Health and Fitness After Menopause: What It Really Looks Like

I turn 58 today, and with it, I celebrate 13 years since turning the corner on my health and fitness journey.

Thirteen years ago, I discovered that lifting weights would change my life in ways that cardio never could. Yes, at first it was about building muscle and chasing abs. But that phase didn’t last long. What I found instead was far more meaningful: confidence, strength, grit, and resilience.

Strength training didn’t just change my body, it changed how I show up in every area of my life.

I’m so grateful I started at 45, the same time I entered perimenopause. Did lifting weights make the symptoms magically disappear? I wish. But it absolutely lessened them. Strength training supported me through peri, carried me through menopause, and now, into this post-menopausal chapter of my life.

And let me be clear, my health didn’t decline. It evolved.

Aging is not a curse, it’s a privilege. Every single year I get to move, grow, and evolve is a damn gift. And it is for you, too.

It’s time we start acting like it.

Why Your 30s Fitness Plan Doesn’t Work After Menopause

Let’s rewind for a moment… back to my 20s and 30s.

I could (and I did) try every new diet, fitness gadget, or sweaty class. And usually, I could drop 20–30 pounds. Fast. But then, just as fast, it would all come back, and then some.

As I got closer to 40, the rebound hit harder. The weight didn’t come off like it used to. So, like many of you, I thought I just needed to work harder.

That meant:

• More cardio

• More restriction

• More hours in the gym chasing something that felt further away

  
  

Sound familiar?

Now, put your body through a couple decades of that approach, and by the time I finally found a good coach and a better way… let’s just say, my body was pissed.

And now that I understand what was happening? I don’t blame it one bit.

That old way, the eat-less, move-more, kill-yourself-on-the-treadmill way, wasn’t built to support a woman’s body in her 40s, 50s, and beyond. It was built for short-term wins and long-term burnout.

What worked in our 30s won’t work forever, and a workout plan for women over 50 needs to focus less on burning calories, and more on building functional strength, protecting joints, and supporting hormonal health.

What I really needed was a new approach to fitness after menopause, one built around strength, recovery, and fuel.

What changed everything for me was learning to fuel my body and following a smart, progressive strength training program. Not just “lift weights” randomly, but lift with intention.

The result?

I’m eating more.

Working out less.

Feeling better than I ever did in my 30s.

You're Not Broken. It's Not Just Your Hormones.

If I had a dollar for every time I hear, “It’s just my hormones,” I’d be writing this from a beach in Bali.

Yes, hormones shift during menopause. They impact your energy, sleep, appetite, and body composition. But hormones aren’t the whole story, and they definitely aren’t the villain.

Most women’s struggles aren’t just hormonal. They come from following a lifestyle that no longer supports their body's needs.

If you’re still:

• Skipping meals

• Relying on cardio alone

• Lacking structure in your workouts

• Undereating and overstressing

• Sleeping 5 hours a night and living on caffeine

  
  

Then of course things feel harder.

But blaming hormones while keeping the same old habits is like blaming your car for breaking down while putting the wrong fuel in it.

The Power of Strength and Fueling the Right Way

Once I stopped fighting my body and started supporting it, everything changed.

I wasn’t chasing skinny.

I was building strong.

And I finally understood that food wasn’t something to restrict, it was something to respect.

Strength training after menopause isn’t about lifting heavy just to prove a point, it’s about preserving muscle, boosting metabolism, and building the strength to thrive in your next chapter.

Here’s what made the difference:

• Following a progressive strength training program

• Eating enough protein and calories to support muscle and hormone health

• Prioritizing recovery instead of chasing soreness

• Ditching quick fixes and trusting a long-term process

This is what fitness after menopause should look like: strength-focused, sustainable, and built for energy, not exhaustion.

✅Hormone-Supporting Lifestyle Checklist

Want to support your body through menopause instead of feeling stuck in it? Start here:

✅ Prioritize protein at every meal

✅ Strength train 2–4x per week

✅ Get 7–8 hours of sleep

✅ Reduce stress (walks, breathwork, journaling)

✅ Hydrate throughout the day

✅ Stop chasing sweat, start chasing strength

✅ Ditch extreme diets and eat to fuel

✅ Celebrate consistency over intensity

✅ Honor your body, not punish it

✅ Surround yourself with people who support your growth

What Success Looks Like After Menopause

For most of my life, success was tied to the scale.

It meant trying to hit my “college weight” again. It meant making it to the end of some 6-week diet. It meant shrinking.

But now?

Success looks completely different.

• I don’t get dressed in the dark anymore. I like how I look in the mirror.

• I show up in the family pictures instead of hiding from them.

• I’m not just “having” sex. I want it again. I feel sexy in my own skin.

• I feel strong in ways I never did in my 20s, and not just in the gym.

Today, success is about:

• Showing up for myself, without guilt

• Building a body that supports me, not just one that fits into old jeans

• Living a lifestyle I don’t need to escape from

Strong is sexier than skinny.

And strength in your 50s is the ultimate flex.

Join the StrongAF (after 50) Movement

If you're tired of the old narrative:

➡️ Decline

➡️ Restriction

➡️ Shrinking yourself to fit into outdated boxes...

Then let’s rewrite the story together.

This next chapter is about:

✨ Building strength

✨ Fueling well

✨ Taking up space

✨ Living boldly

I call it being StrongAF - After Forty. After Fifty. After all the BS.

I’m not done yet. Not even close.

How about you?

If you’re ready to stop starting over and want to discover what fitness after menopause can really look like, I’d love to help.

👉 Not sure where to start? Click here for free resources to get going.

👉 Ready to go deeper? Send me an email and tell me where you're stuck, I’d love to help.

We’re not just aging...we’re evolving.

Let’s get strong, confident, and unapologetically powerful… together.