We all know that movement is good for us, but how do you get going when you’re exhausted, achy, or unmotivated?

My guest today is Preeti Jha, a orthopedic and pelvic floor therapist who specializes in women’s health, orthopedics, and in helping women over 40 build strength, confidence, and resilience, especially through perimenopause and menopause when our bodies are going through so many changes with these hormonal shifts. She has helped countless women over 40 improve their strength, protect their bodies, and feel more confident in their fitness journeys. 

Is It Harder to Exercise During Perimenopause?

During perimenopause, the body goes through a lot of changes, leaving you feeling tired, achy, and unmotivated. Rebuilding your relationship with movement may be the last thing on your mind. As we age, we start to lose estrogen. This is a big loss because estrogen plays a huge role in the female body: our muscles, our bones, our joints are hugely affected by that loss of estrogen. Our joint cushioning begins to deteriorate and muscle loss occurs, affecting every part of the body, including the heart. This makes it more important than ever to find movement.

Why It’s Important to Add Strength Training (Not Just Cardio)

We’re of a generation where the only workout many women would do is cardio. Cardio has its place in exercise routines— especially with all the changes that happen in perimenopause and menopause, like estrogen loss — strength training is equally important. 

Strength training pumps your muscle, heart, and vascular system. Your bones and muscles get stronger, creating a domino effect where you start feeling good. 

If you feel like you don’t have the strength for strength training, go anyway. Do a light set. Just doing the deed will help you feel good while you’re getting started, then you can take breaks on the days your body doesn’t feel like it. 

The Most Common Struggle When Creating a Exercise Routine

We’re all trying to balance massive to-do lists in 24 hours, right? Whether you’re a mom, you have a partner or kids, you have a 9-to-5 job, your day probably starts in a whirlwind. Yet we still find time to do other things, like get our nails done and scroll TikTok. So why can’t we show up for ourselves a few days a week?

The key is building a routine and making it a priority. If it’s one of the top three things you do for yourself and it’s built into your daily schedule, it’ll be so much easier to make it happen. That doesn’t mean you need to hit the gym as a part of your morning routine. Figure out what kind of movement works for you and prioritize it as self-care. 

Because movement is self-care. Making movement a regular part of your weekly or daily routine is taking care of yourself. Not only does it make you feel stronger now, but you can avoid unnecessary medications — like anti-inflammatory or pain medications — down the line. 

How do you build an exercise routine? 

1. Find your why. Knowing why you want to move is key. Are you getting ready for someone’s wedding? Your birthday? An upcoming trip?
2. Begin to adjust. Let’s say your why is to go on your lifelong dream trip to Italy. Can your body keep up with all the walking tours and exploring you want to do? Start adjusting your movement to achieve that future. 
3. Write down what you’re grateful for. Remember, this is for you and your future. You’re moving to feel good about yourself, so you can explore the Spanish Steps and walk through that vineyard. Keep that vision, your progress, and what you’re grateful for top of mind to help you get through any speed bumps.
4. Start with basic movements. Focus on basic movements and fundamental form as you start your perimenopausal movement journey. Building a good movement foundation will serve you for that why (a.k.a., your trip to Italy) and beyond because you’ll know how to move efficiently and safely. 

The #1 Cause of Injury During Movement

If you were physically active before or played sports or attended dance classes as a kid, you might be tempted to jump right into an intermediate or advanced workout right away. However, if you aren’t properly aware of your body and paying attention to your form, you risk injury. 

Whether it’s dance, yoga, running, or strength training, it’s important to focus on proper form and posture. Pay attention to the following: 

• How should your core and back be?
• What kind of pelvic tilt should you have?
• How should your wrists and ankles be positioned?
• What kind of shoes should you have?

Knowing how your body should be aligned during movement can help you connect with your body too. Bringing in mindfulness isn’t just about bodybuilding; it’s about loading your body progressively in a way that works for you.

Consider getting a healthy body physical with a physical therapist to discover where your body is holding tension or out of alignment before starting a movement routine. 

This isn’t always the shiny fun stuff, but building on these fundamentals will help you stay strong, risk injury, and find joy in the movement. 

How to Start Moving When You Don’t Feel Like It 

If you want to start adding movement to your routine, but you feel too tired, achy, or just not feeling it, I see you. Let’s break down how to find the motivation to get moving. 

1. Go for a walk. Walk in nature, walk with a friend, your partner, your dog—anything. That mental shift that happens when you’re outside is huge. Even if you don’t want to exercise, walking gives you that initial boost. 
2. Move in a way that brings you joy. Try yoga, tai chi, dancing—whatever makes you happy. 
3. Find a coach or a structured program. Start slow, make sure you’re not getting injured, and if something feels off, seek guidance. Even if you do just two structured workouts per week, make them non-negotiable.

Don’t Forget Stretching 

Many perimenopausal women struggle with connection and joint pain, especially knee pain. They tend to get tunnel vision, thinking that if they lose weight, they’ll heal their knee pain. But if weight were truly the cause of knee pain, losing weight would cure it for everyone. (It doesn’t.) Instead, your body might need more flexibility. 

People generally fall into two categories: weak and tight. The weak group needs butt, hip, leg, and ankle exercises to build strength to support. On the other hand, the tight group needs hamstring and quad stretches, including static and dynamic stretching to loosen up the tightness in the body. Focus on nourishing your body properly and adding a simple stretching routine to help loosen your body and give it more range of movement. 

Key Takeaways

Despite what diet culture so often tells us about movement, we can approach it as positive self-care, not punishment. Knowing how our hormones change with perimenopause and menopause also changes the way that our bodies feel and what they need from us. It’s so important to understand our bodies better and take care of ourselves, and movement is such a wonderful way to do that. 

I hope you feel inspired to find movement that aligns with you, whether it’s Preeti’s strength training, a belly dance class, or an after-dinner walk. 

And remember—you’re worthy just as you are. 

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