Staying Active Through Perimenopause: A PT's Guide to Joint Health

Perimenopause—the transitional phase before menopause—brings a wide range of physical changes for women, including joint stiffness, inflammation, and increased susceptibility to injury.

- Written By Dr. Danielle Litoff

For active women in Reno, this can be both frustrating and confusing: you’re doing the same workouts, eating well, and staying mobile—yet your body suddenly feels different.

Why Joints Feel Stiffer During Perimenopause

It's not your imagination. Many women begin to notice more stiffness in the hips, knees, shoulders, and spine during perimenopause—even without a history of injury. This is largely due to fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone, which affect connective tissue, inflammation, and the body's ability to recover from physical stress.

Some of the most common joint-related complaints during perimenopause include:

• Morning stiffness that takes longer to shake off