Looking after yourself around the time of menopause
Health topics Menopause Looking after yourself around the time of menopause Explore practical ways to care for your physical and emotional health during menopause – from managing weight and sleep to improving mental wellbeing and libido. Print / PDF Benefits of a healthy diet at menopause Benefits of physical activity at menopause Benefits of a healthy weight at menopause How to look after your bone health at menopause How alcohol and smoking can impact you at menopause 20 languages available العربية မြန်မာ 简体中文 دری English فارسی Ελληνικά हिन्दी Italiano ကညီကျိာ် नपालेी Thok Nath Português ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Soomaali Kiswahili தமிழ் ภาษาไทย Türkçe Tiếng Việt Reviewed For the most up to date information on this topic, please visit jeanhailes.org.au Key takeaways Healthy lifestyle changes, like regular exercise, a balanced diet and good sleep routines, can ease menopausal symptoms and improve health after menopause. Weight gain at menopause is common, but it’s likely due to age and lifestyle rather than menopause itself. While you’re still ovulating, it’s possible to get pregnant. Ask your doctor about contraception options that suit your age and health needs. Sections on this page Benefits of a healthy diet at menopause Benefits of physical activity at menopause Benefits of a healthy weight at menopause How to look after your bone health at menopause How alcohol and smoking can impact you at menopause Print / PDF Key takeaways Healthy lifestyle changes, like regular exercise, a balanced diet and good sleep routines, can ease menopausal symptoms and improve health after menopause. Weight gain at menopause is common, but it’s likely due to age and lifestyle rather than menopause itself. While you’re still ovulating, it’s possible to get pregnant. Ask your doctor about contraception options that suit your age and health needs. Benefits of a healthy diet at menopause A healthy diet can help prevent weight gain during midlife. Making healthy food choices is one of the best ways to stay within a healthy weight range. A healthy diet will: improve your energy levels help you manage your weight help with some menopausal symptoms. If you’re concerned about your weight, see a doctor, dietitian or nutritionist for support. Learn more about why good nutrition is important Recipes Cook delicious and nutritious recipes. Listen to Sandra Villella, naturopath at Jean Hailes Clinics About menopause and nutrition in this podcast. Read this article 5 Dietary tweaks for women over 50. Benefits of physical activity at menopause Menopausal symptoms can make it harder to do physical activity, which may contribute to weight gain. Physical activity is an important part of being healthy, especially as you age. It can reduce the risk of: chronic disease falls osteoporosis. Staying active can also help you manage your weight and menopausal symptoms. The current recommendations for physical activity for women are: to be active on most (preferably all) days of the week to avoid sitting for long periods of time. Try some of these practical ideas: Move, even if you feel tired or unmotivated. Walk or ride some or all the way to work. Take the stairs instead of the escalator or lift. Join a team sport or activity to have fun and stay motivated. Read the recommended guidelines for exercise Benefits of a healthy weight at menopause Weight gain and increased belly fat are common in midlife, but they’re more likely due to age and lifestyle than menopause itself. Women tend to gain weight as they age, whether they’re experiencing menopause or not. On average, women between the ages of 45 and 55 gain about half a kilogram per year. It’s not healthy to carry too much weight. Weight around your stomach (visceral fat) can increase your risk of developing health conditions, such as: heart disease type 2 diabetes cancer. It can also increase menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and joint aches. A review published by the Mayo Clinic shows women can prevent weight gain at midlife by having a healthy lifestyle and managing menopausal symptoms. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) may also help to reduce belly fat after menopause, but MHT shouldn’t be prescribed for weight management alone. How to look after your bone health at menopause After menopause, lower levels of oestrogen can affect your bone health, which may increase your risk of developing osteoporosis. If you experience premature or early menopause, you may have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis earlier in life. Learn about bone health after menopause How alcohol and smoking can impact you at menopause Drinking too much alcohol around the time of menopause can: cause weight gain disrupt your sleep trigger hot flushes and night sweats. In the long term, heavy drinking can also lead to an increased risk for: depression cardiovascular disease diabetes certain cancers. Learn more about the Australian alcohol guidelines and ways to minimise alcohol harm. Smoking can cause more severe and frequent hot flushes and night sweats, which can disrupt sleep. Smoking and drug use can also increase your risk of developing serious health conditions. For health advice about smoking, visit Quit.org.au. If you’re concerned about your smoking or alcohol consumption, talk to your doctor. Personal stories about menopause Story ‘Like being hit by a freight train’ – the unexpected impact of surgical menopause 4 min Story Menopause in the office: How I embraced the heat 5 min Story A ‘beautiful ally’ – friends face menopause in their 20s following breast cancer treatment 4 min Review process Our review process This information has been reviewed by clinical experts and is based on the latest evidence. Our content review process ensures our health information is accurate, trustworthy, current and useful. We regularly check our information to make sure it reflects the latest clinical guidelines and key findings from large, reliable studies. Where possible, we focus on Australian research to make our information more relevant locally. Experts play a key role in reviewing our content. Clinicians at Jean Hailes check information for accuracy and real‑world relevance. These include GPs, gynaecologists, endocrinologists, psychologists and allied health professionals. We also work with partner organisations, independent specialists and people with lived experience to make sure our content reflects both expert knowledge and the experiences of the community. Health information in your language view all You might want to know more about Topic Premature and early menopause Topic Menopause How to manage menopausal symptoms • Looking after yourself around the time of menopause • Medically induced menopause • Menopause information for partners • Premature and early menopause • Treatments for menopause Topic How to manage menopausal symptoms Topic Menopause information for partners

Looking after yourself around the time of menopause

Explore practical ways to care for your physical and emotional health during menopause – from managing weight and sleep to improving mental wellbeing and libido.

Print / PDF

Reviewed

Key takeaways

Healthy lifestyle changes, like regular exercise, a balanced diet and good sleep routines, can ease menopausal symptoms and improve health after menopause.
Weight gain at menopause is common, but it’s likely due to age and lifestyle rather than menopause itself.
While you’re still ovulating, it’s possible to get pregnant. Ask your doctor about contraception options that suit your age and health needs.

Key takeaways

Healthy lifestyle changes, like regular exercise, a balanced diet and good sleep routines, can ease menopausal symptoms and improve health after menopause.
Weight gain at menopause is common, but it’s likely due to age and lifestyle rather than menopause itself.
While you’re still ovulating, it’s possible to get pregnant. Ask your doctor about contraception options that suit your age and health needs.

Benefits of a healthy diet at menopause

A healthy diet can help prevent weight gain during midlife. Making healthy food choices is one of the best ways to stay within a healthy weight range.

A healthy diet will:

improve your energy levels
help you manage your weight
help with some menopausal symptoms.

If you’re concerned about your weight, see a doctor, dietitian or nutritionist for support.

Learn more about why good nutrition is important

Listen to Sandra Villella, naturopath at Jean Hailes Clinics

About menopause and nutrition in this podcast.

Benefits of physical activity at menopause

Menopausal symptoms can make it harder to do physical activity, which may contribute to weight gain.

Physical activity is an important part of being healthy, especially as you age. It can reduce the risk of:

chronic disease
falls
osteoporosis.

Staying active can also help you manage your weight and menopausal symptoms.

The current recommendations for physical activity for women are:

to be active on most (preferably all) days of the week
to avoid sitting for long periods of time.

Try some of these practical ideas:

Move, even if you feel tired or unmotivated.
Walk or ride some or all the way to work.
Take the stairs instead of the escalator or lift.
Join a team sport or activity to have fun and stay motivated.

Read the recommended guidelines for exercise

Benefits of a healthy weight at menopause

Weight gain and increased belly fat are common in midlife, but they’re more likely due to age and lifestyle than menopause itself.

Women tend to gain weight as they age, whether they’re experiencing menopause or not. On average, women between the ages of 45 and 55 gain about half a kilogram per year.

It’s not healthy to carry too much weight. Weight around your stomach (visceral fat) can increase your risk of developing health conditions, such as:

heart disease
type 2 diabetes
cancer.

It can also increase menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and joint aches.

A review published by the Mayo Clinic shows women can prevent weight gain at midlife by having a healthy lifestyle and managing menopausal symptoms.

Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) may also help to reduce belly fat after menopause, but MHT shouldn’t be prescribed for weight management alone.

How to look after your bone health at menopause

After menopause, lower levels of oestrogen can affect your bone health, which may increase your risk of developing osteoporosis.

If you experience premature or early menopause, you may have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis earlier in life.

Learn about bone health after menopause

How alcohol and smoking can impact you at menopause

Drinking too much alcohol around the time of menopause can:

cause weight gain
disrupt your sleep
trigger hot flushes and night sweats.

In the long term, heavy drinking can also lead to an increased risk for:

depression
cardiovascular disease
diabetes
certain cancers.

Learn more about the Australian alcohol guidelines and ways to minimise alcohol harm.

Smoking can cause more severe and frequent hot flushes and night sweats, which can disrupt sleep. Smoking and drug use can also increase your risk of developing serious health conditions.
For health advice about smoking, visit Quit.org.au.

If you’re concerned about your smoking or alcohol consumption, talk to your doctor.