Muscle Is Medicine
I’m not chasing abs. I’m chasing vitality—and a body that still picks up joy without pulling a calf.
In my thirties, exercise was stress relief. A way to stay fit. My body mostly cooperated. I could bounce back.
Then forty hit. Then hormones dipped. And suddenly I felt… flimsy. Not soft, exactly. Just less there.
I never set out to be the kind of woman who owned a TRX strap, a Pilates mat, and a weighted vest. But here we are.
The Humbling Injury (and the memo my body sent)
Not at a gym. Not scaling Kilimanjaro. In my cul-de-sac at my son’s tenth birthday party. Pink ballet flats, black hiking dress, and a wiffle ball. I turned to chase the slowest grounder in history and pop—my calf (the soleus, specifically) snapped like a sniper got me.
Peak pandemic. I refused the ER for a week. Took a giant bong hit in the backyard instead (Oregon, hi).
And here’s what became painfully, hilariously clear:
That cul-de-sac sniper moment? Not random. It was my muscles and tendons filing a complaint: you’re asking us to sprint and pivot on a workload we haven’t seen in years.
Strength training is what rewrites that story.
Here’s what I wish I’d understood earlier — and what I now explain to patients every day.
The Science
Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function.
It typically begins in the 30s, accelerates after 40, and speeds up around menopause (due to declining estrogen and testosterone). Without resistance training, adults can lose 3–8% of muscle per decade, and even more after 60 and with dieting or inactivity.
Less muscle =
• less strength
• slower metabolism
• weaker bones
• worse blood sugar control
• higher fall risk
It’s not about jeans. It’s about staying upright.
As perimenopause begins, estrogen spikes/crashes, then declines; testosterone often dips. Estrogen helps resting metabolism and muscle maintenance; testosterone supports strength, mood, and metabolic health. With less of both, you need more intention to build and preserve muscle.
So no, I’m not chasing abs. I’m chasing vitality.
I want to climb stairs without my knees staging a revolt. Carry groceries, shove open stuck windows, and still sprint after a runaway dog when the UPS guy shows up.
What Actually Works
Strength training.
Not just cardio. Not just more yoga (love you, yoga).
Resistance: squats, rows, hinges, presses—signals that tell bones and muscles: don’t go anywhere; we still need you.
And it works. I feel it in my glutes on hills. In my core when I say no without apology. In my pelvic floor when I sneeze and don’t pee myself. In my hands when I haul two grocery bags without needing a medal—or a nap.
My Current Toolkit
- Hormone replacement Therapy to replace dwindling hormones (learn more about HRT here)
- Pilates for deep core + alignment (learn more about Pilates + my top 5 strength training exercises)
- TRX because gravity and I still have a relationship
- A very sexy weighted vest (GI Jane at a PTA meeting)
- So much protein. About ~90 g/day from real food, smoothies, and the occasional punishment bar disguised as chocolate (learn more about Protein Intake During Menopause)
Because here’s the truth: muscle is medicine—metabolic, hormonal, mood-stabilizing. It protects bones, balances blood sugar, and keeps you from becoming “the woman who tripped and broke her hip.” Spoiler: she didn’t just trip. She didn’t have the muscle she needed to save herself.
Protein & Recovery
- Daily protein target: ~1.0–1.2 g/kg (often 80–110 g/day for many women) split into 3–4 meals with 25–35 g each.
- Creatine monohydrate: 3–5 g/day, any time; supports strength and cognition.
- Hydration + electrolytes, 7–8 hrs sleep, and gentle walks on rest days.
- Pelvic floor: 5 minutes of breath-led PF/TA work after lifting (exhale on exertion).
Green lights: steady mood/energy, stronger week to week, clothes feel supportive not tight.
Red lights: joint pain that lingers >48 hrs, dizziness, excessive DOMS (Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness)—dial back volume/ego.
Book your Perimenopause ResetReady to get strong on purpose? Book your Perimenopause Reset (fast restart for established patients) or book your first visit for new patients. Your muscles—and future self—will thank you.
