Hi! I’m Bahar, working as a personal trainer with hundreds of women for the last ten years. Here, I’ll explain how personal trainers can support women through menopause, helping them stay on track with their fitness goals and navigate this phase with strength and balance. I’ve come to understand just how much of a difference menopause makes, not only physically but also mentally and emotionally.
Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of working with many incredible women navigating menopause. Their stories, challenges, and victories have not only shaped my understanding of fitness but also deepened my belief in holistic well-being.
Understanding the Four Stages of Menopause
Before we can help our clients, we need to understand the physiological process of menopause. Menopausal transition lasts four stages, each with different hormone fluctuations, symptoms, and emotional modifications.
Premenopause
This is the time before any symptoms can be seen. Hormone levels are normal, periods are regular, and the body functions exactly as it did in earlier adulthood. Women may not even feel any difference at this stage, but it’s a good time to start talking about long-term health habits.
Perimenopause
Typically beginning in a woman’s 40s (sometimes earlier), perimenopause is the time when hormone levels, especially estrogen and progesterone, begin to fluctuate. Women may experience irregular periods, fatigue, mood swings, hot flashes, and weight gain. Perimenopause may last several years and typically has the worst symptoms.
Menopause
Menopause is diagnosed if a woman has not menstruated for 12 uninterrupted months. Estrogen drops significantly, and the symptoms of sleep disturbance, hot flashes, and low libido peak during this time.
Postmenopause
This stage begins one year after the last menstrual period and continues through a woman’s life. Although certain symptoms diminish, risk for diseases such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome rises. Long-term fitness planning is essential.
Understanding these stages allows us to tailor our approach based on where each client is in her journey.
Why Fitness Often Takes a Backseat During Menopause
During this stage, it is difficult for most women to maintain their usual training routines, not due to a lack of motivation, but by being bogged down by symptoms and changes in their lives. As trainers, it is important to appreciate these challenges in empathy building as well as programming.
- Physical Discomfort
Stiffness in the joints, hot flashes, migraines, and overall tiredness can turn exercise into a chore instead of a plus. Dizziness or vertigo is even possible in some women due to hormonal shifts.
- Hormonal Fluctuations
The changes lead to lower metabolism, loss of lean body mass, and weight gain, especially in the midsection. The body composition changes that occur can play a role in undermining confidence and motivation.
- Mental and Emotional Health
Anxiety, depression, irritability, and self-doubt are likely to occur during menopause. Such mood swings are likely to discourage women from physical exercise, particularly in group settings.
- Lifestyle Pressures
This phase of life is likely to be followed by high-pressure work responsibilities, aging parents, or young children, leaving women with little time for self-care and regular exercise.
But here’s the good news: movement can help with all of this. The key is choosing the right kind of movement for you, in the right way.
Creating Menopause-Sensitive Exercise Programs
This isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about being kinder to your body and learning how to support it as it changes.
Start Where You Are
Whether you’re walking, stretching, or dancing around your living room, it counts. You don’t need to do it all. You just need to begin.
Prioritize Low-Impact Cardio
Walking, cycling, or swimming helps your heart, balances your mood, and eases stress, without hurting your joints.
Add Strength Training Gently
Yes, lifting weights helps your metabolism and bone strength. But no, you don’t have to go hard. Twice a week with light weights can do wonders.
Stretch, Breathe, and Restore
Mobility work, yoga, or simple stretching helps with aches, posture, and peace of mind.
Balance & Core Exercises Are Your Friends
They help prevent injuries and build confidence in your body’s stability.
Rest
Your body needs more rest now. Listen to it. Sleep. Hydrate. Pause.
A Gentle Word About Nutrition
I’m not a dietitian, but here’s what I’ve seen help many women during menopause:
- Eat enough protein (think lentils, tofu, eggs, chicken).
- Don’t forget calcium and vitamin D.
- Choose whole foods over processed.
- Include healthy fats like nuts and flaxseeds.
- Stay hydrated and watch the caffeine, especially before bed.
For anything specific, please talk to a certified nutritionist. Your body deserves personalized care.
It’s a time to tune in, to listen to your body like never before, and to honor the changes as part of your unique journey. Yes, it brings challenges, but within those challenges lie opportunities to grow stronger, move more mindfully, and live more intentionally.
Final thoughts
As a personal trainer in Dubai, I’ve seen firsthand how women, when given the right guidance and support, rediscover their inner power during this phase. I’ve watched them shift from frustration to confidence, from fatigue to newfound energy, from self-doubt to self-love. And let me tell you—there is nothing more inspiring.
At Fitness Supreme, my mission is not just to help you train, but to help you transform—to stand beside you, celebrate your small wins, adapt your journey to your needs, and be your biggest cheerleader every step of the way.
Let’s embrace this chapter with curiosity, courage, and compassion. Let’s move not just to look a certain way, but to feel alive, balanced, and whole. Let’s create a lifestyle that supports your body, mind, and soul—because you deserve nothing less.
This is your moment.
Let’s make it powerful, together.
