Is Barre Good for Mood Swings During Perimenopause?
Mood swings during perimenopause can be intense and unpredictable. Find out how regular barre practice may help stabilise your mood and emotional wellbeing.
Mood Swings During Perimenopause: A Neurochemical Reality
The mood swings of perimenopause are rooted in biology, not weakness. As estrogen fluctuates, so does serotonin, the neurotransmitter most associated with stable mood. Dopamine, which drives motivation and reward, is also affected. The result can be rapid emotional shifts: tears, irritability, low mood, or anxiety arriving without obvious reason. Exercise is one of the most consistent ways to support these neurochemical systems from outside. Barre, with its unique blend of discipline, movement, and mindfulness, offers a particularly effective approach.
How Barre Influences Mood
Barre classes combine low-impact strength work with focused attention on form, breath, and precision. This combination is significant for mood. The physical effort releases endorphins and increases serotonin levels. The focused attention required by barre movements, tracking your alignment, counting small pulses, maintaining your posture, interrupts the ruminative thinking that worsens mood instability. The social environment of a barre class adds another layer of benefit, since connection and shared activity also support emotional regulation.
The Routine and Structure of Barre
One underappreciated benefit of barre for mood management is the structure it creates. During perimenopause, when so many things feel unpredictable, having a regular class time and a familiar routine can be genuinely steadying. You know what to expect from a barre session. The predictability itself is calming for a nervous system that is already managing hormonal unpredictability. Building barre into your weekly schedule three to four times creates anchor points that many women find emotionally grounding beyond the direct neurochemical effects.
What a Barre Session Feels Like When Mood Is Low
On the days when mood is at its worst, getting to a class feels like an enormous effort. It often is. But most women report that even when they arrive feeling flat or irritable, the session itself shifts their state. The music, the movement, the instructor's cues, and the shared energy of other participants all contribute. Starting is usually the hardest part. If full barre classes feel too much on difficult days, shorter at-home sessions using free resources are a valid alternative. Even 20 minutes of ballet-inspired movement has mood benefits.
Supporting Mood Beyond Exercise
Barre is a meaningful tool but benefits most from being part of a broader approach. Sleep quality has an enormous influence on mood stability during perimenopause; addressing poor sleep is often the most impactful single intervention. Reducing alcohol intake, managing blood sugar through regular eating, and maintaining social connections all support emotional wellbeing. For persistent or severe mood changes, speak with your GP about HRT, therapy, or both. Barre is a complement to these approaches, not a replacement.
Tracking Mood Over Time
Mood fluctuations during perimenopause can make it hard to notice genuine progress. Logging your barre sessions and mood in PeriPlan allows you to step back and see patterns across weeks. You might notice that mood is consistently better on the days after a class, or that weeks with three sessions feel more emotionally stable than weeks when you only managed one. That kind of pattern recognition gives you agency and replaces the feeling that mood swings are entirely out of your control.
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