Strength Training for Low Mood and Depression in Perimenopause
Learn how strength training lifts low mood and depression during perimenopause by building resilience, regulating brain chemistry, and restoring a sense of control.
The Unexpected Link Between Muscle and Mood
Strength training is not the first thing most people think of when they hear the word depression, but the research supporting it is substantial and growing. For women in perimenopause, it carries particular relevance. The hormonal shifts of perimenopause affect not just mood but also muscle mass, bone density, and physical confidence, all of which feed back into emotional wellbeing. When estrogen and progesterone become unstable, the neurotransmitter systems that regulate mood, particularly serotonin and dopamine, are disrupted. Strength training addresses this directly by stimulating the release of these same neurotransmitters. It also builds something tangible: visible strength and physical capability that can counteract the sense of loss or diminishment that sometimes accompanies perimenopause.
What the Research Says About Resistance Training and Depression
A 2018 meta-analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry reviewed 33 randomised controlled trials involving nearly 2,000 adults and found that resistance training significantly reduced depressive symptoms across all populations studied, regardless of health status, volume of training, or depression severity at the start. The effect sizes were comparable to aerobic exercise and psychological therapy. A 2020 systematic review specifically examining exercise and menopause-related mood disorders found that resistance training was particularly effective for women in the menopausal transition, with benefits extending to anxiety, fatigue, and sleep quality. The mechanisms include elevation of serotonin and dopamine, reduction in cortisol over time, and improvements in insulin sensitivity, which is directly linked to mood regulation.
Why Strength Training Helps When Cardio Feels Like Too Much
When depression is heavy, the idea of an energetic cardio session can feel overwhelming or simply impossible. Strength training offers a different entry point. You can begin seated or lying down. You can use very light weights or just your own body weight. You can work at your own pace without needing to sustain a particular heart rate. This lower perceived barrier makes it easier to start on difficult days, and starting is the hardest part. The sense of progressive accomplishment that comes with strength training also has a particular value for perimenopausal depression. Lifting a weight that was previously too heavy, completing a set you could not finish last week, or simply showing up three times in a week when that felt impossible, these are small concrete victories that help rebuild the sense of agency that depression tends to erode.
The Cortisol Connection
Cortisol is sometimes described as the stress hormone, but its relationship with depression is more nuanced than that phrase suggests. Chronically elevated cortisol actively suppresses serotonin production, promotes inflammation in the brain, and disrupts the hippocampus, a region critical for mood regulation and memory. Perimenopausal women often have higher baseline cortisol levels due to disrupted sleep, elevated stress, and hormonal shifts. Regular strength training has been shown to reduce basal cortisol over time, not by suppressing the stress response but by improving the body's capacity to regulate and recover from stress. This cortisol-lowering effect is one of the most important pathways through which consistent resistance exercise improves mood in this specific population.
How to Structure Strength Training When You Are Struggling
When mood is low, simplicity is your friend. A two-day-per-week schedule is enough to begin experiencing mood benefits and is a realistic commitment when energy and motivation are unreliable. A basic full-body session covering the major muscle groups, squats, hinges, a push, and a pull, takes 20 to 30 minutes and can be done at home with minimal equipment. Resistance bands, a set of dumbbells, or a single kettlebell are enough to get started. If attending a gym is feasible, the change of environment can itself have mood benefits, and the social element of a class or shared space adds another layer. The most important variable is not the programme you choose. It is consistency over time. Doing something simple and regular will always outperform the ideal programme you cannot sustain.
Connecting Movement to Mood Over Time
One of the most effective things you can do alongside a strength training practice is track both your workouts and your mood consistently. Depression flattens the perception of progress, making it easy to believe nothing is changing even when it is. When you log your sessions and check in on how you are feeling over several weeks, you create a record that your memory and your mood cannot distort. PeriPlan lets you log workouts and track how you are feeling day to day, so you can see patterns emerge across weeks rather than relying on how you feel at any single moment. That kind of accumulated evidence, seeing that your mood ratings trend upward on weeks with more movement, can be genuinely motivating and gives your healthcare provider useful information if you are also receiving professional support.
A Note on Professional Support
Strength training is a meaningful and well-evidenced intervention for low mood during perimenopause, and it is most effective as part of a broader approach to care. If your depression has been persistent, is affecting your ability to function day to day, or feels severe, please speak with your doctor. Perimenopausal depression responds well to a combination of approaches, which may include HRT, antidepressant medication, psychological therapy, and lifestyle changes including exercise. You do not have to address this alone, and there is no virtue in managing it with exercise alone when other effective treatments are available. This content is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider about your specific situation.
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