Think of your 30s and 40s as your health “prime time.” The choices you make now, from how you move to how you rest, can shape how strong and sharp you feel for decades to come.
Be honest, when you hit the trail or the treadmill, does it feel harder than it used to? This is not in your heads. It’s in your bones, muscles, and hormone levels, and in the invisible but powerful changes that begin well before menopause.
For women in their 30s through 50s, staying physically healthy means more than just hitting the gym. It’s about preserving muscle mass, supporting cognitive function, and safeguarding bone density, investments that can shape your quality of life for decades to come.
Women typically reach peak bone mass around age 30. From there, changes in hormones, especially the drop in estrogen during perimenopause, begin to chip away at that foundation. At the same time, muscle mass naturally declines, metabolism slows, and mood and sleep can become less predictable.
These shifts don’t mean that a decline in health is inevitable. But they do mean that prevention becomes essential.
The key, according to Sprout physiotherapist Simone Galna, is understanding how interconnected systems, such as bone health, brain function, and hormones, are, and taking a proactive and multidisciplinary approach to staying well (basically, as we all know by now, cardio or strength training alone is not enough!).
Weight-bearing exercise is the single most important thing women can do to maintain bone health and prevent osteoporosis.
Strength training, whether through body weight exercises, free weights, resistance bands, or sports like tennis, stimulates bone formation. It also helps preserve muscle mass, improves balance, and reduces the risk of falls and fractures later in life.
If women wait until they’ve already lost significant bone density, it’s much harder to rebuild. This is one area where earlier really is better.
Beyond muscles and bones, exercise also plays a critical role in brain health. A growing body of research12 shows that regular physical activity improves memory, enhances mood, and may delay or reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
Cognitive health isn’t just something to think about at 80. We want to lay the groundwork in our 30s, 40s, and 50s.
Aerobic exercise, strength training, and mind-body practices like yoga and tai chi each offer unique cognitive benefits, from increasing blood flow to the brain to regulating stress and improving sleep.
For many women, the late 30s and 40s usher in a phase that can feel like a rollercoaster, marked by mood swings, hot flashes, and sleep disturbances. These are classic signs of perimenopause, the transition to menopause, which can last anywhere from a few years to a full decade.
While hormone replacement therapy may be one option, lifestyle changes, particularly physical activity, can make a significant difference.
Exercise helps regulate cortisol, improves insulin sensitivity, and supports serotonin and dopamine levels. All significant factors that impact mood and sleep.
Simone often recommends a mix of resistance training and restorative practices, tailored to what feels sustainable and supportive.
According to current Canadian and International guidelines, adults should aim for:
Remember, perfect is the enemy of good. Some movement is better than none. If 10 minutes is all you have today, it still counts.
Staying healthy through midlife isn’t a one-woman job. Simone advocates for a team-based approach to care that includes:
All of these disciplines work better together, and when they’re integrated, which is our approach at Sprout, the results are more sustainable.
From our 30s to our 50s, we’re laying the foundation for how we’ll move, play, and show up now and into the future, for ourselves, and for the people we love. Staying healthy isn’t just about avoiding decline; it's about maintaining optimal health so you’re able to chase your kids (and grandkids!) around the yard, hike on family vacations, dance at weddings, and be ready for all of it.
