If you have reached your 40s and suddenly feel as though your body has stopped following the rules it used to, you are not imagining the change. Sleep can become less predictable. Energy can move around. Muscles and joints may feel different. Some days you feel ready to train; other days, the idea of a hard workout feels completely unrealistic.
First: perimenopause is not the same every day
Perimenopause is the transition leading up to menopause. Symptoms can vary considerably from person to person and can change over time. Sleep problems, mood changes, brain fog, muscle aches and joint pain are among the symptoms that some women experience. That matters when we talk about exercise. A training plan that assumes you will feel exactly the same every Monday, Wednesday and Friday may look beautifully organised on paper — but real life is not.
Why strength training matters in midlife
Strength training is not just about changing how your body looks. It is about keeping your muscles working well and supporting the physical capacity you want to have in the years ahead. NHS guidance recommends regular exercise, including weight-bearing exercise to build strength, during perimenopause and menopause. UK physical activity guidance also recommends strengthening activities that work the major muscle groups on at least two days a week for adults aged 19 to 64.
More intensity is not always more progress
There is a particular kind of fitness culture that tells women to push harder whenever something feels difficult. But there is a difference between productive challenge and simply accumulating fatigue. If you slept badly, feel unusually sore or are having a low-energy day, adjusting the session can be sensible. A lighter session can still be a training session. A shorter session can still count. And sometimes rest is the right choice.
What should a good routine look like?
For many women, the most useful routine is one that is structured enough to create consistency but flexible enough to accommodate real life.
Start with the basics
Focus on fundamental movement patterns and exercises that train the major muscle groups. You do not need a complicated programme to begin building strength.
Give recovery a place in the plan
Recovery is not a reward you earn after a perfect workout. It is part of training. If your sleep has been poor or your muscles are still very sore, changing the session can make more sense than forcing the original plan.
Build consistency before chasing intensity
A routine you can repeat is more useful than a heroic workout you dread doing again. Two manageable strength sessions every week can be more sustainable than repeatedly pushing yourself into sessions that leave you exhausted.
And what about sleep?
Sleep problems are common during perimenopause and menopause, and night sweats can make them worse. Poor sleep can also leave you feeling tired and less able to concentrate the next day. This is one reason we think the question should not always be “What workout was scheduled today?” A better question can be “What kind of training makes sense for me today?”
How this connects to Maren
Maren starts with a simple morning check-in. You tell it about things such as your sleep, how you slept, muscle soreness and how yesterday felt. The aim is not to diagnose anything or tell you what is happening hormonally. It is to use the information you give us to help decide whether today looks more like a harder training day, a lighter one, or a day to rest. That is the principle behind Maren: your workout should meet you where you are.
A final thought
Perimenopause can make exercise feel more complicated, but it does not have to make it disappear from your life. Strength training can remain a simple, practical part of looking after yourself — without turning every workout into a test of willpower. You do not have to train like you are 25. You do not have to prove anything. You can train for the woman you are becoming.
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