Is Weightlifting Good for Depression During Perimenopause?
Explore how weightlifting can help with low mood and depression during perimenopause, including the science, practical advice, and what to expect.
Depression and Perimenopause
Perimenopause raises the risk of depression significantly, even in women with no previous history of it. Falling oestrogen disrupts serotonin and dopamine systems, and the cumulative stress of disrupted sleep, physical symptoms, and identity shifts adds further pressure. Low mood during perimenopause can feel different from typical depression: it often has a hormonal edge, surfacing around your cycle or intensifying during periods of hormonal flux. Whatever its flavour, it deserves attention. Weightlifting is one of the more powerful non-pharmaceutical tools available.
How Weightlifting Affects Mood
The mood-lifting effects of exercise are well documented, and resistance training in particular shows strong results. Lifting weights triggers the release of endorphins, increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and improves dopamine sensitivity. BDNF is sometimes called a natural antidepressant because it supports the growth of new neural connections and helps the brain adapt to stress. Several clinical trials have found that resistance training has antidepressant effects comparable to moderate aerobic exercise, with some evidence it works especially well in women experiencing hormonal fluctuations.
The Role of Mastery and Confidence
Beyond brain chemistry, weightlifting offers something that many other exercises do not: a clear and measurable sense of progress. Lifting heavier over time, completing a workout you thought was too hard, or simply showing up consistently all build a quiet form of confidence. This matters because depression often erodes self-efficacy. The physical act of doing something hard and succeeding, repeatedly, has a psychological impact that is harder to quantify but very real.
Getting Started When Motivation Is Low
Depression makes starting anything feel hard, so keep the barrier to entry low. Two sessions per week is enough to see benefit. Thirty minutes is enough. You do not need a gym: resistance bands, dumbbells, or bodyweight movements like squats and press-ups all count. Try to schedule sessions at the time of day when your energy is least depleted. Going with a friend or joining a class can help on days when showing up alone feels impossible. Logging your sessions in PeriPlan alongside your mood symptoms can help you see the connection building over weeks.
When to Seek Additional Support
Weightlifting is a useful tool, but it is not a replacement for professional care if depression is severe. If you are experiencing persistent low mood, loss of interest in things you usually enjoy, hopelessness, or thoughts of self-harm, speak to your GP. Perimenopause-related depression often responds well to HRT, antidepressants, or talking therapies, and these can work alongside an exercise programme rather than instead of it.
Combining Strength Training with Other Strategies
The women who tend to see the most improvement in perimenopausal depression are those who approach it from multiple angles at once. Strength training two to three times a week, combined with adequate sleep, reduced alcohol, time outdoors, and social connection, creates a foundation that makes everything feel more manageable. If you are already using medication or therapy, adding regular weightlifting often amplifies the benefit of those interventions.
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