Some days, strength training feels like exactly what you need.
Other days, you’re tired, your sleep has been awful, your joints are complaining and the idea of putting on workout clothes feels wildly ambitious.
This is one of the most frustrating parts of perimenopause. You can’t always predict how you’re going to feel, which makes it difficult to follow a rigid exercise plan.
But you don’t have to choose between completing the full workout and doing absolutely nothing.
Try a green, amber and red approach
Green day: do the planned session
You’ve slept reasonably well, your energy is okay and your body feels ready to move.
This is the day to complete your planned session. You might even be able to increase the weight or repetitions if that feels doable.
Amber day: adapt the session
You’re tired, but not unwell. You could probably move, but you don’t have your usual energy.
This is where you might:
- Reduce the weight
- Do two sets instead of three
- Take longer rests
- Choose a simpler variation
- Complete just the main exercises
- Turn a thirty-minute session into fifteen minutes
That still counts.
Red day: rest or recover
You’re ill, dizzy, in significant pain, severely sleep deprived or dealing with symptoms that mean exercise isn’t appropriate today.
Resting is not you failing at your programme. It’s information. Your body is telling you that today’s priority is recovery.
(If your symptoms are severe, new or worrying, seek appropriate medical advice rather than trying to exercise through them.)
Consistency doesn’t mean doing the same thing every time
A lot of women think consistency means completing the exact same workout at the exact same intensity every week.
That might work in a very predictable life. Most of us don’t live in one.
Consistency can mean staying connected to the habit. Sometimes that looks like a full session. Sometimes it looks like a shorter session, lighter weights or a walk instead.
The aim isn’t to prove you can ignore how you feel. The aim is to keep strength training in your life without making it another source of stress.
Don’t fall into the all-or-nothing trap
One difficult day doesn’t mean your whole week is ruined.
You don’t need to “make up for” a missed session with a punishing workout. You don’t need to wait until Monday to start again. You can simply make the next reasonable choice.
This is why I prefer flexible programmes that give you a clear direction without pretending every day will be the same.
My clients often make more progress when they stop trying to force themselves through every session and start adapting intelligently instead.
What if you’re always tired?
If your energy has been persistently low, don’t assume it’s simply something you have to put up with because you’re in perimenopause.
It might be worth speaking to your GP or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional about your symptoms. Sleep problems, iron deficiency, thyroid issues, stress and other health concerns can all affect energy.
If you’ve got that side covered, then it’s a case of piecing together the puzzle. There’s sleep, stress, nutrition and a host of other parts to consider. But when it comes to exercise, I star every client off with a programme that should be too easy. We find the minimum effective dose that gives them energy instead of taking it away. That way, we build consistency, we progress quickly, and we have momentum on our side.
Your next step
The next time you have a difficult symptom day, ask yourself:
“What’s the most useful version of movement I can manage today?”
Maybe it’s the full session. Maybe it’s a shorter one. Maybe it’s rest.
That question will take you further than asking whether you’ve been “good” or “bad”.
If you’d like help adapting your training around your energy, sleep and symptoms, 1:1 Coaching gives you personalised support and a plan that can change with you.
If you’d prefer to work independently, Strength Essentials gives you a progressive programme you can follow at your own pace.
You don’t need to train perfectly through perimenopause. You need to find what you can do, and what you enjoy doing, so you keep it up. That’s what builds long term health without the overwhelm, and ultimately future proofs your body