What is Menopause Medicine

Menopause medicine is a relatively new phrase that has grown in popularity as more women are sharing their stories of suffering during their perimenopause and menopause journey. There are medical options to help prepare how women fight the symptoms. This can include:

• Hormone replacement therapy
• Pain management
• Diet management
• Stress management
• Sleep training
• Physical changes

I recommend you speak with your physician, functional medicine doctor, dietician, psychologist/counselor, or other healthcare providers regarding these options.

The Role of Physical Therapy in Menopause Care

Physical therapy is also a treatment for menopause and focuses on strength, mobility, flexibility, and soft tissue care. PTs are experts in musculoskeletal care and rehabilitation and are a perfect fit to help you manage the strength and movement side of managing menopause symptoms. Menopause Medicine is a specialized service designed to support women throughout their menopause journey. We focus on movement, recovery, and strength so you can feel confident and in control of your body during this stage of life.

Most menopause-related services fall into two categories: traditional physical therapy focused on a specific diagnosis, or fitness programs that are not designed around the physical and hormonal changes of midlife. Our Menopause Medicine Punch Pass bridges that gap.

Each session is led by a licensed physical therapist and is personalized to your body, symptoms, and goals during perimenopause and post-menopause. Past medical history and goals are discussed to make a personalized plan of care that will be executed over a total of 6 visits. We focus on evidence-based movement, strength, and recovery strategies that support joint health, bone density, energy, and long-term resilience without rushing you through insurance-driven visits or generic workouts.

What We Focus On

The visits will focus on various aspects of education and hands-on treatment to improve:

• Joint mobility (range of motion)
• Muscle elasticity (flexibility)
• Strengthening (yes—lifting heavy matters)
• Understanding the role of cardiovascular exercise
• Guidance and referrals to trusted providers (personal trainers, massage therapists, pain specialists, yoga/pilates instructors, dieticians)

How Menopause Movement Medicine Can Help

Menopause-focused physical therapy can support:

• Declining strength and balance
• Bone health and osteoporosis risk
• Weight and body composition changes
• Joint pain and stiffness
• Decreased energy and exercise tolerance
• Safe return to fitness or sport

This is not a class and not traditional PT. It’s intentional, expert-guided care designed specifically for this stage of life.

Why Customized Fitness During Menopause Matters

Every woman’s experience with menopause is different. Symptoms, timelines, and physical changes vary widely, which means a one-size-fits-all fitness plan simply doesn’t work. There are often gaps in understanding proper lifting technique, progression, and how to adjust workouts as the body changes. Since the transition through perimenopause can last for years, individualized programming ensures women are supported at every stage.

How Training Needs Change During Perimenopause and Post-Menopause

While menopause itself is defined as one day (12 consecutive months without a menstrual period), the phases before and after are where most changes occur.

The primary focus? Strength.

Declining estrogen levels can contribute to:

• Joint stiffness and pain
• Muscle weakness
• Reduced effectiveness of previous workouts
• Changes in movement patterns

As the body transitions, training should evolve alongside it to prioritizing progressive strength, joint health, and recovery.

Why Menopause Fitness Is Finally Getting Attention

Menopause is having a moment and it’s long overdue. Increased awareness through social media, improved access to specialists, evolving medical recommendations, and broader conversations have brought this once “quiet” topic into the spotlight.

Previous generations often suffered in silence, with symptoms dismissed as “just aging.” Today, while there’s a flood of information (and yes, some misinformation), women finally have access to education, resources, and support to take control of their health.

At-Home Exercises to Support Strength and Bone Health

The best exercises are the ones you can do consistently and safely. These foundational movements require minimal equipment and deliver maximum benefit:

Farmer’s Carry
A full-body strength exercise that builds grip strength, core stability, posture, and endurance. Think heavy grocery bags, but intentional.
Goal: Carry 75% of your body weight for 1 minute.

Push-Ups
Strengthens the upper body and core using a stable plank position.
Goal: 11 standard push-ups.

Squats
Essential for lower body strength and functional movement.
Goal: Squat your body weight for 1 rep.

Burpees
A high-intensity movement focused on getting up and down from the floor, an essential life skill.
Goal: 10 reps in 1 minute.

Plank
Builds core stability, posture, and supports bone health.
Goal: 90 seconds.

Other exercises like pull-ups, dead hangs, bench press, and push press can also be incorporated with proper equipment. Check out our YouTube video, Strength Test Movements (Functional Lifting Movements), to learn proper form and how to safely build strength at every stage of menopause.

Always consult with a physical therapist to ensure proper technique, safe progression, and a plan tailored to your body.

Take Control of Your Menopause Journey

You don’t have to guess your way through menopause or settle for feeling “off.” With the right guidance, strength training, and expert support, you can build resilience, improve energy, and stay active doing what you love.

Ready to feel stronger and more in control?

Learn more about our Menopause Punch Pass or Contact Us to schedule a Menopause Medicine session at Smith PT+ and start your personalized plan today.