When it comes to menopause, it can seem that women have been dealt the short straw. They hit their 40s or 50s and begin experiencing hot flushes, incontinence, and other symptoms they never had before. However menopause manifests, there’s no doubt that midlife is a time of change. Doing Pilates in menopause can support your body’s changing needs.

Although I haven’t hit menopause yet myself, I have worked with many women as they navigate this new life stage. Personally, I manage my own hormone related condition which, although different from menopause, has taught me empathy for people who are balancing life and health. I’ve learned to listen to my body and adapt my lifestyle to support the symptoms of fluctuating hormones. Body changes like menopause can feel worrying and frustrating, but they also offer the potential to become an empowering time when a woman can re-learn her body. This blog explores 4 ways that doing Pilates in menopause can be a stepping stone to better midlife health.

“Body changes like menopause can feel worrying. But they also offer the potential to become an empowering time when a woman can re-learn her body.”

ONE

Pilates in menopause reduces incontinence.

Oestrogen is influential in pelvic floor elasticity and thickness of the urethra lining. So, as oestrogen declines during menopause, you may notice an occasional leak when you laugh, jump, cough, or sneeze. This can feel frustrating and embarrassing, but it is in fact an extremely common experience. It’s important to address urinary incontinence, as it can cause UTIs if left untreated.

The Pilates method teaches you to engage your deepest core muscles, including the pelvic floor. More than just ‘kegels’, your body will learn how to control all parts of the pelvic floor during movement as well as static posture. Though this can take concentration at first, over time, pelvic floor control will become natural and subconscious.  

TWO

Pilates develops mindfulness.

Many women in menopause experience heightened anxiety, stress, and mood swings. Stress boosts cortisol, which can play havoc with already fluctuating reproduction hormones. Perhaps you also get brain fog and find that you forget things that should be second nature. When my condition first developed, I would sporadically experience this symptom too. I once found myself tongue tied over the word ‘hamstrings’ mid class!

Practicing mindfulness, grounding, and relaxation techniques has dramatically eased my experience of brain fog and, whilst I still experience anxiety sometimes, I feel better equipped to manage it.

Pilates is a mindful movement practice, and breathwork features in every class. Mindful movement teaches us to be aware of how our body feels and anchors us in the present moment. Just spending that hour lovingly in your body can help bring you down out of your head. The key is to work with your body and breath rather than fighting it. Take breaks when you need, and choose the level that suits YOU best, not your neighbour.

At Cove Mind & Body, we play calming music and use fragrant essential oils to create a tranquil space that feels like home. My favourites are grounding vetiver and uplifting citrus.

THREE

Pilates can improve bone health.

The body has cells that build bone and cells that ‘eat’ bone. These two types of cells work together to maintain a healthy skeleton. However, during menopause, the decrease in oestrogen causes the body to absorb bone minerals faster than it can build them. This leads to reduced bone density, which is a risk factor for fractures and osteoporosis.

We can work to counteract the decline in bone density by stimulating the bone building cells. When muscles pull on bones, they create a signal to the bone builders to work harder. Pilates involves weight bearing, balance, and resistance-based exercises. So, regularly doing Pilates in menopause is an enjoyable way to strengthen your bones. The controlled, low impact nature of the method makes Pilates a safe choice with minimal risk of falls.

FOUR

Pilates balances & strengthens muscles.

Scoliosis is often thought of as a condition that develops in adolescence. But many women are first diagnosed during menopause. Scoliosis describes a lateral and rotational curvature of the spine. Women may first notice that they experience new muscle pain on one side of their body, or that their clothes hang differently but they can’t work out why. There is some debate over the precise link between menopause and scoliosis, but there are some suggestions that it’s related to degeneration of the vertebral disks and bones.

Whilst doing Pilates in menopause can’t reverse scoliosis, it can significantly improve pain, mobility, and posture by creating balance across the muscles. Pilates exercises lengthen areas that are compressed by scoliosis and strengthen areas that are weak. Even if you don’t develop scoliosis, menopause is correlated with muscle wasting. So, regular strengthening movements like Pilates is recommended.