Strength training after menopause: how to make the most

Medical experts say strength training helps preserve bone density and muscle after menopause, and resistance can come from weights, machines or bodyweight moves while balance and impact work are also noted.

Sarah Baldassaro began strength training at 50 and says she now feels stronger than at any earlier age. Medical experts in the article explain that after menopause, estrogen loss accelerates declines in bone density and muscle mass, and strength training can support both. Physical therapist Hilary Granat notes that muscle pulling on bone during resistance work stimulates bone-building cells. The article also highlights balance and impact exercises alongside resistance work. What is reported: - Strength training is described as helping preserve bone density and muscle mass after menopause, when hormonal changes accelerate loss. - Resistance can come from dumbbells, free weights, machines or bodyweight exercises such as pushups, squats, lunges and planks. - Granat is quoted saying it is important to work near muscle failure, often using loads that allow roughly 6–30 repetitions; a common range mentioned for some exercises is about 5–20 pounds, with novices at the lower end. - The article notes impact activities (walking, hiking, running, jumping, stair climbing) and balance practices (tai chi, yoga, single-leg standing) as part of maintaining bone health and reducing fall risk; a rebound-jump example of 10–30 jumps and a three-times-per-week frequency is mentioned. - Baldassaro says strength work complemented her aerobic routine and that training with a coach helped expand her exercises. Summary: Strength training is presented as a key approach in the article for countering menopause-related bone and muscle loss, with experts and a trainer describing both weighted and bodyweight methods plus balance and impact work. Specific practice details are reported in the article, but longer-term outcomes or broader population effects are undetermined at this time.