Let me be clear: you need to do cardio—at any age. It keeps your heart healthy, improves endurance, and releases feel-good endorphins. But if you’re relying on cardio alone to help you lose weight during perimenopause?
No. Just no.
Because here’s the truth no one’s telling you: during perimenopause, your body changes in ways that make traditional cardio workouts less effective for fat loss—and in some cases, they can actually make things worse.
Why Cardio Isn’t Enough Anymore
In your 20s or 30s, pounding the pavement or sweating through spin class could peel off pounds. But perimenopause is a whole different hormonal landscape.
As estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone fluctuate, your body becomes more prone to storing fat—especially around the belly. Meanwhile, you’re naturally losing muscle mass (which drives your metabolism).
Now here’s the kicker: excessive cardio can raise cortisol, your stress hormone. High cortisol levels tell your body to hang on to fat—particularly belly fat. So while you’re burning calories during your workout, you may be slowing your metabolism and increasing fat storage afterward.
That’s why hours of cardio with little strength training can backfire. You’re burning energy but not building anything to keep your metabolism running hot after you stop moving.
What Actually Works: Strength Training
If you want to change your body during perimenopause, strength training is your new best friend.
- Builds lean muscle: Muscle burns more calories at rest, helping reverse the natural metabolic slowdown.
- Stabilizes blood sugar: Prevents crashes and cravings that can sabotage your progress.
- Improves hormone balance: Strength training helps regulate cortisol, estrogen, and insulin, creating a more fat-burning-friendly environment.
- Reshapes your body: While cardio shrinks you, lifting sculpts you.
And no, you don’t have to become a bodybuilder. Two to three strength sessions a week—20 to 40 minutes each—is enough to start shifting your metabolism and body composition. Here’s a program to get you started.
The Bottom Line
Cardio isn’t the enemy—but depending on it as your only tool during perimenopause can sabotage your results. Your body needs more muscle, not more miles.
If you’re tired of working harder and getting nowhere, ditch the cardio obsession and start lifting. Build strength, boost your metabolism, and let cardio play a supporting role.
Because during perimenopause, strong is the new skinny—and it actually works.
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