the menopause workout

Mood swings, body changes, and stiffness, meet muscle-building, heart-strengthening moves. These do-anywhere exercises are designed to quell your most trying symptoms so you won't need to press pause on what you love to do.

- ALYSSA JUNG

Let's not be cute about it: Menopause isn't fun! Hot flashes, irritability, achy joints, and all manner of body-comp changes are just a few of the uncomfortable and disruptive symptoms that can make life feel like survival of the fittest.

Fluctuating hormones during perimenopause and menopause, particularly the perma-dip in estrogen and progesterone that occurs after menopause, are to blame for those (and other) symptoms as well as less visible changes such as a decrease in bone density and muscle mass that puts you at increased risk for pain, stiffness, and fractures that could interrupt your mobility and lifestyle.

“It's also common for women to notice an increase in fat around the lower belly, hips, and upper arms,” says Claudette Sariya, NASM-CPT, a personal trainer who specializes in fitness for older adults.

Tweaking your workout routine can make a big difference in how you feel amid all these changes—and, if it's important to you, how you look too (bat wings, begone!). “Strength training is crucial for preserving lean muscle, supporting joint health, boosting metabolism, improving balance, and targeting specific points of concern such as the arms,” Sariya says.

Consider this workout your menopause secret weapon. It's just five moves, and it combines strength training, cardio (to boost heart health), and stretching (flexibility equals fewer ouches and freer movement) to help you feel strong, confident, and in control.

Weighted Squats + Overhead Press