Hey, ladies! Today we’re tackling a topic that doesn’t get nearly enough attention: mental health and emotional well-being during menopause.

Now, if you’re a runner, working on strength, or just someone who loves to stay active, you might be feeling like menopause is throwing a wrench in your training. One day, you feel like you could crush a marathon, and the next, you’re barely able to get out the door for a jog without wanting to cry (or throw something—no judgment). Sound familiar?

Because let me tell you—I get it.

Lately, I’ve been struggling with sleep, and it’s affecting everything. And no, it’s not night sweats waking me up. It’s that frustrating “I can’t shut my brain off” feeling. I’m exhausted, but the second I lay down, my mind decides it’s the perfect time to think about literally everything—random worries, my to-do list, that one awkward thing I said in 2010…you name it.

And anxiety? Like, hello—who the hell am I? The smallest things that never used to faze me now send me into a full-on stress spiral. And it’s not just me—I hear this from so many women who are going through the same thing.

But here’s the truth: menopause does not mean the end of your fitness, your strength, or your identity as an athlete. It just means we need to play a smarter game. Just like you train your muscles, you can train your mind and body to adapt—and I’m here to help you do it.

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Why Do We Feel So “Off” During Menopause?

It’s not in your head—well, actually, it kind of is. Your hormones are directly tied to your brain chemistry. As estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate, they impact key neurotransmitters like:

Serotonin (your happiness booster)
Dopamine (your motivation fuel)
Cortisol (your stress hormone, which can spike when estrogen drops)

When these chemicals get out of balance, it can lead to mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and even a loss of confidence in your abilities. That’s why one day you’re nailing your workouts, and the next, you feel like you’ve lost all your fitness overnight.

But here’s the thing: this is not the beginning of the end. This is just a new phase, and you can absolutely keep getting stronger, faster, and fitter. You just need to adjust your approach.

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Five Ways to Stay Strong—Mentally and Physically—Through Menopause

1. Train Your Brain Like You Train Your Body

Mental toughness isn’t just for race day. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques can help reframe negative thoughts and keep you from spiraling. Next time you catch yourself thinking, “I’m too old for this,” flip the script:

 “I can’t keep up anymore.”
“I am adapting and learning to train smarter.”

Your mindset is your strongest muscle. Train it accordingly.

2. Move for Your Mood (Not Just Your Mileage)

If you’ve been a lifelong runner, lifter, or HIIT junkie, you might feel betrayed when workouts don’t feel the same. Instead of beating yourself up, adjust and listen to your body:

Running? Try adding sprint intervals or trail runs to engage different muscles.
Lifting? Shift to heavier weights with fewer reps to combat muscle loss.
Yoga or Pilates? These aren’t “rest days”—they’re secret weapons for recovery and longevity.

Movement isn’t just about performance—it’s about feeling good, mentally and physically.

3. Sleep is Your New Superpower (But I Know It’s Hard)

This one has been a struggle for me. I can’t fall asleep, and when I do, it’s light, restless, and I wake up feeling just as tired. The frustration alone makes it worse. And let’s be real—when we don’t sleep, everything feels harder. Training suffers, patience runs thin, and motivation tanks.

Here’s what I’m working on, and what might help you too:

Ditching screens before bed. Even though scrolling IG feels like unwinding, it’s actually firing up my brain and making sleep harder.

A bedtime wind-down routine. Five minutes of stretching, journaling, or deep breathing to signal my brain that it’s time to shut off.

Cutting caffeine earlier. I hate this one, but drinking coffee in the afternoon was 100% wrecking my sleep.

If I can’t fall asleep, I get up. Lying in bed frustrated doesn’t help. Instead, I get up, read a book, or do something calming until I feel sleepy.

It’s still a work in progress, but I am trying.

4. Lean on Your People (Because You’re Not Alone)

Ladies, we need each other. Seriously. Menopause can feel isolating, especially if your training buddies aren’t going through it yet. But trust me—there’s a whole squad of women out there who get it. Find them.

Join a community of active women navigating menopause  like our Miles Ahead Women Fit & Strong Private Facebook Page
💬 Talk about it—because the more we normalize these conversations, the stronger we all become.
 Listen to your body and lean on your support system when you need it.

5. Fuel Your Body Like the Powerhouse It Is

Gone are the days of eating whatever and still performing at your best. Your body needs the right fuel now more than ever:

🥩 More protein to maintain muscle.
🥑 Healthy fats to support brain function.
🥗 Anti-inflammatory foods (greens, berries, turmeric) to help with recovery and mood balance.

And hydration? Non-negotiable. Estrogen helps regulate fluid balance, so as levels drop, you’ll need to be even more intentional about staying hydrated.

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Final Thoughts

Menopause has thrown me for a loop. The anxiety, the sleep struggles, the moments of wondering “Who the hell am I right now?”—it’s real. But you know what else is real? The fact that I am still strong. Still capable. Still in control of my body, even if I have to learn new ways to work with it.

And so are you.

Menopause isn’t the end of our fitness—it’s just a new chapter. One that we get to write ourselves. And, it also doesn’t have to be this “thing” that we don’t talk about. For some reason, I hear the “oh, you’re just at that age or menopause, huh? And, the best is when a man says it…… I’ll just leave that there because those are the times I would love to say, yeah well I can still run faster and further than you. lol

So let’s keep moving, keep showing up, and keep proving that strong women don’t stop—we adapt, we push forward, and we crush it.

You in? Let’s go. 💪🔥