Life after 45 can feel like a juggling act. You’re balancing career, family, aging parents, relationships and quietly navigating changes in your own body. Maybe you’ve noticed your energy isn’t what it used to be, your moods ride a rollercoaster, or your motivation to work out comes and goes. Many women in midlife feel overwhelmed, confused, or even guilty about their fitness routines during menopause but you deserve better information and a kinder approach that meets you where you are. Menopause is a natural transition. The problem isn’t your discipline,iIt’s outdated fitness advice.

Let’s bust three common menopause myths women 45+ still believe and replace them with strategies that actually support your hormones, metabolism, and long-term health.

Myth 1: “Cardio Is the Best (or Only) Way to Stay in Shape During Menopause”

For decades, conventional wisdom said that endless cardio equals better results.That if we just ran longer, sweated harder, or squeezed in one more spin class, we’d stay slim and healthy forever.

It’s no wonder many women double down on running, spin classes, or the elliptical as soon as midlife weight gain appears. Cardio for women over 45 is still important, but relying on it as your sole strategy (or doing too much) can backfire.

Here’s why excessive cardio isn’t the magic bullet: Long, intense endurance workouts can spike your stress hormones. In midlife, hormonal shifts make your system even more sensitive to stress. You can find more info about that in our previous blog.

Overdoing high-volume cardio (or frequent HIIT classes) can leave cortisol – your body’s primary stress hormone – stuck in overdrive and when cortisol stays high, the body shifts into protection mode.

That protection mode can look like:

• Increased fat storage around the abdomen
• Greater muscle breakdown
• Slower recovery between workouts
• Persistent fatigue instead of that “post-workout high”
• Stronger cravings, especially for sugar and carbs

Should Women 45+ Avoid Cardio During Menopause?

Cardio is not the enemy. The problem isn’t cardio itself, it’s imbalance.

Home strength training (like bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, or light dumbbells) helps you preserve and build muscle, which keeps your metabolism active and improves your body’s insulin response to food. During menopause, this becomes essential. As estrogen declines, muscle mass naturally drops and with it, metabolic rate.

Strength training also plays a key role in protecting your bones. Lower estrogen levels increase the risk of bone loss, and regular resistance work signals your body to maintain and strengthen bone tissue.

What about cardio? Instead of eliminating cardio, think balance and quality over quantity. A couple of moderate cardio sessions per week combined with 2–3 structured home strength workouts will support your body far more than daily long cardio sessions.

Choose movement that strengthens and energizes you. The real results come from combining strength, smart cardio, and recovery, not from forcing endless cardio.

All Younger programs inside the app are intentionally designed to support both strength and cardio in a balanced, hormone-friendly way, so your body gets what it needs without tipping into overload.

Myth 2: “If I’m Gaining Weight, I Must Be Doing Something Wrong”

Weight gain can feel so frustrating in menopause. You step on the scale and wonder, “What am I doing wrong?” It’s easy to blame yourself or assume you’ve failed somehow. But midlife weight gain is extremely common and it’s not a personal failure.

Even women who maintain the same diet and exercise habits often find they’re a few pounds heavier in their 50s. In fact, research shows women gain an average of 5–10 pounds during the menopause transition even without eating more.

Let’s Talk About the “Menopause Belly”

One of the most frustrating changes many women notice is the shift in where weight is stored.Menopause belly is one of the most searched and most frustrating symptoms of menopause weight gain but very few women understand what actually causes it.

Before menopause, estrogen helped guide fat storage toward the hips and thighs. As estrogen levels decline, that pattern changes. The body becomes more likely to store fat around the abdomen.

At the same time:

• Muscle mass begins to decrease more rapidly
• Metabolism gradually slows
• Resting calorie burn drops
• Sleep disturbances become more common
• Stress levels often increase

Since muscle burns more calories than fat, losing muscle means your body requires fewer calories to function. Add disrupted sleep and higher stress and the body becomes even more inclined to store fat, particularly around the belly.

The Worst Thing You Can Do And What Actually Helps

When weight creeps up during menopause, the instinct is to panic, cut calories, add more workouts, push harder, eat less.If you’re trying to lose weight in menopause, extreme calorie restriction is rarely the solution.

Instead of punishment, think partnership. Focus on eating enough quality food (especially protein), continue strength training to preserve muscle, manage stress intentionally, and prioritize rest.

Important - move from body judgment to body support, from extremes to consistency.

Myth 3: “It’s Too Late to Change My Body After 45”

This one is quieter than the others. It’s not always said out loud but it’s often felt.

“I guess this is just aging.”
“My metabolism is ruined.”
“After menopause, nothing really works anymore.”

And just like that, you stop expecting progress.

But it is not too late. Your body after 45 is still incredibly capable of change. It can still build muscle. It can still lose fat. It can still get stronger, leaner, and more energized. The difference isn’t in your potential, it's in the approach.

Research consistently shows that women in their 50s, 60s, and beyond can increase muscle mass and strength with consistent, structured resistance training. Your metabolism isn’t “broken.” It has simply become more sensitive to stress, muscle loss, sleep disruption, and hormonal shifts.

What Actually Changes?

• Recovery may take a little longer
• Protein intake becomes more important
• Strength training becomes essential
• Stress and sleep play a bigger role in results

Embracing a New Chapter

By busting these myths, you free yourself to exercise smarter, nourish yourself better, and appreciate what your body is capable of at this stage. Midlife is not about shrinking or fighting yourself – it’s about supporting yourself.

When you work with your body’s changes, you’ll discover a stronger, steadier version of you emerging on the other side. And that journey of growth and empowerment? It’s just getting started.

Where Younger Fitness Fits In

Understanding these myths is powerful. But having the right structure and support to apply this knowledge is what truly creates change.

That’s exactly where Younger Fitness comes in.

Our programs are specifically created for women 45+ and designed by experts who understand hormonal shifts, metabolism changes, recovery needs, and the unique challenges of midlife. Every workout inside the app is intentionally structured to balance strength, cardio, and recovery in a hormone-friendly way.

Citations

1. Estrogen decline influences fat distribution, muscle mass, and metabolic rate during the menopause transition.
   Source: Santoro N., "The menopause transition: physiology, symptoms, and management." Journal of Women's Health.

2. Midlife weight gain and increased abdominal fat are associated with hormonal shifts rather than aging alone.
   Source: Lovejoy J.C., "The influence of sex hormones on obesity across the female lifespan." Journal of Women's Health.

3. Resistance training improves muscle mass, metabolic health, and supports healthy aging in women over 45.
   Source: National Institute on Aging, "Exercise and Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide."

4. Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels are linked to increased abdominal fat storage.
   Source: Epel E., McEwen B., "Stress, metabolism, and abdominal obesity." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

5. Adequate protein intake and strength-based exercise help counteract menopause-related muscle loss (sarcopenia).
   Source: Phillips S.M., "Nutritional strategies to support muscle mass during aging." Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

6. Balanced exercise programs combining cardio and resistance training improve metabolic health during menopause.
   Source: North American Menopause Society (NAMS), "The Role of Exercise in Midlife Women’s Health."