Peri/Menopause: The New Performance Metric?

Menopause is finally having her moment.

After decades of being whispered about (or not talked about at all), she’s on magazine covers, podcast lineups, and Instagram reels. Everywhere you turn, there’s a new expert telling you what to do: lift heavy, do your plyos, SIT (not HIIT - but wait, HIIT too!), eat 150 grams of protein a day, get sunlight in your eyes by 8 a.m., meditate, sleep eight hours, take creatine, track your cycle, go to your doctor, ask about HRT, manage your stress, oh - and don’t forget to hydrate.

It’s empowering… but also kind of exhausting.

When empowerment starts to feel like pressure

For years, women asked for more information, better research, and real conversations about perimenopause and menopause. We deserved more than a pat on the back and good luck with that.

But now, the conversation has flipped so far the other way that it can feel like a performance review. Are you lifting heavy enough? Are you doing the “right” type of intervals? Are you getting your protein in grams per kilogram of body weight?

And if you aren’t?  Well, suddenly you feel like you’re failing another test you didn’t know you signed up for.

Permission to keep it simple

Here’s the thing: you’re not a project. You’re not a broken system that needs to be optimized back to peak output.

Yes - strength training, protein, and good sleep matter. But so does your mental health, your bandwidth, and your joy. Trying to tick every single box can create more stress at a time when stress is already working against you.

Redefining success

What if we stopped treating menopause like an endurance race and started treating it like a season?

• Pick one or two habits that support this phase of life and feel doable right now.

• Choose movement that feels good and supports your long term strength.

• Celebrate small wins and moments that remind you you're on the right track.

  
  

The goal isn’t to do it all - it’s to feel supported, resilient, and at home in your body.

My coaching take

When I work with clients in this life stage, we focus on:

• Consistency, not perfection. A couple strength sessions a week can go a long way.

• Adaptability. Life happens. Kids get sick, work piles up. You can still make progress without rigid rules.

• Celebrating what you can do. Feeling stronger, moving better, getting outside - that’s the real performance metric.

Final thought: You are not a scoreboard

Menopause isn’t a competition. It’s not something you win by lifting the heaviest or tracking the most data points.

Our online program, Be the Change, is designed specifically for women navigating perimenopause and menopause - not as a strict checklist, but as a clear, supportive guideline.

Choose what works for you, let go of the rest, and remember: your value is not measured by your macros, your HRV score, or how many grams of protein you hit today.