results?”

Actually, the opposite is true. After perimenopause, your body takes longer to recover. Your tendons lose elasticity. When you push too hard too soon, you can stall progress completely, or even move backward because of injury or burnout.

Gentle exercise isn’t wasted effort. It helps restore your energy, balance hormones, and prepare your muscles and bones for more challenging work later. And it’s never too late to start.

In Summary

So, is menopause weight training the answer? Eventually -- yes. But it’s not the first step for everyone.

Before heavy weights come nourishment, rest, gentle movement, and nervous system support. When you take time to build that base, your body will reward you with more energy, better recovery, fewer injuries, and lasting results.

You deserve to feel strong, capable, and balanced in this new chapter of your life. Now might not be the time to push harder. It might be an opportunity to give your body the support it needs first.

Next Step

If you’re ready to start building your foundation for strength and energy -- without burning out -- download my free 20 minute Yoga Nidra for Rest & Rejuvenation.

It’s the perfect first step toward the strong, energized version of you that’s waiting to emerge.

DISCLAIMER: This website's information is general in nature and for informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.