🌸 How to Stay Fit Around Menopause (Without Exhausting Yourself)

Let’s be real — menopause can throw a serious curveball.

You’re dealing with changes in your body, mood, energy, sleep, and metabolism — all while trying to keep up with work, family, and your health. If it feels like your old workouts and diets have stopped working, you’re not imagining it.

As a personal trainer in Bridport, I’ve helped dozens of women navigate this stage of life and come out feeling stronger, healthier, and more in control than they thought possible.

Here’s how to train and eat smarter, not harder during menopause — and finally feel good in your body again.

🧠 1. Understand What’s Actually Changing

During perimenopause and menopause, oestrogen levels drop — and this has a big impact on:

• Fat storage (especially around the middle)

• Muscle and bone density

• Mood and sleep regulation

• Metabolism and energy levels

So if your usual “eat less and move more” strategy isn’t cutting it anymore, it’s not your fault — your body has different needs now.

That’s why our fitness coaching in Bridport is built around real education and smart adjustments — not punishment workouts or drastic diets.

🏋️‍♀️ 2. Prioritise Strength Training

If you’ve been focusing on cardio, now’s the time to shift your attention to strength training.

Here’s why lifting weights is non-negotiable during menopause:

• It preserves (and builds) lean muscle, which keeps your metabolism working

• It improves bone density, helping reduce risk of osteoporosis

• It strengthens your joints, improves posture, and boosts confidence

• It helps with balance, mobility, and long-term independence

And no — you won’t “bulk up.” At Elevate, our strength training Bridport sessions are tailored for women 40+, focused on building functional strength, not lifting the heaviest weight in the room.

🥩 3. Eat More Protein (Yes, More!)

Most women we coach around menopause are undereating protein without realising it — which makes fat loss, energy, and recovery so much harder.

As your weight loss coach in Bridport, one of the first changes we make is boosting protein intake at every meal.

Here’s how to do it:

• Include a lean protein source with every meal (chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, beans, Greek yoghurt, etc.)

• Keep high-protein snacks like boiled eggs, cottage cheese or protein bars on hand

• Aim for 1–1.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight daily (we’ll help you work this out)

This one shift often improves mood, reduces cravings, and helps women feel full and energised without needing to snack constantly.

🧘‍♀️ 4. Reduce Stress and Improve Sleep — Your Results Depend on It

You’re probably juggling a lot right now. Between hormonal changes and life’s demands, stress can easily spiral. And when stress goes up, cortisol rises — making fat loss harder and sleep worse.

As part of our fitness coaching Bridport approach, we focus just as much on recovery and stress reduction as we do on training.

Simple ways to support your body:

• Wind down 1 hour before bed — no screens, no emails

• Try 5 minutes of breathing, journaling or stretching before bed

• Limit caffeine after midday and alcohol during the week

• Prioritise 7–8 hours of quality sleep (yes, it's worth it!)

It’s not “lazy” to rest — it’s essential.

🚶‍♀️ 5. Make Daily Movement Your Superpower

Don’t underestimate how powerful daily walking can be during menopause. It reduces stress, boosts mood, aids digestion, and supports healthy fat loss without raising cortisol (like intense cardio often does).

We encourage our Bridport personal training clients to aim for 10,000 steps per day — but if that feels too far off, start by beating your current average by 1,000.

Little wins, every day.

💬 Final Thoughts

Menopause doesn’t mean slowing down — it means training and fuelling your body in a way that supports this new chapter of life.

If you’re ready to:

• Feel more confident in your clothes

• Sleep better and reduce stress

• Strengthen your body from the inside out

• Stop guessing and get real support...

Then it might be time to stop trying to do it alone.

At Elevate, we specialise in fitness coaching for women over 40 — combining strength training, habit-based nutrition, and real accountability. Whether you train with us in person or online, we’ve got your back.

📩 Message me today on 07935098317 to start your journey