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Reformer Pilates & Menopause

HOW PILATES CAN SUPPORT YOUR BODY THROUGH PERIMENOPAUSE AND BEYOND

BY DREAM BODY PILATES

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WELLNESS

If your body suddenly feels different in your 40s or 50s, you’re not imagining it.

Perimenopause and menopause can bring changes to muscle strength, bone health,

body composition, sleep, energy, mood and joint comfort. For many women, it can also mean that the type of exercise they enjoyed in their 20s and 30s no longer feels quite right.

This is where Reformer Pilates can be particularly useful.

At Dream Body Pilates in Halifax, West Yorkshire, we believe exercise during this stage of life shouldn’t simply be about burning calories or trying to make your body smaller. It should help you build a body that feels strong, capable and supported for the years ahead.

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY DURING

PERIMENOPAUSE AND MENOPAUSE?

Perimenopause is the transition leading up to menopause and can begin several years before your periods stop completely.

As hormone levels fluctuate and eventually decline, women may experience a wide range of physical and emotional changes. These can include:

Loss of muscle mass and strength
Changes in where body fat is stored
Reduced bone density
Increased stiffness, aches or joint discomfort
Changes in balance and mobility

Poorer sleep
fatigue
Changes in mood
Reduced confidence in your body
Pelvic-floor changes

Not every woman will experience all of these, and symptoms vary considerably from person to person.

One particularly important change, however, is what happens to our muscles and bones.

A 2025 systematic review examining women during perimenopause and early

post-menopause highlighted that the menopause transition is a period in which bone and muscle loss can accelerate. The review also found evidence that strength-based exercise may help support bone health during early post-menopause, although researchers emphasised that more high-quality studies specifically involving perimenopausal women are needed. (PubMed)