Fitness and Nutrition in Perimenopause: What You Need to Know

Published by

The Moves Team

•

June 18, 2025

Fitness and Nutrition in Perimenopause: What You Need to Know

Perimenopause and menopause bring a wave of physical changes that can feel frustrating, confusing, and even disheartening—especially when what used to “work” for your body suddenly doesn’t anymore. But here’s the good news: with a few intentional tweaks to your nutrition, training, and recovery, this phase of life can be one of strength, resilience, and vitality.

We talked to our in-house Physical Therapist, Brandon Moss, dPT, and our in-house nutritionist Courtney Rushing, MS. Here’s what they had to say.

Why Strength Training Matters More Than Ever

As estrogen levels decline during perimenopause, women naturally lose muscle mass and bone density—two critical pillars of long-term health. These changes can also trigger mood fluctuations, make weight management harder, and increase the risk of injury or osteoporosis.

But there’s one incredibly effective intervention that helps combat all of the above: strength training.

The Impact of Estrogen Loss

Estrogen plays a major role in maintaining:

Muscle mass
Bone density
Metabolic health
Mood regulation

With the onset of perimenopause, estrogen production fluctuates and eventually declines, making these systems more vulnerable. Here’s what the research shows:

Muscle Loss: Women lose up to 3-8% of muscle mass per decade after age 30, and that rate increases during perimenopause (Janssen et al., 2000).
Bone Density Decline: Up to 20% of bone density can be lost in the 5-7 years after menopause, raising the risk of osteoporosis (National Osteoporosis Foundation, 2020).

How Strength Training Helps

Strength or resistance training involves working your muscles against external resistance—like weights, resistance bands, or body weight. It delivers a wide range of benefits, especially during perimenopause:

Preserves and Builds Muscle Mass
Regular strength training stimulates muscle protein synthesis, helping to counteract age-related muscle loss.
Boosts Bone Density
Resistance training applies mechanical stress to bones, which activates bone-forming cells and strengthens skeletal structure.
Enhances Metabolic Health and Aids Weight Management
Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, meaning more muscle = a higher resting metabolic rate (BMR). This is essential as metabolism naturally slows in midlife.
Improves Mood and Mental Health
Strength training has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and irritability—common challenges during perimenopause.
Supports Balance and Reduces Injury Risk
It improves coordination, joint stability, and balance, all of which become increasingly important as bone density decreases.

Practical Application with the Moves App

You don’t need a menopause-specific workout plan to see benefits. Programs like Weekly Moves and Strength Moves in the Moves App are specifically designed to:

Use progressive overload for steady strength gains
Include functional movements that enhance daily activities
Incorporate flexibility and core work to support joint health and posture

Whether you’re just getting started or getting back into a routine, the Moves App makes it easy to build strength and feel confident doing it.

Fat Loss or Maintenance? Here’s How to Decide

Women often enter perimenopause feeling like their bodies are working against them. Deciding between fat loss and maintenance during perimenopause depends on your symptoms, stress load, current calorie intake, nutrition habits, and sleep quality.

If you’re tired, sleeping poorly, or stressed out…

Focus on maintenance. A calorie deficit will only add more stress and inflammation. Instead, support your metabolism with:

High-protein meals
Heavy lifting
Daily walking
Solid sleep and recovery

Tip: Spend at least 5 months at maintenance before considering a fat loss phase.

If you’re feeling good and sleeping well…

A gentle fat loss phase (about 10-15% below your maintenance intake) can be effective, as long as it’s paired with adequate protein, smart training, and hormone-supportive habits.

Still don’t know where to start?

Tracking your calories for a few days is a good place to start—not changing anything, just observing. You might be surprised! Odds are, if your intake consistently falls below 1,800 calories, you're living in a chronic, unintentional calorie deficit. And here's the truth: if you've been in that low-intake for months (or even years), your body is not thriving—it's adapting, conserving, and often holding onto fat, especially around the midsection, leaving you feeling as if you’re spinning your wheels.

Sadly, a majority of women in this phase of life are still living by habits and myths born in the ‘80s and ‘90s, like:

Eating “light” or skipping meals to save calories
Avoiding fat or carbs entirely
Believing 1,200 calories is the golden number
Thinking cardio is the only way to lose weight

Your body in perimenopause needs nourishment, not punishment! It needs stable blood sugar, muscle-preserving meals, sleep, and recovery. Not stress, starvation, and overexercising.

Nutrition Strategies for Thriving During Perimenopause

1. Eat Within 30 Minutes of Waking

Cortisol naturally peaks in the morning. Skipping food, drinking caffeine, and heading into a fasted workout only amplifies stress. Eating early helps:

Regulate cortisol
Stabilize blood sugar
Reduce cravings
Improve mood and metabolism

Please, avoid fasted training!

2. Prioritize 30g of Protein at Every Meal

Estrogen plays a role in building muscle. As it declines, you need more protein to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS). That means 30g+ per meal, especially at breakfast.

Target: 1-1.2g of protein per pound of your ideal body weight.

This supports lean mass, reduces cravings, and boosts thermogenesis (i.e., your calorie burn at rest).

3. Aim for 25g+ of Fiber per Day

Hormonal shifts during perimenopause can impact digestion, blood sugar regulation, and gut health. Fiber helps:

Keep digestion regular
Support estrogen detox
Improve satiety and blood sugar
Lower LDL (bad) cholesterol

Focus on whole food sources of fiber—vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, seeds—not supplements. A diverse fiber intake helps support a healthy gut microbiome, which plays a role in inflammation, metabolism, and mood regulation during this life stage.

4. Choose Low Glycemic Carbs

Declining estrogen can lead to increased insulin resistance. This means the body doesn’t manage blood sugar as effectively, but it doesn’t mean cutting carbs—just be smarter about them! Opt for slow-digesting carbs that support blood sugar balance and sustained energy. For example:

Sweet potatoes, quinoa, lentils, beans, and oats
Berries, apples, and citrus fruits
Leafy green, broccoli, and cruciferous vegetables

Pair these carb sources with protein and healthy fats to keep blood sugar stable. Over time, this supports hormonal harmony, improves metabolic health, and can reduce the risk of long-term issues like Type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol—both of which become more common in midlife.

In Summary

Perimenopause isn't the end—it's a pivot point. With intentional adjustments to nutrition and training, you can feel empowered, strong, and more in control than ever. Let go of outdated strategies like low-calorie diets, cardio-only workouts, and skipping meals, and instead lean into what the body actually needs: