Well, ladies, they say that menopause comes for us all, and with it, comes all of the annoying hormonal symptoms that we can’t escape. I turned 40 earlier this year, and since then, I have been waiting for perimenopause to catch up with me. I’ve eagerly read all of your comments on other posts relating to menopause and bought Dr. Jen Gunter’s The Menopause Manifesto to be prepared. One of the things I’ve read about is how women really need to incorporate weight training into their routine as they get older in order to make up for the loss of muscle mass and bone density that contributes to weight gain.
As it happens, Brooke Burke turns 53 this year. Brooke has always been very tuned into health and fitness, and her workout routine has changed as she’s aged. Brooke recently did an interview with Fox News Digital in which she talked about how her workout routine has changed since hitting menopause. Similar to what I have read, Brooke’s new workout routine includes weight training with heavier weights in order to jump start the metabolism, create strength, and shift your hormones.
“This stage of my life as a woman, Mother Nature is just dishing out challenge after challenge for us,” the television personality told Fox News Digital in a conversation about fitness and wellness. Burke, 53 in September, has incorporated compound exercises and heavy weights into her workout regimen, the latter of which women often stray away from.
“I want to speak to this quickly because most women are afraid of heavy weights. And there’s this myth attached to it that we’re going to get bulky. Not true. Like, we would have to consume so much protein and go so heavy and be so diligent about that program to really change the body,” she said.
“What I found, I’m in my 50s, no one prepared us for menopause and said, ‘Learn how to weight train.’ The reason we need to weight train is for bone density. It’s bone health, osteoporosis. It shifts your hormones. It kicks up your metabolism. It creates strength. It allows you to develop more coordination so we can do other things.”
“It’s the first time I’m really adding heavy weights. And heavy for me is like 10 pound arms, right? I’ve always added heavy weights to my booty burn programs to build curves in the glute muscles,” said Burke, who hosts a LIVE! Zoom workout class every Friday on her website, BrookeBurke.com. “But it’s making me stronger. I’m feeling my body changing, I’m able to maintain lean muscle. I’m also adding a lot of protein to my diet because my body needs it.”
Depriving your body of what it needs – food – is something the former “Dancing with the Stars” host recommends you don’t do.
“I feel like we are in a phase in our country of a quick fix. And that fad diet and shocking the system and so much discipline that we’re not enjoying our life. I am eating more. I’m leaner, I’m stronger, and I’m more satisfied. And I have more energy. I’m eating nutrient-dense foods, I’m eating more protein. My smoothie – the other day on social media, somebody asked me how many calories were in my smoothie. I was like, ‘I do not count calories.’ I just don’t. I won’t. I have enough stuff to count in my life,” she said. “There are so many calories in my smoothie, but here’s the difference. It’s nutrient dense. It’s loaded with good fats. I’m fueling my brain. I’m feeding my body. I’m energizing my whole system. It’s just a retraining of the brain. Eat, everybody. Don’t starve.”
Burke says that while she does intermittent fasts in the morning, she does it “with intention” and puts full cream in her coffee.
“I never would have done that. The younger me? No chance. I’m feeling my body with that. I’m satisfied and I’m eating really well. Flavorful meals, herbs, spices, oils, it’s a different way of approaching wellness. Different than when I was in my 20s. It’s better, and it’s more fun, and it’s more flavorful.”
Literally everything that Brooke says here is something that I read over the past few weeks or come to realize over the last couple of years. I’ve tried to adjust my diet and fitness routine accordingly. I’ve always been big on doing core work like planks and push ups, but have generally shied away from doing any weight work over 5lbs. Like many people, I was also worried about getting “bulky,” even though I’ve heard for ages that this is just a myth. I take Pure Barre classes a few times a week and last year, started doing their weight-based class, Define, which has gotten me up to using 10lb weights. I did notice a change in my body when I started taking that class, but it’s only once a week, and I feel like I’ve stalled out over the past few months. I need to find another way to add weights to my routine.
Brooke is also right about how important it is to focus on nutrition. As we get older, it is important to make sure we’re eating to fuel our bodies in order to keep our energy up and our metabolisms going. I’ve noticed that when I have smaller, yet more filling meals that incorporate a protein, healthy fat, and vegetable, my body reacts better than if I was going to skip meals. It’s crazy how much our bodies change as we get older, and how we have to stay on top of these things! If anyone has any other tips or advice on ways to adjust for your body as it changes, please, feel free to share.
Photos credit: Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com, Joey Andrew/startraksphoto.com, IMAGO/MediaPunch / Avalon
Since you asked … 🙂
started working out with a trainer doing weights 2x a week when I was 56. That was 4 years ago and I’ve lost nearly 50 pounds (9 inches). In the last 2 years it’s all been fat – I’ve actually gained muscle while losing weight.
So that’s been great, and there are so many benefits including more energy. But recently I nearly fell twice – so sure I was going to hit my head on the floor — but miraculously — it was my strong quads that kept me upright. It’s a really good reason to have strong muscles!
I should add that about 2 years ago I also moved to WFPB as well and that fueled more loss and a lot more energy and healthier skin and hair too.
Wow, congrats on your successful results! I’ve done weight work for ages (I’m 71) and despite massive bowel resectioning surgery at the end of March, I’ve managed to return to my workouts (albeit with lighter weights as I can’t strain my abdomen). I’m now a believer in muscle memory because it was so easy to get back into the routine and results are noticeable.
Yes to all of this! As the book says — “Strong Women Stay Young” (an oldie but a goodie)!
If you live near a river or a lake and have the opportunity, look into rowing. I’m turning 40 this year and went back last year after rowing competivly as a teenager and my whole body has changed. Muscles in the right places, no more backpain, better balance and the meditative movement on the water does wonder for my memtal health. And if I look at the older women, it keeps you young.
I have an erg that I used a ton over COVID closures and loved the way it made me feel. I screwed my hip up and had to stop for a while, thanks for the gentle nudge to get back to it! I’m sure it’s not as good as the real thing, but it’s nice to have a home option.
I’m with you on the rowing. But I also workout with weights as part of my training (I’m 56 and a competitive rower). My club president is 95 and she still rows 2-3 times a week. I also do strength & conditioning coaching with an 83yo rower and she can now do full push-ups for 20 secs. In fact being surrounded by so many women 50+ in my club has removed any fear of ageing I may have had. Everyone looks and feels great (and we say “what menopause?”) Also I’ve been using heavy weights for 33 years and my physique is similar to Brooke Burke. You’ll never bulk out overnight, if you start to see a change you don’t like, you simply lighten the load for that area. I’ve written two pieces; one on why rowing is such an awesome sport and another about how to use a rowing machine correctly (which will avoid sore backs, hips etc) on ijustwantmybodyback com And by the way, rowing isn’t about big arms and shoulders – it’s all about legs, bums and tums! Exactly where women want to tone up!
Hi Rosie! I can vouch for heavy strength training! I’m 51 now, weight training late 30’s got away from it & went back 3 years ago & will never stray again! I lift w women of all ages including in their 70’s. Lately I strongly believe that those of us raised in the 80’s and 90’s and all about restriction are finding now we have to eat so much MORE food esp protein. I suspect my body was hoarding fuel and so I was not losing weight but am now admittedly w medicine help – but that requires a large amount of protein so I don’t lose muscle. My back doesn’t hurt despite a small injury. My community of lifters make me look forward to the rest of life & they’ve already been through losing all the parents. I can’t preach enough about lifting honestly. Love it.
I’ve been weightlifting for a decade and I’m constantly cheering on women at my gym who are lifting heavy.
Just this year, I got my mother to join me and it’s such a great opportunity to have a beginner’s mind again. I see my mother doing all the annoying newbie things that I used to do with my trainer (complaining about random discomfort like the seats, trying to go for lighter weights than she should, doing half supported lifts or lifting with disengaged abs and glutes). I just laugh and laugh. And then I make her get a heavier weight.
We also need to talk more about brain health and weightlifting and how it combats dementia.
Strength training and good nutrition are both very important, but I want to clarify that you can’t “shift your hormones” or “balance hormones”–this is all controlled by your pituitary and you have zero power over it unless you take hormonal medication. Jen Gunter talks about this a lot and how claims to “balance hormones” are misinformation, usually to sell shady $$$ supplements.
Let’s be a little careful here – the study of epigenetics is showing more is under our control than maybe we thought even just 5 years ago. (Recognize you’re talking more narrowly about hormones but if were talking about hormones like adrenaline etc, then lifestyle changes do make a difference here.)
Yes to this!! Im so tired of hearing about balancing your hormones on social media.
Great for her, but for me the most important factor in losing some of the meno weight and keeping it off has been counting calories and controlling portions. You don’t notice until you do that how much sugary junk you are ingesting each day. Smoothies are some of the worst things because you are getting a massive, massive amount of fruit sugars equivalent to eating way more fruit than you would ever eat in one sitting. You also don’t really realize how high calorie some seemingly healthy things are, like nuts or otherwise nutritious fried things like falafel. It didn’t matter how much I exercised or lifted weights, I did not lose pounds until I started counting calories.
I also have no idea what she means about shifting hormones. Lifting weights is not going to change your hormones, the only thing to change your hormones would be to somehow recharge your ovaries and that is not going to happen. You need menopausal hormone therapy to do that.
ETA I am not knocking the health benefits of strength training at all, I still do it three times a week, it’s just that it is not going to help lose weight or give you estrogen.
I have to agree and disagree here. Weightlifting does increase muscle that causes you to burn more calories (and also reduces ghrelin, the hunger hormone,,along with getting good sleep).
But agree with you re food intake and importance of calorie counting (also known as accountability). And especially sugary, floury food ..
Recognize YMMV!
I sort of agree with you. I feel better when I am eating more nutrient dense food (like the tuna and bean salad I just had for lunch.) and I understand there are more health benefits to 300 calories of salmon or whatever than to a 300 calorie doughnut.
but this was one of my issues on Weight Watchers a few years ago because it was all “black beans are zero points!” well I love black beans, lol, especially scrambled with eggs, so that was my go-to breakfast. I gained like 10 lbs and that was kind of tipping point as I aged where it has become harder to lose even a few pounds but super easy to gain.
For me, I know I need a lot of protein, some type of carb and veggies at each meal to feel full but also to feel happy, you know? but I can’t lose weight unless I am counting calories within that framework. But I’m one of those people who will just eat and eat and eat.
I do love working out with weights though. I can’t do a lot of HIIT classes bc of bad feet but I can do a lot of strength training that doesn’t involve jumping. So that tends to involve heavier weights for me. I haven’t gotten above 12 lbs yet though so I am glad to hear her refer to 10 as heavy.
It really is a combo of what we eat and what we do – I also haven’t gotten above 12 lb. dumbbells, but I do push-ups and planks, so that’s definitely lifting. And when I started with free weights and strength training four years ago (during the pandemic – on Zoom with four other people and a trainer), I couldn’t do nearly what I’m able to do now, so anything you do do definitely makes a difference over time.
Also jumping on here to scream from the rooftops for women to not be afraid to lift heavy! I’m 43 and have always been pretty active, but really started lifting 2 years ago. For the women around my age, most of what we were taught about lifting in our formative years is bullshit. Lift. Heavy. It is extremely difficult to get “too bulky.” Many men take HGH to look as bulky as some of them do, especially after a certain age. It is virtually impossible to get too bulky. But you will get strong and toned and have some cool muscle definition.
Also…remember the back of the body, including the hamstrings, glutes, and back. Again, girls my age were taught to focus mostly on the front of the body in the 90’s and into the 2000’s.
I’ve shared this on here before but I had a baby at 37 and my core was pretty messed up (giant baby, lots of pregnancy weight gain), and I was overall just really weak. Back pain for years. When I started lifting, the back pain gradually diminished and while it can still bug me a little, with lifting and stretching it is so much better. If you’re in this camp, find a reputable fitness person you want to follow (Jordan Syatt’s advice has changed my life)!
Yes!
I competed in powerlifting in my late 50s (I’m 72). I have too many health issues to go back to that but I will go back to weights. I was lifting similar to the men at the gym and I wasn’t huge.
Weights is the best exercise. I miss it.
Hello! I’m 56, menopause three years ago (stayed on the pill until then and just stopped per OBGYN) and had a hip replacement two years ago. I was a yoga fanatic before surgery and after I switched to pilates and weight training for strength and ease on my hips.
I really love Jessica Valent Pilates on YouTube. I discovered her by way of Celebitchy and she’s great. She does 10ish minute videos which are perfect! I prefer videos that instruct during the video vs voice-over the movements.
For weights, I enjoy FitByMik on YouTube. She’s makes all lengths of videos and I like the standing upper-body routines. However, the full-body 30 min dumbbell routines are awesome and I’ve been incorporating those.
Walking is free! Adopt a dog 🙂
Larkspur – Thanks for the video recommendations. It’s always good to switch up your exercise routine. If you keep doing same things in the same way, same order over and over, your body will figure out how to save energy…
I’m 49 and the same calories in pasta etc. add weight but the equivalent in mostly veg does not. Also, flab suddenly appears without weight training every other day. And snappishness appears without extra exercise too. It’s amazing what age does.
I’m 56 and I started weight training last Fall. I noticed my post-menopausal body wasn’t responding to my usual weight-control mechanisms (running, regular small meals). I went to a few places that are chains but because I haven’t done “organized” exercising aside from Pilates (also great), I couldn’t really do the weight training exercises they were showing. Further, nobody cared about a chubby (late) middle-aged body. I found a personal trainer and all I can say is WOW–it is SO HARD and SO GOOD. I have lost weight but happily have transitioned over to wanting to get better / stronger. The changes were seemingly small but add up–stopped needing to hold the railing on the steps, can run up steps again, when I’m crossing the street and a car is waiting to go, I can actually move quickly. A bunch of stuff I didn’t realize I had just stopped doing came back. I really encourage anyone to go for it. I’ll also throw another bone toward Pilates. I’ve done it off and on for decades and when I’m faithful (as I am now) it eliminates muscle soreness and helps avoid injury (IMHO IMHO!). Oooo, also, weight training helps with your sleep–not initially because like any new activity, your brain is extra active–but it really tires you out in a good way and I sleep much better as a result. Sending love and light, ladies!
For me it was important to separate perimenopause from menopause (eg no more periods) itself, because my body responded differently at different times. What works for a year or two in terms of diet/supplements/exercise suddenly stops working and then you have to shift and find a different routine….like for example when I was perimenopausal I couldn’t do low-carb diets, they did something awful to my hormones, seesawing emotions and weight gain, ugh. Now, however, in full menopause it works better for me than eating carbs at every meal and my body is much happier with the several small meals a day method with my main carbs coming from high-fiber sources like whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits. My body just decides and I am NOT in control, lol…and I get used to having to swerve every now and then into a different routine as I get older.
I agree with everyone else that getting really physically active during perimenopause/menopause is the KEY to everything from lower weight to better mood to skin/hair and overall health. I try to do weight training 2x/week with freeweights and isometrics from home (super simple routine, you can find tons of them on Youtube), then swim the other days…lots of gardening and walks…just try to be active more days than not, it will already be better than doing nothing!
Please talk to me more about your routines. I’m a relatively fit 48-yr old but have had a sudden metabolism drop—I am gaining weight doing the same things I used to do. How much weight are you lifting and how often? Are any of you using just dumbbells/kettlebells?
I just wrote this down below but to answer your questions directly: I’m 51 and I lift heavy weights at a class 3x per week, usually doing compound (upper and lower at the same time) moves but some days it’s heavier on lower body. I do pilates/barre type classes on the 3 alternate days so it’s 6 days of classes that last about 50 to 60 minutes. I also walk my dog a few times a day. On my day off I take an extra long walk with my husband and dog just to get moving.
Diet is super important also, but it’s also very specific to each person’s body. I personally bloat right up with any starches so I avoid them most of the time. I have a good amount of protein at every meal and load up on veggies. I don’t feel particularly hungry between meals but I do have an afternoon snack with protein to help me get through to dinner so I’m not starved and eating whatever I get my hands on. I’ve just really learned what my body responds well to and what it doesn’t respond well to and I honor that. If I’m going to feel icky afterwards, I avoid it.
All of that has helped my tremendously and I have lean muscle definition that I never had, even at my thinnest in my 20s.
I will also add something my gynecologist said to me, which has stuck in my head. When I get discouraged because the weight doesn’t come off quickly like it used to I have to realign my thoughts and be consistent because it will eventually work. It may take longer, it may feel different, it may not be perfect, but it will be better and healthier.
I do HIIT training 1 hr, 3-4 times a week, using 50-60 lb dumbbells for leg exercises, 20-25 for upper back and shoulder exercises and 20’s for biceps & triceps. Core work is incorporated into the HIIT as well. I walk 5 kms on the days that I am not in the gym and I try to keep up with my yoga 2 or 3 times a week as well, even if it’s only for short sessions.
I had an underlying health issue that was keeping my weight from moving, which we have just recently discovered. It was very frustrating to be working out like this and still gaining weight. Now that that is getting sorted, things are going the right way. I am not so bent on losing it for looks but for the health bennies. There are very serious heart issues in my family, so extra weight is not ideal. I keep a pretty clean diet, minus the occasional treat (mmmmm cupcakes), focusing on veg and proteins mainly.
I weight lifted since my teens, usually machines at the gym. I stopped because career/life/family in my 20s and 30s and ballooned up during perimenopause from 42 years on…rediscovered fitness a few years later, I’ve given my story before here numerous times so tl;dr I rediscovered swimming and built my routines around that.
I also try to do cardio on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and weights Tues-Thurs unless I skip a day and add one on the weekend – for me this works because I never have to plan anything, it’s like I wake up and go “Wednesday – right – today’s cardio,” or “Thursday – right – today is weight training.” But I am a creature of routine that loathes variety so YMMV lol!
Now that I’m menopausal I want something simple where the swimming is the focus – I try to get to the pool 3x/week or alternate with biking/elliptical/walking or other cardio, and find that sufficient for overall muscle tone. On swim days I alternate breaststroke, crawl and backstroke in sets of 3 in a 25-meter pool and do laps for around 30 minutes because I have to be careful of bursitis in my shoulder, can’t do more than that. If I want to move but I’m sore or tired, I make that my stretch day….I used to be big into yoga but now I find post menopause I don’t have the mental patience.
I also find that time of day matters, I have to swim in the mornings because those are the best hours but for weight training I am MUCH more effective in the afternoons…
Then 2x/week I do weight training as follows. I can usually complete in about an hour depending on how many different exercises I do, how I feel that day etc…and always, always follow with protein like turkey slices and have a protein-heavy dinner to rebuild my muscles
1) I don’t have a gym membership anymore so I do freeweights. I bought them at my local fitness store, they’re cheap and come in kg increments so I can have different weights for different exercises. I have the shiny silver bars with the weights you can add on a la carte, and a pretty heavy large long bar that I do on a bench for pushup motions every now and then. I also do isometrics, like planks or sitting against the wall every now and then to change it up or when I feel like I need a stronger workout
2) For calves I do lifts on my stairs at home – 20x for 3 sets. Then for hamstrings and quads, I do squats, again no weights (but I could add freeweights if I wanted…so far, don’t need to) 20x for 3 sets
3) For arms, I do a combo bicep and shoulder sweep, 13 reps for 3 sets. That’s my “heavy” weight. I also do a tricep back-of-the-head lift, again heavy enough for only 13 reps, 3 sets
4) For abs I do a combo of reverse crunches, barely lifting my shoulders off the mat, very small movements isolating the muscles for 25 reps 4 sets; then I lift my butt off the ground for as many reps as I can do without crying, for 3 sets; then obliques for 25 reps 4 sets, very small movements
Echoing what most are saying here. At 51 I can agree that she is absolutely correct, lifting heavier is so important not only to help with the weight but to help with bone density which is so important as we age. It will also give us the strength in our core to help with balance which helps stop the falling that can happen later in life.
Diet is also a huge factor. I’ve been really prioritizing protein and veggies and doing heavier weight classes 3x per week and more pilates/barre type classes the other 3x per week with walking thrown in every day. I’ve lost 25 lbs that I gained going on Lexipro a few years ago. It’s been almost a year since I went off that med so it’s taken time, but doing all of those things not only helped me lose weight, it’s changed my body composition. It takes commitment but it’s so worth it to feel balanced and strong in our bodies.
Ahhh thanks everyone SO much! Are there any good workouts, apps, or programs for those of us who need some help getting started? Thank you, you all rock!
If you aren’t into going to the gym, the Apple Fitness is a great alternative. I use it for the yoga and meditation classes and sometimes, like it the weather is really bad in the winter, I do the workout classes. For the price per year (I think 130, I can’t remember for sure), it is worth it.
The website that I credit with making me a regular exerciser is Fitness Blender (their website, not their You Tube channel). Huge variety, great training advice and encouragement, programs that you can follow if you want to, and they offer modifications if needed. They are a husband and wife team who have added a handful of trainers over the past few years and they are all great.
If you’re doing body weight exercises like “planks and push ups, you’re definitely NOT shying “away from doing any weight work over 5lbs.” All the usual body weight exercises: burpees, lunges, planks, pushups (Chinese, Russian or regular), side leg raise (all variations), wall sits, etc., work great without ever lifting a dumbbell or padding around in ankle weights like Melania Trump. Continue. The heavier you are, the more you’re lifting or supporting.
All of these posts are so inspiring! I’ve just signed up for the gym, because I need to lose weight, and want to be fit and healthy as I continue to age. After my bilateral mastectomy, it’s been hard as hell to lose any weight at all. I’m going to be 56 (!), and I’ve worked hard to change my diet to be more vegetable, lean protein forward–not a whole lot of carbs (pasta, etc), but unlike being younger, the weight will not budge–so I’m excited to go to the gym and hopefully, get back into shape and feel stronger in my body again. Thank you to everyone who posted what they do and for the You Tube tips, I will be sure to look at this as I start my new fitness journey!
Here’s the thing with weight loss and exercise. As many have said in this post, exercise isn’t a “magic bullet” in terms of weight loss, you do need to do some effort with your diet (whatever that means for you…portion control, counting calories, having a specific mix of protein-carbs-other nutrients that works for your body at different times as you age)….
But exercise trains you to give time to your body, to focus on it, to pay attention to it and that helps with all of the diet stuff. Every day in some way, if you are active, you are thinking: What hurts? What feels good? Oooh, look at that new muscle definition. Ouch, I don’t like that exercise right now. And that focus, that mindfulness, about your body makes the diet stuff NBD, it’s all just a part of what is pointing you towards Feels/Looks Good and pointing you away from Feels/Looks Bad.
So think of exercise as not only “just exercise” but also a way to remember your body every day, to love your body every day, to pay attention to it and be happy with it. It’s like Michelle Yeoh said, something like every morning she wakes up and talks to her body, apologizing if she injured herself in a role or expressing gratitude that it’s working so well at the time, for that day, in the moment. I love that perspective and it really works for me!
I have been lifting heavy for most of my life. I started body building when I was 19 and when I was done that, I kept up with the gym for the majority of the 30 years since.
Menopause has kicked me in the teeth, along with the other health issues. A menopause specialist is helping with all of that for me, but I can say that all of the years of lifting heavy have given me great bones and muscle tone (under the dreaded menopause weight gain). We are on the road to getting me sorted and heavy lifting is a huge part of what I am still told to do. Don’t be afraid of the weights! You can lift heavy and not bulk up. Hell, if my 70 year old mom can do 30 lb bicep curls and still have lovely lady arms, then so can we 🙂
I love love love all of this!
Thank you kindly everybody, I’m 39 and I’m 100% taking notes.
Thank you for continuing to post stuff on these topics! I am 43, so I anticipate dealing with these issues in the near-ish future. It’s great to hear sane, healthy perspectives from real people!
49yo here, who went through menopause early at 45. After a lifetime of only doing dance fitness and sometimes barre, I started lifting weights at 42 and IT IS A GAME CHANGER! I focus mostly only squats, and go as heavy as I can… the bone density is so sooooo important, but also just from a body love perspective, it feels so great to have strength (not size or weight) as your metric of accomplishment.
I love that if I’m having a bad day where I catch a glimpse of myself and am like “oh man I look bigger, older, whatever than I wish I did,” i can immediately be like yeah but gurl YOU SO STRONG!! that bone density is poppin’! Your body can do things it couldn’t do before!!
it’s just so empowering, seriously. we all know exercise is good for your mental health, but it’s not use about your mood. it’s about your confidence.
A+++ would recommend strength training to everyone.
pro tip: find a queer gym if you can, regardless of your identity. in my experience, there way more inclusive