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I’m a personal trainer and this is the exact 30-minute workout I do to fight menopause symptoms, build strength and boost cardio fitness
I recently acquired a new personal training client in her 50s, who sought my help specifically because she’d been told her bone density was too low.
This is common during menopause; women also lose lean muscle and suffer from a wide range of symptoms, including brain fog, anxiety, and poor sleep.
One of the best ways to manage these health issues is to combine strength training with cardio.
Strength training helps keep bones strong, protects against osteoporosis and builds muscle, which we lose as we age. Cardio is good for your heart—which is negatively impacted by declining estrogen levels. It can also improve energy levels, boost calorie burn, and have a positive impact on your mood and sleep.
I’ve created this quick 30-minute strength and cardio workout to ease menopause symptoms. It’s joint-friendly, with no jumping movements, and easy to do from home—I certainly find it helps me manage my own symptoms.
How to do the workout
You will need a pair of dumbbells for this workout.
The moves:
- Knee drives
- Narrow to wide squat
- Knee lifts
- Weighted goblet squat
- Weighted squat and punches
- Weighted pullover and deadbug toe taps
- Bird dog zippers
Do each exercise for 45 seconds with 15 seconds rest, completing four rounds in total. Take 30-60 seconds rest between sets.
Aim to do this workout three times a week, more if you can. Each session only needs to be 30 minutes.
It’s not about how long you exercise—it’s about consistency. I’d also recommend doing some mobility training every week to keep joints happy and healthy.
Exercise explainers
Knee drives
Sets: 4 Time: 45secs
- Stand with feet hip-width apart.
- Lean forward slightly as you step your left leg back and put your arms straight out in front.
- Drive your knee towards your chest, bending your elbows and pulling your arms towards your torso.
- Tap your foot back behind you and extend your arms out straight again.
- Repeat for 45 seconds and alternate legs with each round of exercise.
Narrow to wide squat
Sets: 4 Time: 45secs
- Stand with feet hip-width apart.
- Push your hips back and lower into a narrow squat.
- Push through your heels and squeeze your glutes to stand.
- Step to the side with your right leg then lower into a wide squat.
- Push through your heels and come back to a narrow standing position.
- Lower into a narrow squat then stand.
- Step your left leg to the side and lower into a wide squat.
- Push through your heels and come back to a narrow standing position.
- Repeat at pace for 45 seconds.
Knee lifts
Sets: 4 Time: 45secs
- Stand with feet hip-width apart and hands behind your head.
- Raise your left knee and bring your right elbow towards it, then lower the leg.
- Lift the right knee up, bringing your left elbow down at the same time.
- Alternate sides for 45 seconds.
Weighted goblet squat
Sets: 4 Time: 45secs
- Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and toes turned out.
- Hold the dumbbell under your chin, with both hands grasping one end.
- Lower down into a squat, keeping your knee tracking in the same direction as your toes.
- Squeeze the glutes and drive through the heels as you stand.
Weighted squat and punch
Sets: 4 Time: 45secs
- Stand with legs hip-width apart, holding two dumbbells at your chest.
- Lower into a squat with weights close to your body.
- Stand and punch with your right hand and then left.
- Bring the weights back to your chest and lower into another squat.
- Repeat for 45 seconds.
Weighted pullover and deadbug toe taps
Sets: 4 Time: 45secs
- Lie on the floor with your legs in the air, knees bent at 90°.
- Hold a dumbbell with both hands and extend your arms, so that the weight is above your chest. Ensure your back is pushed into the mat so it’s not arching.
- Slowly lower the weight back over your head toward the floor, at the same time as you tap your right foot on the floor.
- Lift the right foot back up to the starting position as you bring the weight back over your chest.
- Then lower the weight back down as you tap the other foot to the floor.
- Return to the start position and repeat for 45 seconds.
Bird dog zippers
Sets: 4 Time: 45secs
- Start on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees.
- Brace the core as you extend your right arm in front and the left leg behind you. Your arm and leg should be in a straight line while keeping your hips and shoulders parallel to the floor.
- Bring the elbow and knee of the extended right arm and left leg toward each other to touch under the torso. Then extend the arm and leg again.
- Come back to your starting position, swaps sides and keep alternating for 45 seconds.
