Why Does Everything Feel Harder All Of A Sudden?
If you're a woman in your 40s or 50s and your workouts suddenly feel less effective, your energy is unpredictable, and the scale won't budge — you're not imagining things.
You're likely experiencing perimenopause or menopause, and it’s time your training and nutrition evolved with your body.
This blog is here to help.
What’s Actually Going On?
Perimenopause is the 5–10 year transition before menopause, where estrogen and progesterone levels begin to fluctuate and decline. Menopause is confirmed after 12 consecutive months without a period. Postmenopause follows after that.
During these stages, you may experience:
Increased belly fat (especially visceral fat)
Slower recovery from workouts
Muscle loss (sarcopenia)
Joint stiffness
Hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disruptions
Mood swings, anxiety, or brain fog
It’s hormonal — not a lack of motivation or discipline.
💪 Why Training Needs to Change (And What to Do Instead)
The same workouts that served you in your 20s and 30s won’t work the same way now. That’s not failure — that’s biology. Here’s how to adapt:
1. Strength Training Is Now Non-Negotiable
Estrogen helps protect your muscle and bone. As it drops, your training should compensate for that loss.
Do:
Train with weights 2–4x per week
Focus on compound movements: squats, deadlifts, rows, presses
Challenge yourself — progressive overload builds strength & lean mass
Why? Muscle boosts your metabolism, protects joints, improves insulin sensitivity, and helps manage body fat.
2. Smarter Cardio Beats More Cardio
Overdoing HIIT and long runs can increase cortisol, making fat loss harder and recovery slower.
Do:
Prioritise low-impact movement like walking or cycling
Include 1 day of intervals per week (only if recovery allows)
Don’t: Rely on cardio alone to lose weight. It often backfires at this stage.
3. Mobility & Recovery Are Key
Your joints, fascia, and connective tissue are more sensitive now. Mobility, stretching, and recovery need to be intentional.
Do:
Add mobility sessions 2–3x per week
Get 7–9 hours of sleep
Schedule rest days without guilt
4. Support Your Core & Pelvic Floor
Hormonal changes affect pelvic floor integrity and abdominal function.
Include:
Breathing drills
Anti-rotation core work (Pallof press, bird-dogs, dead bugs)
Consult a pelvic floor physio if you have symptoms (leaking, heaviness, instability)
5. Fuel Like You Love Yourself
Now more than ever, nutrition supports performance, fat loss, mood, and muscle retention.
Focus on:
Protein: Aim for 1.2–1.6g per kg of body weight
Fiber: For gut health and blood sugar stability
Healthy fats: To support hormones and satiety
Supplements: Consider Vitamin D, magnesium, omega-3s, and collagen
Avoid: Chronic undereating, skipping meals, or extreme dieting. These increase stress on your already stressed system.
🚫 What to Avoid
❌ Training like you're 25 (without adjusting volume, intensity, or recovery)
❌ Obsessing over the scale — strength, energy, and body composition matter more
❌ Under-eating + overtraining — a recipe for burnout
❌ Ignoring symptoms like poor sleep, brain fog, or fatigue
You’re Not Broken — You’re Evolving
Menopause isn’t a sentence — it’s a signal.
Your body is shifting, and with the right training, nutrition, and mindset, this can be one of the strongest, most confident seasons of your life.
Want Support?
At Gusto, we offer a dedicated strength and stamina building workouts so you feel and look great, designed for women 40+ who want to:
✅ Build strength
✅ Lose stubborn fat
✅ Feel confident in their body
✅ Get expert coaching tailored to their hormones
Final Word
If you're training through perimenopause or menopause, you don’t need to shrink yourself — you need to support yourself.
Lift with intention. Fuel with care. Rest with purpose.
This is your time to thrive.
🔗 Questions? Want to learn more?
Click and of the ‘Take Any Action’ buttons on our website!
