Training Through Peri-menopause and Menopause (A User Manual for a Body With New Software)

If you’re over 40 and your body has started behaving like it’s running a beta update you didn’t agree to, welcome.

Peri-menopause and menopause often arrive with a grab bag of symptoms that feel equal parts confusing and rude, including but not limited to:

• Hot flushes that strike with no warning and zero respect for social settings

• Sleep that ghosts you after years of commitment

• Energy levels that vary wildly depending on the phase of the moon (possibly)

• Joint stiffness that turns standing up into a multi-step process

• Brain fog that has you confidently opening the fridge and immediately forgetting why

• A midsection that suddenly believes it’s in long-term storage mode

• Recovery that now takes “a few days” instead of “a good night’s sleep”

No, you’re not broken.And no, exercise hasn’t stopped working.

What has changed is how your body responds to stress, including training stress.

Hormonal shifts, particularly changes in estrogen and progesterone, combined with normal ageing, affect muscle mass, bone density, sleep quality, fat distribution, mood, and recovery. This means the strategies that worked in your 30s may now feel excessive, unsustainable, or like a personal attack.

The Solution ? No there is no magic peri or menopause pill.....

The solution isn’t to stop training - it is to to train with intent.

Well-structured exercise remains one of the most effective tools available for managing many menopause-related symptoms. Done properly, it supports muscle and bone health, cardiovascular fitness, metabolic health, joint function, pelvic health, mood, cognitive function, and sleep quality. It also helps rebuild trust in a body that may feel increasingly unpredictable.

The difference lies in how you train, not whether you train.

Strength training becomes non-negotiable at this stage of life. Maintaining muscle and bone density is essential for long-term health, injury prevention, and independence. Full-body strength training using compound movements is particularly effective, provided exercises are scaled appropriately and recovery is factored in.

Cardio still matters, but this does not mean you need to punish yourself with endless high-intensity sessions. A mix of steady effort, occasional short higher-intensity work, and general movement across the week tends to deliver better results, with far less resentment.

Warm-ups and mobility work stop being optional and start being essential. Hence the mobility and core elements to the new DTD Strength Sessions.

Recovery also moves from “nice idea” to “absolute requirement.” Sleep, hydration, nutrition, stress management, and rest days all influence how well your body adapts to training. Daily movement such as walking, household tasks, and general activity still counts, even if it doesn’t come with a playlist and a stopwatch.

One of the biggest reasons women stall at this stage of life isn’t effort. It’s clarity and accountability. When you’re juggling work, family, mental load, appointments, and remembering where you left your phone, training often slips into “I’ll see how I feel.” That is what most gym models build their business - they don't expect you to come consistently - and whilst that approach sounds relaxed, it usually ends in nothing happening at all from your end, other than a lighter wallet and guilt that you have a membership that you don't make the most of.

At DTD you are one of only 8 people in the class - we ( by that I mean me the trainer and your other 7 fitness buddies) notice when you don't turn up. As such you do tend to turn up. Yes, some of it is peer pressure, but I like to think of it as most of my clients walk into an early morning session grumpy about getting out of bed and leave feeling supported, full of endorphins and like they can conquer the world - this is why they keep coming back !

Clear goals and accountability are what turn “some day” into “done,” even when life is busy. Some training, consistently, (even if you miss a session or two) beats perfect training that in the end never happens.

TRAIN S.M.A.R.T

This is also where SMART goals earn their keep these are (for those unfamiliar with the concept) Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. They turn vague intentions like “get fitter” or “feel better” into something concrete and trackable.

Instead of “I want to be stronger,” a SMART goal might be “I want to increase my deadlift by 10 kg over the next training block.” Instead of “I want more energy,” it might be “I want to train twice a week and not feel like a shell of a person the following day.”

Groundbreaking? No. Effective? Very.

SMART goals create clarity and momentum. They also make it easier to adjust when life inevitably intervenes, because you know what matters and what can be deprioritised without the whole thing falling apart.

WHY DTD ?

At Don’t Think: Do, goal setting isn’t about pressure, perfection, or pretending you have unlimited time, energy, and recovery. It’s about setting targets that respect your current capacity, stress levels, and the fact that your body now has opinions and a menopause-fuelled personality. At this stage, training is part fitness, part emotional regulation. Move your body regularly so you don’t take it out on your kids, partner, or unsuspecting friends. Consider it a public service.

If you’re interested in structured, menopause-aware group training and want to join the next challenge block, the next intakes start on:

Monday 19th August (10 week challenge) and Monday 2nd February (8 week Challenge) until Easter.

We have the option of the following sessions:

• Monday 6:30 am | Strength & Mobility- Beaumaris Life Saving Club Lift things. Move better. Build strength, restore movement, and reduce stiffness through smart mobility and release work.

  
  

• Wednesday 6:30 am | Strength & Core- Beaumaris Life Saving Club Get stronger with a solid core focus so everything feels more stable.

  
  

• Wednesday 11:30 am | Strength & Core / Mobility- Home Studio Same focus. Slightly calmer pace, access to gym machines. Children can attend this session. Alternate between Core / Mobility Excellent early lunchtime reset.

Granted, DTD is not the cheapest option out there. But cheap usually comes with crowds, no follow-up and also vague sense of “I should probably be doing something” instead of proper coaching and direction. At DTD you get your own weights station and a beautiful sea view to start your day (for those early risers training at the Beaumaris Life Saving club) or access to my fully equiped home gym.

Here, you train in a small group of up to eight, get regular check-ins, work with a trainer who’s been doing this gig for 11 years, and you can also follow a home or gym program on our new app (with videos and notes) for homework. This is fully personalised and tailored to you. It’s an investment in strength, consistency, and future-you. All this in the end works out cheaper and significantly more effective than paying for a gym membership that quietly expires while you avoid eye contact with it.

If you’d like to join up or join in again , the next step is to fill out this SMART form so I can understand your goals, training history, and any injuries or other considerations. This ensures the program suits you, rather than throwing you into something that isn't suitable and hoping enthusiasm carries the day. It also means I can with your consent contact your physio/doctor/podiatrist/surgeon [fill in the blanks] to get the low down and work holistically so you are exercising safely, because at this age we all come with niggles and creaks.

If you are brand new to DTD you will also need to fill in a New Client Intake Form

Strength and resistance training in perimenopause and menopause isn’t about extremes. It’s about consistency, clarity, and laughing in a supportive community - so you don’t lose the plot.

So what are you waiting for ? Fill in the forms, lock in your place now, before they all go or book in for a Fit Chat or send me a DM so we can get you organised.

Chantal x