Woman strength training with dumbbells

Strength Training in Menopause: What the Research Shows

7 May 20264 min read By Dushyanta Tomar

Around age 51, the body shifts. Oestrogen drops. Bone thins. Muscle declines. Sleep falls apart. For many women across London, the years on either side of menopause feel like a slow loss of strength and confidence.

Around 90 percent of UK women going through menopause report symptoms. Roughly 8 in 10 deal with hot flushes, night sweats or sleep disruption. One form of training carries more evidence for menopausal health than any pill, supplement or trending workout. Resistance training. Done well, lifting weights protects bone, preserves muscle and improves body composition through the transition.

90%
UK women report menopausal symptoms
5,581
Women pooled across 80 bone density training studies
SMD 0.88
Resistance training effect on lumbar spine bone density
3x
Sessions per week, the optimal training frequency for bone gains

Source: Pubmed 40420105 (2025 BMD meta-analysis). Pubmed 37388207 (body composition meta-analysis).

Why the body changes after 45

Oestrogen helps maintain bone density and supports muscle mass. As oestrogen falls in perimenopause and menopause, bone loss accelerates. Women lose between 1 and 3 percent of bone density per year in early postmenopause. Muscle mass also declines from around age 40, and the rate speeds up without strength work. The result for many women is fragility, lower energy, weight gain around the midsection and a higher risk of fractures and falls in later life.

What lifting does to bone

A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled data from 80 studies with 5,581 women. Resistance training significantly improved bone mineral density at the lumbar spine, with a standardised mean difference of 0.88. Effects on the femoral neck and total hip were also positive.

The same review identified the most effective formula: high-intensity load at 70 percent of one-rep max or above, three sessions per week, and longer programmes beat short ones. Moderate-intensity training three days a week also delivered meaningful gains. Supervised and unsupervised programmes both worked.

UK menopause symptom prevalence

Symptom prevalence in UK women Cross-sectional UK survey (PMC10347781), CIPD and British Menopause Society data Sleep disturbances 81.8% Hot flushes / night sweats 80.7% Forgetfulness 75.6% Psychological symptoms 67.0% Leave job due to symptoms 10.0%

Source: PMC10347781 cross-sectional UK survey (2023), CIPD, British Menopause Society.

The body composition shift

A 2023 meta-analysis on exercise training and body composition in postmenopausal women found exercise increased muscle mass and fat-free mass while reducing fat mass, body fat percentage, waist circumference and visceral fat. Aerobic training drove fat loss. Resistance training drove muscle gain. A combined approach delivered the best overall outcomes. For menopausal women dealing with central weight gain, the combined approach beats either method alone.

What lifting does not fix

The evidence on exercise and vasomotor symptoms is mixed. Several trials, including the MsFLASH study, show no effect on the frequency of hot flushes. Other reviews find improvements in symptom severity and quality of life. The honest read: do not expect lifting to stop hot flushes. Expect lifting to improve sleep, mood, energy and physical function, all of which make the symptoms easier to live through.

A practical 2-session weekly plan

Twice a week, 45 minutes per session, focused on big lifts:

  • Goblet squat or leg press: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
  • Romanian deadlift or hip thrust: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
  • Chest press or push-up variation: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
  • Row variation: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
  • Loaded carry or plank: 3 rounds of 30 to 45 seconds

Use a weight challenging in the final 2 reps. Add load every fortnight when reps feel easy. Pair sessions with 25 to 30 grams of protein within an hour of training. If you have osteoporosis or untreated joint issues, start under qualified supervision. Form matters more than load early on.

Practical takeaways

Strength training builds bone in the lumbar spine, femoral neck and hip. Three sessions a week at a challenging load delivers the strongest gains. Combined strength and aerobic work outperforms either alone for body composition. Lifting will not stop hot flushes, but improves the systems around them. Strength now is your best insurance against falls and frailty later.

Train through menopause with a structured plan

Book a personal training consultation built around your stage of menopause, bone health and goals. Based in London, online support worldwide. Visit www.dushyantatomar.com.

Sources

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