During each life stage, exercise can help or hinder your hormonal balance. Here’s how to exercise safely at each stage of life, from your teens to postmenopause.

Regardless of age, it’s important for women to appreciate the complexity of the hormonal changes they experience throughout their lifetime.

Each life stage may present unique hormonal side effects and challenges, so exercise must be adapted appropriately to enhance your quality of life and provide a sense of symbiosis with your anatomy.

Language matters

We use the term “women” in this article to refer to those assigned female at birth, but we acknowledge that sex and gender exist on a spectrum. This article explains how female hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone affect exercise, but what that means for each individual will vary.

During your teenage years, the young female body has already undergone puberty, and your menstrual cycle is becoming more predictable due to monthly fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone levels.

What’s happening physiologically

Physical activity during this time enhances bone mineral density and helps maintain a healthy balance between body fat and lean muscle mass.

Studies show that 80% to 90% of female bone mass is gained by age 16, with the development of lean muscle helping boost bone density.

Exercise recommendations

Sports and athletics provide opportunities for growth in many areas, especially when it comes to:

  • refining physical skills
  • increasing strength and endurance
  • establishing exercise persistence

While physical activity has numerous benefits, balance is key when it comes to regular exercise and recovery.

It’s important not to overwork the teenage body with too much intense exercise, as this can result in:

Adequate sleep, recovery days, hydration, and a balanced diet are essential for a thriving teenage body. Food intake supports the amount of exercise performed (in other words, no calorie restriction!).

Beyond that, impact and weight-bearing exercises, plyometrics, and resistance training are ideal for increasing bone mineral density.

These are the years the female body is most fertile and pregnancy is most likely.

Your menstrual cycle begins on day one of your period, and hormone levels are very low during the first half of the month.

After mid-month ovulation, estrogen and progesterone rise and continue to climb throughout the second half of your cycle until the next one begins.

What’s happening physiologically

Hormone levels are at their lowest on day one of your period. This is when your body is most resilient and ready to work hard.

Following mid-month ovulation, progesterone gradually rises, increasing your:

Exercise recommendations

It’s important to coordinate your workout intensity with your menstrual cycle. Hormone levels are low at the beginning of the month, so prioritize intense exercises like:

Make sure you include at least one day of recovery between hard workouts.

Due to low estrogen levels during the first half of your menstrual cycle through ovulation, you’re at a higher risk for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.

Perform activities that require quick changes in direction or side-to-side cutting, such as soccer or downhill skiing, with caution during this phase.

Proper knee placement during squats, lunges, jumps, and repetitive cardio is critical.

After mid-cycle ovulation, you should avoid hot exercise environments. Moderate intensity and gentle movement are most beneficial during this time. Options include:

Your first trimester is marked byTrusted Source increases in the hormones:

  • progesterone
  • estrogen
  • relaxin

Progesterone and estrogen levels continue to increase throughout pregnancy, with progesterone levels lessening in the last four weeks before labor.

Relaxin reaches its highest point within the first trimester and remains present beyond birth.

What’s happening physiologically

The most common hormonal symptoms during the first trimester of pregnancy are:

Your prenatal body also experiences an increase in blood volume of over one liter throughout pregnancy, and several symptoms result, including increases in:

  • respiratory rate
  • heart rate
  • the amount of blood moving through your heart with each pump

Exercise recommendations

The following are exercise suggestions for uncomplicated pregnancies, but guidance from a healthcare professional is recommended before making changes to any prenatal exercise regimen.

Given your increased body temperature during pregnancy and your developing baby’s inability to dissipate heat, it’s essential to take all steps to prevent overheating (no hot yoga until after baby arrives!).

Moderate-level cardio provides healthful benefits to the mother and baby, decreasing your risk of:

That said, you should avoid intense cardio that results in breathlessness.

Prenatal yoga is a wonderful way to fend off lower back pain while staying mindful of the increase in your joints’ flexibility.

You can also include strength training at a low-to-moderate intensity in a prenatal exercise routine, focusing on exhaling with challenging movement and bracing your belly so your abdominal muscles don’t protrude.

During childbirth, your progesterone levels fall dramatically, and as soon as the placenta has exited your body, a drop in estrogen follows.

What’s happening physiologically

Because of the drastic change in hormones following childbirth, and the loss of sleep that often comes with having a newborn, you’re at a heightened risk of developing anxiety and depression postpartum.

Weakness of your pelvic floor and urinary tract musculature is common following pregnancy, and some joint laxity may still be present due to relaxin.

Most experts recommend waiting at least 6 weeks to return to activity. But some activities may not be recommended until 13 or more weeks postpartum.

Exercise recommendations

Weekly, moderate-level strength training and cardiovascular exercise may reduce symptoms of postpartum depression and increase energy and feelings of happiness.

Pelvic floor exercises, done while deep breathing, may help tone your pelvic floor and deep abdominal musculature and reduce urinary incontinence.

Working with a physical therapist specializing in pelvic floor physical therapy and can assess your abdominals to check for diastasis recti is often a good first step before resuming your traditional exercise routine.

If you’re postpartum, you should gradually move back into a weightlifting routine mindful of your energy level.

Try to avoid overly stressing your abdominals when lifting (even picking up your baby). Focus on an inward contraction, not pushing the abdominals out.

Consider working out in a group to boost your endorphins. New moms who exercise in group settings have reported decreasedTrusted Source depressive and anxious feelings.

During perimenopause (the time around menopause), ovarian function declines, resulting in a decrease in estrogen and progesterone levels and menstrual cycle irregularities.

Menopause is considered the point at which you don’t have a menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months.

What’s happening physiologically

Between perimenopause and menopause, bone density often declines rapidly, increasing susceptibility to osteoporosis and bone fractures.

A decrease in lean muscle and an increase in fat may lead to metabolic changes, including weight gain, and a higher risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.

Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, and depression are some of the most common symptoms during this transition.

Exercise recommendations

Resistance training and balance and weight-bearing exercises are important during this time and may help slow bone density loss.

Also include flexibility exercises in your workout program — yoga, Pilates, static and dynamic stretching, and foam rolling — to prevent movement patterns that could compromise joint health.

Take recovery days between hard workouts, especially if they include jumping or running, to avoid overuse injuries and give your body time to heal.

Regular cardiovascular training is essential for maintaining heart health and a moderate body weight. It may also support mental health and combat sleeplessness.

Estrogen is very low during the postmenopausal period.

What’s happening physiologically

Along with being at higher risk forTrusted Source osteoporosis and heart disease, you may experience weight gain and muscle loss during and after menopause.

Exercise recommendations

Moderate-intensity cardio and interval training may decreaseTrusted Source arterial stiffness and increase aerobic fitness at this stage of life.

Resistance and weight-bearing exercises may help improve bone density postmenopause. These forms of training are helpful when trying to prioritize lean muscle maintenance and a healthy metabolism.

Balance work should also be a part of your regular exercise routine, as it helps prevent falls and lowers your risk of bone fractures.

Women of all ages can benefit from a better understanding of the intricate hormonal changes they face throughout their lives.

Exercise programs must:

  • respect the hormonal symptoms of the female reproductive system
  • be adapted appropriately to provide therapeutic and general health benefits,
  • give women a sense of connection to their bodies

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