Exercise in Perimenopause: How Much Is Enough? Walking, Weights & Rest
Updated: Aug 25
This morning on my hot mama walk, weighted vest strapped on, I found myself thinking about how complicated exercise advice can feel during perimenopause.
We’re told to lift heavy weights to protect our bones and preserve muscle. Walk for cardiovascular health. Exercise for our mood. Move for our mental health.
And then, somewhere along the way, the conversation turns to cortisol:
“But don't exercise too much—you'll spike your cortisol!”
So…what's a woman in perimenopause actually supposed to do?
As a psychologist who works with women navigating anxiety, stress, and the emotional roller coaster of perimenopause, I think the answer is less about finding the perfect workout and more about learning to listen to your body.
Movement can be incredibly helpful during perimenopause. But more isn't always better.
The sweet spot is finding movement that supports your body, your brain, and your mental health without becoming another source of stress.
Why Exercise Matters During Perimenopause
Perimenopause is a time of significant biological change. As estrogen and other reproductive hormones fluctuate, many women notice changes in sleep, mood, energy, body composition, strength, and overall well-being.
Exercise can't make those hormonal changes disappear. But it can be an important part of supporting your physical and psychological health while your body is going through them.
A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that exercise during the menopausal transition was associated with improvements in menopausal symptoms, quality of life, anxiety, and depression. (PubMed)
That's important because exercise isn't simply about burning calories or changing your body.
It can also be a form of mental health care.
For me, physical activity is non-negotiable when it comes to managing anxiety and supporting my mood. I know I'm not alone in that.
1. Strength Training: You Don't Have to Become a Gym Rat
One of the loudest messages in the perimenopause health conversation is:
Lift heavy weights.
And there's good reason for that advice.
As estrogen levels decline, bone loss can accelerate, and maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important. Resistance training can help support strength, physical function, and bone health as we age.
Research supports resistance training as an effective way to improve physical function and strength in postmenopausal women, although the research also reminds us that exercise needs to be individualized. (PubMed)
But here's the part I think gets lost on social media:
“Lift heavy” does not mean “lift the heaviest thing you can possibly lift.”
What counts as challenging depends on where you're starting.
Your version of strength training might involve:
Dumbbells at home
Resistance bands
Weight machines
Body-weight exercises
A personal trainer
A structured fitness program
Gradually increasing the amount of weight you're able to lift
Using an App or fitness tool to support your process
If you haven't been strength training, you don't need to suddenly overhaul your entire life.
Start where you are.
Build gradually.
And if you're unsure where to begin, getting guidance from a qualified fitness professional can be incredibly helpful.
And yes, I'm still loving my weighted vest.
When I first started wearing one on my walks, I felt like I was the only person doing it.
Now I'm seeing weighted vests everywhere.
Hot mamas out there rocking your vests, welcome to the club!
2. Walking Counts. Really.
There is a tendency to think that exercise only “counts” if it is hard.
If you're not sweating, exhausted, or completely spent afterward, did you even work out?
I would argue: yes.
Walking is a wonderful form of movement.
It can support cardiovascular health, provide an opportunity to get outside, and—depending on intensity and individual fitness level—contribute to your overall physical activity.
But there's another reason I love walking during perimenopause:
It can be a way to regulate without constantly demanding more from yourself.
A walk can be movement.
It can be time outside.
It can be time away from your phone.
It can be a chance to breathe.
It can be a way to clear your head.
And sometimes, when anxiety is running the show, a walk is exactly what your nervous system needs.
You don't have to turn every walk into a performance.
Sometimes a walk is just a walk.
3. But What About Cortisol?
Ah, cortisol.
The hormone that has somehow become both the villain and the celebrity of the wellness world.
Cortisol is a normal and necessary hormone. It plays an important role in helping your body respond to stress and regulate energy and other physiological processes.
And yes, exercise can temporarily increase cortisol.
But that isn't automatically a bad thing.
A short-term rise in cortisol during exercise is part of the body's normal physiological response to physical activity. The mistake is assuming that every increase in cortisol means exercise is harming you.
The bigger question is what your overall stress and recovery picture looks like.
Are you sleeping?
Are you eating enough?
Are you recovering between workouts?
Are you constantly exhausted?
Are you dealing with significant life stress?
Are you pushing yourself because movement feels good—or because you feel like you have to earn food, compensate for eating, or force your body to look a certain way?
Those questions matter.
4. More Exercise Isn't Always Better
This is where I think perimenopause asks us to reconsider some of the messages many of us absorbed about exercise in our 20s and 30s.
You may have been able to push through exhaustion before.
You may have been able to function on five hours of sleep.
You may have been able to do a hard workout every day and bounce back quickly.
And then, suddenly, your body starts responding differently.
That doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong.
It may mean your body is asking you to pay attention.
Signs that your current exercise routine may need some adjustment can include:
Persistent fatigue
Worsening sleep
Persistent muscle soreness
New or recurring injuries
Declining performance
Feeling unusually run down
Losing your enjoyment of movement
Feeling like exercise has become another source of pressure
Your body isn't failing because it needs recovery.
Recovery is part of training.
And rest isn't laziness.
Rest is part of caring for yourself.
5. Finding Your Perimenopause Exercise Sweet Spot
So how much exercise is enough?
Unfortunately, there isn't one magic answer.
The right amount depends on your current fitness level, health history, sleep, stress, nutrition, physical limitations, previous exercise experience, and what your body is telling you now.
Instead of asking:
“What's the hardest workout I can handle?”
Try asking:
“What kind of movement helps me feel stronger, healthier, and more like myself?”
That shift matters.
Maybe your week includes strength training a few times, regular walks, some cardiovascular activity, stretching, yoga, or other movement you genuinely enjoy.
Maybe you need more rest than you used to.
Maybe you're coming back to exercise after years away.
Maybe chronic illness, injury, or another health condition changes what is realistic for you.
There is no prize for suffering through the hardest workout.
The goal is sustainable movement that supports your whole self.
6. Movement Is Mental Health Care, Too
This is the piece I care about most.
When we talk about exercise during perimenopause, the conversation often focuses on weight, muscle, bones, metabolism, or “aging well.”
Those things matter.
But your brain matters, too.
The menopausal transition can be a vulnerable time for anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, irritability, and other changes in psychological well-being. Recent research suggests that exercise can have meaningful benefits for psychological health during this transition. (PubMed)
For some women, movement becomes one piece of a larger mental-health toolkit.
It might help you:
Get out of your head and back into your body
Release some physical tension
Improve your mood
Support better sleep
Create structure in your day
Spend time outside
Feel stronger and more capable
Reconnect with your body in a positive way
But I also want to be clear:
Exercise isn't a cure for anxiety or depression.
If you're struggling, you don't need to exercise your way out of it.
Sometimes you need more support.
Sometimes your anxiety needs attention.
Sometimes your sleep problems need medical evaluation.
Sometimes changing hormones are contributing to symptoms that deserve a conversation with your healthcare provider.
And sometimes therapy can help you understand what is happening beneath the surface.
The Bottom Line: Lift, Walk, Rest, Repeat
If there's one thing I hope you take away from this, it's this:
You don't have to choose between strength training and rest.
You don't have to choose between caring about your physical health and caring about your mental health.
And you don't have to turn exercise into another thing you're failing at.
Lift.
Walk.
Move your body in ways that feel good.
Challenge yourself when it makes sense.
Rest when you need to.
And pay attention to what your body is telling you.
Perimenopause is already asking your body to adapt to a lot of change.
Your exercise routine should support that adaptation—not become another battle you have to win.
And if your relationship with exercise, your body, anxiety, or the changes of perimenopause has become complicated, you don't have to figure it all out alone.
Ready for Support?
I work with women navigating anxiety, stress, identity changes, and the many emotional and psychological shifts that can accompany perimenopause.
My approach integrates traditional psychotherapy with mind-body strategies, helping you understand not just what's happening in your thoughts, but what's happening in your body, too.
If you're tired of feeling like you should be able to handle everything on your own, let's talk.
Let's Connect for a complimentary discovery call to see whether working together might be a good fit.
References
Ruiz-Cerezo, A., Mendoza Laiz, N., & Romero Ferreiro, C. (2026). Physical exercise and mind-body exercise in the menopausal transition: A systematic review and meta-analysis of effects on quality of life, symptoms, and psychological health. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 325, 115338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2026.115338
González-Gálvez, N., Moreno-Torres, J. M., & Vaquero-Cristóbal, R. (2024). Resistance training effects on healthy postmenopausal women: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Climacteric, 27(3), 296–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/13697137.2024.2310521
Sá, K. M. M., da Silva, G. R., Martins, U. K., et al. (2023). Resistance training for postmenopausal women: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Menopause, 30(1), 108–116. https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002079
McNulty, K. L., Murphy, M., Flynn, E., et al. (2026). The effectiveness of lifestyle interventions, including exercise, diet, and health education on symptoms experienced during perimenopause: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 34(3), 380–403. https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.2024-0226
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