Pilates through menopause

What changes around menopause

Most women reach menopause between 45 and 55. The years before it, perimenopause, can last a while and bring hot flushes, poor sleep, mood changes and aches. As oestrogen drops, bone density also falls faster and the muscles that support the pelvic floor can weaken. The World Health Organization has a clear overview.

None of this is a reason to slow down. It's a reason to train a little smarter.

What Reformer Pilates can do

The Reformer is strength training with springs. You work your legs, glutes, back, arms and core against resistance that can be set lighter or heavier. That's the kind of exercise health services recommend at this stage of life. The NHS, for example, suggests weight-bearing exercise and resistance training with weights, along with yoga or tai chi to relax.

Pilates also trains balance, posture and control, which help you move with confidence. The breathing and the calm pace of a class settle many women down, which helps on days after a short night. And because it works the deep core, the pelvic floor is part of the work.

What it can't do on its own

Reformer Pilates is low impact. That's kind to your joints, but bones also respond to impact, the jolt of your feet meeting the ground. The Royal Osteoporosis Society recommends combining strength exercise with impact exercise like brisk walking, climbing stairs or dancing.

The springs also only go so heavy. Muscle and bone respond to heavier loads too, which is where weight training at the gym comes in. If you already lift, keep it up. If you're new to it, start with someone who can guide you. Think of Pilates as one part of the mix, next to your walks and your weights. The control and posture you build on the Reformer help you lift with better form.

Pilates doesn't treat menopause symptoms either. If hot flushes, sleep or mood are getting in the way of your life, talk to your doctor. Our classes go alongside medical advice, not instead of it.

How classes adapt

Every exercise on the Reformer can be made lighter or harder by changing the springs, the range or the position. Your instructor adjusts the work to your body, whether you have stiff joints, a weaker pelvic floor or years of training behind you. Tell her before class about anything relevant, like osteoporosis or a recent operation, so she can plan for it. The health questions in the app help with this too.

If you're 55 or older and prefer a gentler pace, the Bloom 55+ class on the schedule is made for you. Otherwise any Reformer Pilates class works. Groups are small, with six Reformers at most, in a studio made for women.

Getting started

You don't need to be fit or flexible to start, at any age. Some of our members are well into their seventies. The Welcome Pack is an easy way in: three classes within a month, no subscription. This is what happens in your first class.

Common questions

Keep reading

• Reformer or mat Pilates: what's the difference?Same method, different tools. What changes on the machine and which one suits you.
• Your first Reformer Pilates class: what to expectWhat to bring, when to arrive and what happens in those 50 minutes.
• How often should you do Reformer Pilates?Once, twice or three times a week? What changes with each rhythm.