Perimenopause plays a bigger role here than many people realize. This is the stage when a lot of women suddenly start experiencing more DOMS, tendon irritation, and little injuries that never used to happen before. It can be confusing and discouraging, and many women begin to fear training because their bodies suddenly feel less predictable.
That’s why education matters so much. These changes are real, but they’re also manageable. Even without hormones, there is a lot we can do. The menopause transition is actually a critical window to build strength, muscle, and tendon capacity that will carry us well into older age.
I try to do my small part in spreading that message, and I absolutely love seeing older women actively training. I just competed in the World Rowing Indoor Sprints — a 1000 m sprint on the erg — and got outpaced by a few incredibly strong women aged 62, 62, and 66. But the most inspiring moment was seeing an 87-year-old and several women in their 70s racing hard.
One of the good things about social media is that we get to see these women. They inspire the generations coming behind them.
For those curious, here are the results. Look for the 87-year-awesome lady:
Without a doubt, Irina, hormonal changes play a huge role in pain perception, recovery, tissue care, and the like. One of the things that helped me (I'm 55 and 3 years into menopause) is increasing the amount of mobility work I do. I have a periodic assessment by a Performance PT and she gives me light mobility exercises to do before/after workouts and it has been a game-changer for injury recovery and prevention!
Ellen, what a FABULOUS idea! Maybe I can convince @heatherhausenblas to do a follow-up post. I have TONS of resources for this .. equipment, online programs, etc... stay tuned! :)
Some people , even women in their 60s LOVE to lift and are lifelong lifters. There’s a wide variety of women in the world- not all of whom need hand holding in the weights area!
We are SO THRILLED to hear that and that is supported by the data that there are absolutely some ladies out there who are just killin' it! So we hope that you will spread the word and join us in inspiring more women to embrace this incredible way to train our bodies!! :)
Hi Alicia.. thanks for reading! Power yoga is an amazing activity for building strength and balance, but it is different from the strength training that Heather and I wrote about. Incorporating both power yoga and weight training into your routine would create some real magic!!
Perimenopause plays a bigger role here than many people realize. This is the stage when a lot of women suddenly start experiencing more DOMS, tendon irritation, and little injuries that never used to happen before. It can be confusing and discouraging, and many women begin to fear training because their bodies suddenly feel less predictable.
That’s why education matters so much. These changes are real, but they’re also manageable. Even without hormones, there is a lot we can do. The menopause transition is actually a critical window to build strength, muscle, and tendon capacity that will carry us well into older age.
I try to do my small part in spreading that message, and I absolutely love seeing older women actively training. I just competed in the World Rowing Indoor Sprints — a 1000 m sprint on the erg — and got outpaced by a few incredibly strong women aged 62, 62, and 66. But the most inspiring moment was seeing an 87-year-old and several women in their 70s racing hard.
One of the good things about social media is that we get to see these women. They inspire the generations coming behind them.
For those curious, here are the results. Look for the 87-year-awesome lady:
https://log.concept2.com/challenges/indoor-sprints/2026/female/lwt/overall
Without a doubt, Irina, hormonal changes play a huge role in pain perception, recovery, tissue care, and the like. One of the things that helped me (I'm 55 and 3 years into menopause) is increasing the amount of mobility work I do. I have a periodic assessment by a Performance PT and she gives me light mobility exercises to do before/after workouts and it has been a game-changer for injury recovery and prevention!
Would love to see some similar on how best to invest in strength training in the home setting- accessible to most, Inspiring post,
Ellen, what a FABULOUS idea! Maybe I can convince @heatherhausenblas to do a follow-up post. I have TONS of resources for this .. equipment, online programs, etc... stay tuned! :)
Keep me posted
Some people , even women in their 60s LOVE to lift and are lifelong lifters. There’s a wide variety of women in the world- not all of whom need hand holding in the weights area!
We are SO THRILLED to hear that and that is supported by the data that there are absolutely some ladies out there who are just killin' it! So we hope that you will spread the word and join us in inspiring more women to embrace this incredible way to train our bodies!! :)
Yes, and women like these help lead the way for others who still feel intimidated by the gym.
Thanks for sharing this important insight. Would you consider power yoga to be strength training?
Hi Alicia.. thanks for reading! Power yoga is an amazing activity for building strength and balance, but it is different from the strength training that Heather and I wrote about. Incorporating both power yoga and weight training into your routine would create some real magic!!