“Barbara, I know I should be strength training. But how exactly? How often? And do I really need a gym membership to make it work?”

It is a great question. And the fact that so many women are asking it tells me something important: the message that strength training matters in perimenopause and menopause is landing. What is missing is the practical side.

So this article is not about why. It is about how. Specific, actionable, and honest about what you actually need to get started.

How Often Should You Train?

Two to three sessions per week is the target. That is not an aspirational number for some future version of yourself. It is a realistic, science-supported recommendation for women in perimenopause and menopause.

Two sessions per week is a strong foundation, especially if you are just getting started or coming back after a break. Three sessions per week makes sense once you have built some consistency and want to progress further.

What does not count as strength training?

A long walk is wonderful for your nervous system and your mood. Yoga supports flexibility and stress regulation. Neither of these replaces targeted strength training. Your body needs a specific mechanical stimulus to build and maintain muscle mass, and that stimulus only comes from resistance. Walking and yoga do not provide it.

What about recovery?

Leave at least one rest day between strength sessions. In perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen affects the body’s ability to recover and repair. That does not mean doing less overall. It means planning smarter. Three consecutive days of lifting is not a good strategy in this phase of life.

Which Exercises Actually Matter?

Let me be direct here: isolation exercises like bicep curls or leg extensions on a machine are great – but not your priority. What moves the needle in this phase of life are compound movements, exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once.

The five movement patterns every woman over 40 should train:

• Squats: The single most valuable exercise you can do. Targets your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core simultaneously. Bodyweight is completely sufficient when you are starting out.
• Hip hinge movements (e.g. Romanian deadlift or deadlift): Strengthens the entire posterior chain, protects the spine, and is one of the most effective exercises for bone density and muscle mass. A resistance band or a pair of dumbbells is all you need.
• Push movements (e.g. push-ups or shoulder press): Works your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. Wall push-ups are a completely valid starting point. There is no shame in meeting yourself where you are.
• Pull movements (e.g. banded rows or dumbbell rows): Strengthens your upper back and shoulders. Critical for posture and long-term shoulder health, and one of the most neglected areas in women’s training.
• Core stability (e.g. plank or dead bug): Not crunches. Static and dynamic stability work protects the spine and improves your ability to control movement throughout daily life.

Train these five movement patterns consistently and you have a complete foundation. Everything else is supplementary, not essential.

Do not forget the pelvic floor.

Connective tissue loses elasticity during menopause, and your pelvic floor deserves deliberate attention. You do not need a separate session for it. Integrate pelvic floor engagement into exercises you are already doing, squats, bridges, and core work all offer natural opportunities.

What Equipment Do You Actually Need?

Short answer: not a gym. Genuinely.

I say that not to discourage anyone from joining a gym if they love it, but because I watch women delay starting for months, waiting until they have the right membership, the right gear, the right schedule. You do not need any of that to begin. Just begin!

Bodyweight:

A complete, effective workout is possible with nothing but your own body. Squats, push-ups, lunges, glute bridges, planks. For complete beginners, starting with bodyweight is actually ideal because you learn clean movement patterns before adding load.

Resistance bands:

Affordable, portable, and genuinely versatile. Particularly useful for pull movements and shoulder work. If you travel frequently or have limited space at home, bands are an excellent investment.

Dumbbells:

If you want to invest in home equipment, one or two pairs of dumbbells at different weights will take you a very long way. An adjustable dumbbell is even more practical, saves space and gives you more range as you get stronger.

A gym:

If you enjoy the environment and it fits your routine, a gym is a great option. More equipment, heavier weights, often group classes. The downside for some women: the barrier to entry, travel time, and cost. Sometimes trainers who don’t relate to women in our stage of life. None of those objections apply to training at home.

What matters in the end is not the equipment. It is beginning… and then: consistency. Twice a week with a resistance band beats once a month with every machine in the building.

How Hard Should It Feel?

This is one of the most important questions I answer in my coaching, because it is where most women get it wrong in one of two directions: either they go too easy and wonder why nothing is changing, or they go all out and burn out within two weeks.

Too light does not work. If you could easily do ten more reps at the end of a set, the weight is not doing its job. That is movement, not strength training.

Strength training means the last two or three reps of a set should genuinely challenge you. You do not need to be in pain or unable to walk the next day. But you should feel that you worked.

Sets and reps as a starting guide:

Two to four sets per exercise, eight to twelve reps each. If you finish a set and feel like you could go indefinitely, increase the resistance. The principle is progressive overload: gradually asking your body to do a little more over time. That is what creates change.

Ready to start but not sure where to begin? Download my free strength training guide for key tips to get you started.

A Sample Training Week for Beginners

Here is what two sessions per week could look like in practice:

Monday: Full Body Session A (approx. 35 minutes)

• Squats: 3 x 10
• Push-ups (or wall push-ups): 3 x 8
• Banded rows: 3 x 10
• Plank: 3 x 20 seconds
• Glute bridge: 3 x 12

Thursday: Full Body Session B (approx. 35 minutes)

• Reverse lunges: 3 x 8 per side
• Romanian deadlift with dumbbells or band: 3 x 10
• Shoulder press: 3 x 10
• Dead bug: 3 x 6 per side
• Side-lying clamshells with band: 3 x 12

This is not a program designed to exhaust you. It is a structured introduction that covers all the key movement patterns and gives your body time to adapt between sessions.

The Bottom Line

Start with what you have. In the time you have. Two sessions per week, thirty to forty minutes, with enough resistance that you actually feel it working.

This is not a trend. It is the foundation for how your body functions over the next thirty to forty years. And it is available to you right now, no gym required.

If you want a complete, structured six-week program, designed specifically for women 40 and over, Power&Balance is built for exactly us. Get started with quality, flexibility and expert guidance – learn more here!

About Barbara Birke

Barbara is a sports scientist, nutritionist, and mindset coach who works with women 40 and over through perimenopause, menopause, and into healthy longevity. Based in Toronto, she works bilingually with women across North America and the DACH (Germany/Austria/Switzerland) region. Her approach is science-backed, practical, and built around one central belief: this is not a phase to get through. It is a phase to build something powerful!