"It's Not Optional; It's Medicine": The Power Of Movement In Menopause

For Anita, a 49-year-old corporate lawyer in Mumbai, menopause didn’t arrive with a single dramatic symptom. It crept in quietly. First, it was nights of broken sleep. Then came the foggy mornings, the dips in confidence at work, and the gnawing irritability she couldn’t quite explain. “I wasn’t sick,” she says, “but I didn’t feel like myself anymore.” A friend suggested she start walking every evening and to increase her protein intake. 

Anita was sceptical. How could something as simple as a walk change anything? Yet, within weeks, she began to notice a shift. Her moods were lighter, she managed her long days in court with more clarity, and she felt more in control of her body. What Anita was experiencing was the release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural chemicals that ease stress, elevate mood, and even reduce pain.

On protein intake, Anita had an interesting observation. “I thought protein was only for those who need to run marathons. Unlike what my nutritionist told me, we are all protein-deficient and need protein to both build strength and improve mood swings.”

“Protein turns your nanotransmitters more active,” says Chahat Vasdev, nutritionist at Gytree, a nutrition company focused on menopause and midlife.

Why endorphins matter more in midlife

Science has long shown that exercise is one of the most effective mood stabilisers available to us, and in midlife, it becomes even more vital. Endorphins, released during physical activity, bind to receptors in the brain to reduce pain and trigger positive feelings, the well-known “runner’s high.” For women going through menopause, where fluctuating estrogen levels can destabilise serotonin and other neurotransmitters, endorphins provide a natural corrective.

As Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a menopause expert, notes: “Numerous studies document that physical activity is an effective way to banish symptoms of depression. A recent meta-analysis found that for pre- and post-menopausal women, low- and moderate-intensity exercise significantly reduced depressive symptoms.” Put simply: movement is not optional in midlife; it’s medicine.

Finding anchors in movement

For 42-year-old Sunita, a schoolteacher in Jaipur, perimenopause arrived with mood swings and forgetfulness that left her feeling disconnected from her work and her students. The breakthrough came when she joined a neighbourhood yoga group. “It wasn’t just the postures. It was the breathing, the stretching, the laughter we shared in the room,” she says.

What she found is now well documented — yoga and similar practices help lower cortisol levels, improve sleep quality, and enhance focus. For Sunita, it became more than exercise; it was a daily anchor, a way to reclaim her sense of self. And equally important, it gave her community: a circle of women navigating similar challenges, normalising the conversation around menopause.

Strength, resilience, and reinvention

For Rekha, a 55-year-old gig worker delivering food across Bengaluru, exercise wasn’t about mood or mindfulness; it was about survival. Long hours on her scooter left her with aching knees and constant back pain. Strength training seemed out of reach until a local fitness centre introduced her to simple body-weight exercises and light weights.

She recalls, “At first, I thought this isn’t for me. But slowly I realised my back hurt less, and I could get through my day with more energy.” Her coach, Gurgaon-based fitness trainer Priyanka Mehta, emphasises, “Strength training is crucial, especially as women cross forty. The earlier you start, the better. But it’s never too late, because your muscles can be moulded at any age.”

Rekha’s story shows why strength work is more than a trend; it preserves bone density, staves off frailty, and gives women practical resilience in their daily lives.

The bigger picture

Exercise in menopause isn’t just about managing hot flashes or waistlines. It’s about rewriting what midlife can look and feel like. From Anita’s brisk walks to Sunita’s yoga practice and Rekha’s late-in-life strength training, movement equips women with tools to manage mood, build strength, and reclaim energy.

The science is clear: exercise reduces depressive symptoms, enhances cardiovascular health, supports bone strength, and even sharpens cognition. But the real stories are written in women’s lives: in the confidence that returns when carrying grocery bags doesn’t hurt, in the laughter shared during group yoga, in the steady calm of a morning walk.

Menopause is often framed as a decline, a shutting down. But through movement, women are proving it is a new beginning — one built on strength, resilience, and joy. Exercise is not simply about fitness; it is about empowerment.

As endorphins flood the body and muscles adapt to resistance, women find not only relief but also renewal. Midlife, then, is not the end of vitality but the start of a new relationship with the body, one powered by movement and anchored in self-care.

Views expressed by the author are their own.