Menopause: weight, belly and activity

01The short answer

02What changes, and when

The large U.S. SWAN study followed women through the transition to menopause. Its results, published in 2019 in JCI Insight, are clear: weight rose steadily before menopause, without speeding up at the transition; what changed was composition. At the start of the transition, the rate of fat gain doubled and lean mass declined, and these changes continued until about 2 years after the final menstrual period, before levelling off.

Fat also moves. For the International Menopause Society, menopause comes with a shift of fat from the hips and thighs toward the belly; The Menopause Society explains that falling estrogen encourages the body to store fat in the abdomen. It adds that weight gain in midlife women results from aging, menopause and lifestyle together: three causes, not one.

03What activity does

In postmenopausal women, a 2023 meta-analysis (101 trials) finds aerobic training effective for fat loss, and strength training for muscle gain. The Menopause Society recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, combined with strength training twice a week. It also notes that women naturally lose 3 to 8% of their muscle mass per decade after age 30: one more reason not to do cardio only.

Bones matter too. In its “Too Fit To Fracture” exercise guide, Osteoporosis Canada recommends strength exercises at least twice a week, balance exercises at least twice a week, and exercises for posture; other activities come in addition to these, not instead of them. If your fracture risk is high, some movements may need to be limited: talk to your doctor before you start.

04Sleep and stress, too

The Menopause Society points out that poor sleep and high stress are closely tied to weight gain, and that sleep disturbances and hot flashes, common during menopause, may further contribute. The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines ask adults aged 18 to 64 for 7 to 9 hours of good-quality sleep, at regular times (7 to 8 hours after 65). If your nights are difficult, that is a topic for your doctor.

05What about the “menopause diet 5-day plan”?

This guide offers no menu, on purpose. Needs differ from one woman to another, depending on health, medication, bones or heart: an eating plan is built with a registered dietitian or your doctor, not from a list found online. Be especially wary of plans that promise results in a few days: Losing weight fast? explains why experts advise a slower pace.

06Joanie's classes: cardio and strength

Joanie's three women-only classes, at noon on weekdays on Nuns' Island, bring cardio and strength together in the same week: Strong Nation™ syncs both to the music in 45 minutes, Bootcamp moves you from station to station, with and without equipment, and Zumba® works on endurance.

No experience is needed. To go further, Joanie, a certified NOOM coach, offers private 60-minute sessions on request, tailored to each woman's needs and goals. The adult karate classes, which are mixed, are open to everyone from 14. See the women's classes.

07At noon, from Brossard or Verdun

The women's classes are at noon: an active break rather than another evening taken up. From Brossard, the REM passes through Du Quartier and Panama before Île-des-Sœurs station; from Verdun, the borough the island belongs to, getting to the dojo maps the way to 550 chemin du Golf, suite 010. The schedule gives the days of each class.

Sources

1. Greendale et al., SWAN study, JCI Insight (2019) — divisionofresearch.kaiserpermanente.org/publications/changes-in-body-composition-and-weight-during-the-menopause-transition/
2. International Menopause Society, Davis et al., Climacteric (2012) — www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/wmd-2012-white-pages-english.pdf
3. The Menopause Society, “MenoNote: Midlife Weight Gain” (2025) — menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/for-women/MenoNote-Weight-Gain.pdf
4. The Menopause Society, press release of September 27, 2023 — menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/press-release/weight-management-in-midlife.pdf
5. Khalafi et al., Frontiers in Endocrinology (2023) — frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2023.1183765/full
6. Osteoporosis Canada, “Too Fit To Fracture” (2024) — osteoporosis.ca/too-fit-to-fracture/
7. CSEP, Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, adults 18–64 (2020) — csepguidelines.ca/guidelines/adults-18-64/
8. CSEP, Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, adults 65 and older (2020) — csepguidelines.ca/guidelines/adults-65/

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