At Trinity, we work with thousands of women in their 40s, 50s and 60s who come to us feeling completely stuck and won They’ve spent years putting everyone else first and now, for the first time in a long time, they’re trying to prioritise themselves. One of the most common questions we hear is what type of cardio is best in menopause, and the answer may surprise you.
Despite eating well, cutting carbs, and committing to regular workouts, many of our clients don’t feel that they’re seeing the results they want. Clothes no longer fit the way they used to and their energy levels have dipped.
They dread beach holidays, avoid mirrors, and spend mornings choosing outfits to hide “problem areas” instead of wearing what they love.
More than anything, they want to feel like themselves again: vibrant, strong, comfortable in their own skin.
And that’s exactly what we help them do. Inside our Fit Over 40 Programme, women consistently lose 15–25 pounds in just 12 weeks.
But more than that, they regain their confidence, tone up all over, feel comfortable in their clothes again, and get back to enjoying holidays, weekends, and everyday life without worrying they’ll fall behind.
In today’s article, we’re going to answer one of the most common questions we get asked: What type of cardio is best for women in menopause? If you’ve been working hard with HIIT, spinning, jogging or long gym classes and still not seeing any change in the mirror then this post is for you.
Should Women Over 40 Do Cardio?
Absolutely, but with a smart strategy. The truth is, traditional cardio isn’t always the best option for postmenopausal women. Many of our clients come to us doing weekly cardio workouts like spin classes or Joe Wicks-style HIIT, working hard but seeing no visible changes in the mirror.
Despite sweating buckets and pushing through intense sessions, they step on the scales and see… nothing. Or worse, an injury. Aching knees, sore hips, stiff backs.
And the worst part? That nagging fear that maybe this is just what ageing feels like. But it doesn’t have to be.
“Before I started Trinity I was pretty fed up with the way I felt in relation to my body – my weight had gradually crept up to nearly 80kg. I felt I was relatively fit- an active member of 2 gyms doing regular classes like body attack, body pump, HITT step, balance, yoga/ Pilates going at 6.45am and often after work too. I walked quite a bit and did at least 5k steps a day. In just over a year with Trinity, weight wise I have lost 13kg, I enjoy my LIST workouts, it’s part of my routine, I canceled a gym membership. My strength has improved, My intuition with food is improved. I sleep so much better, my menopausal symptoms have virtually abated. I embrace meditation and have reduced anxiety levels. I was stuck before Trinity, it’s now integral to my daily life.”
– Helen Huntington (57), Trinity Client
Why Doesn’t Cardio Work for Women Over 40?
High intensity cardio spikes cortisol levels, which can block weight loss.
Hormones and Stress After 40
The way the body deals with stress changes for women over 40. Stress spikes the hormone cortisol, this is called the stress response. Cortisol is good in short spurts but bad if it stays high for long periods.
Prolonged elevation can lead to leptin resistance, which causes increased cravings, especially for comfort foods.
It can also lead to insulin resistance, which makes it harder to lose weight, especially from around the middle.
Oestrogen plays a role in regulating cortisol, and due to declining oestrogen levels, the body’s ability to deal with stress reduces from perimenopause onwards.
HIIT training and long-duration steady-state cardio both put a lot of stress on the body, which can make it much harder to lose weight, especially when your life is already pretty stressful.
Lifestyle Load and Stress Stacking
The majority of women we work with inside our Fit Over 40 program have stressful, high-pressure jobs and the responsibility of looking after the family.
Adding hard cardio exercise on top of that floods the body with cortisol 24/7 and makes weight loss far more difficult.
If you’re going through menopause, this effect is even more significant.
The solution? Do a type of exercise that keeps stress on the body low to moderate.
Cardio Is Tough on Your Joints
Most forms of cardio are hard on the joints. Running puts around four times your weight through each knee, meaning if you weigh 12 stone, you put nearly 50 stone through each knee when running.
Many exercises in HIIT workouts involve jumping up and down or doing dynamic movements like jump squats, burpees, and tuck jumps.
For anyone, this always carries a higher risk of injury than slow, controlled exercises. But for women over 40 in particular, many types of cardio carry an even greater risk of injury.
The problem with getting injured is it puts the brakes on your fitness plan, and therefore your results. Not only that, but if you injure your lower body, you might also have to reduce your overall activity level, meaning you’ll use fewer calories throughout the day and be more likely to gain weight if you eat too much.
The solution? Do a type of exercise which is slow, controlled and kind to your joints (but still effective for losing body fat and toning up).
Cardio Burns Muscle and Doesn’t Build It
Muscle is what makes you feel firm, toned and youthful. It lifts your bum, firms up your arms, legs and stomach. It’s something that’s more easily lost when older and harder to build.
Having more muscle also increases your metabolism, making it much easier to maintain and lose weight.
However, cardio doesn’t build muscle effectively, especially for women age 40 and over. It often burns muscle for energy, especially during longer durations of cardio over 30 minutes like running, cycling, or spinning.
This can make you feel more flabby and less toned, slow down your metabolism, and even accelerate ageing.
A good analogy? It’s like deflating a balloon. You may lose some size, but you won’t like the way it looks or feels.
The solution? Focus on exercise which builds muscle, rather than burning it.
“The first challenge was getting over my mindset that, having played sport all my life, there was something else I could do that would have different results, however, the weekly videos were really helpful in explaining the science behind the programme, how it works and why certain approaches to exercise and diet are less effective post-40 due to hormonal changes. I am not sure there are words to describe the transformation I have been through over the last 18 months. I am 13.1 kgs (2 stone) lighter and have lost 17 inches), but the consequent mental transformation has been even better.”
– Rachel Crookes (46), Trinity Client
The Worst Types of Cardio for Women in Menopause
1. Running
While running is often seen as a quick way to burn calories, it can actually lead to weight gain and injury for women in menopause. It’s 100% cardio-focused, which means it does nothing to build muscle mass or increase bone mineral density.
Over time, running can accelerate muscle loss, leaving you with what many call a “cardio bod”. For a mental picture, think of saggy arms, a flat bum, and no visible tone.
Worse still, running is extremely hard on the joints. It puts four to seven times your body weight through your knees with every step. If you weigh around 12 stone, that’s the equivalent of carrying a grand piano with each stride.
This can lead to inflammation, injury, and long-term joint problems, especially when bone density and mineral density are already declining with age.
And because running does nothing to strengthen your core, it often worsens back pain and posture problems, leaving you even more uncomfortable.
2. Spinning and Gym Bike Classes
From Peleton to gym spin classes, these workouts are popular, but for the women we work with, they’re rarely effective. Like running, spinning is mostly cardio-focused, offering very little for the upper body, core or glutes.
It mostly works the quads and calves while the rest of the body gets left behind.
Spinning is also high-intensity, so it can easily push cortisol through the roof, again triggering the Weight Gain Triangle. Plus, it accelerates sarcopenia, which is the age-related loss of muscle mass.
This leaves women feeling more flabby and soft, even if they’re technically burning calories.
Not to mention the posture, which can be terrible for those with tight hips, back pain or joint issues.
3. HIIT and Bootcamp-Style Classes
Programs like Joe Wicks, Insanity, or Body Pump promise fast fat burning through high-intensity training. But for women over 40, especially those dealing with hormone fluctuations, HIIT can be one of the worst choices.
The intensity spikes cortisol, increasing fat storage, cravings, and metabolic issues. And since these workouts are also high-impact, they can lead to joint pain and injury.
Many of our clients come to us after trying HIIT and ending up in worse shape, literally and figuratively, than when they started.
It’s like cutting the grass with scissors. Yes, it’s effort. But the result doesn’t reflect the work you’ve put in.
So, What Type of Exercise Works Best?
Low-Impact Strength Training
LIST (low-impact strength training) should be the foundation of your routine, like the base of the cake. Cardio is the sprinkles on top.
Why LIST Training Works
LIST involves lifting weights in a controlled manner—heavy weights, five to fifteen reps, thirty to ninety seconds rest between sets. It still burns calories and improves heart health by raising your heart rate like other forms of exercise, but it also has a number of added benefits.
It keeps stress hormone levels low so your body is kept in a state where it’s easier to lose weight. It increases your muscle mass, which means you’ll feel firm and toned, as well as increasing your metabolism.
It also helps to increase your bone density, which helps to combat osteoporosis. Cardio can’t do even half of these things.
Doing this three to four times per week consistently is the key to seeing amazing results in the mirror for women in their 40s and 50s.
A Smarter Way to Exercise
Our Fit Over 40 clients do three to four LIST sessions a week for thirty to forty minutes from home, and they typically lose one to two stone every twelve weeks without needing to do any cardio.
LIST is like the base of a cake, without it, you don’t have a cake. Cardio is like the sprinkles on top, and only adds to the results when the base is solid.
Other Helpful Exercises
While not as transformative as LIST when it comes to reshaping your body, other low-stress activities like walking, yoga, Pilates, and swimming can be excellent additions.
These improve mobility, flexibility and heart health without spiking cortisol or stressing the joints.
The best combination we’ve seen for time-poor women is three LIST sessions per week plus daily walking. This blend improves strength, metabolism and cardiovascular fitness in a sustainable and joint-friendly way.
How Trinity Can Help You Feel Strong, Confident and In Control Again
At Trinity, we’ve helped over 7,000 women break free from the frustration of yo-yo dieting and ineffective workout plans. Our Fit Over 40 programme has a 97% success rate because we tailor everything to your body, your hormones, and your lifestyle.
This is not a quick fix. It’s not about starving yourself or relying on drugs or fad diets.
It’s a complete re-education that helps you build habits that last a lifetime, with personalised training, nutrition guidance, and expert coaching every step of the way.
Unlike other programmes, we understand the unique challenges that come with menopause symptoms, bone health, and hormonal weight gain.
We don’t ask you to run marathons or cut out entire food groups. We help you train smarter, eat in a way that fuels your body, and finally see results that last.
If you’re ready to zip up your jeans with ease, walk into a room feeling like yourself again, and stop hiding behind clothes that aren’t “you”, we’d love to help.
