loader from loading.io

Cortisol and Exercise in Menopause

The Flipping 50 Show

Release Date: 05/23/2025

Stronger Muscles Longer Life: The Untold Value of this Accessible to All Anatomy show art Stronger Muscles Longer Life: The Untold Value of this Accessible to All Anatomy

The Flipping 50 Show

It’s no secret in 2025 that stronger muscles lead to longer life. If you’re a woman in perimenopause, postmenopause or anything in between, this is no surprise to you. I think we are very aware of it, but let’s unpack how weight lifting treats and prevents chronic diseases. Women, at any age, need stronger muscles for a longer life. Not just for aesthetics, but for functionality and independence.   My Guest: A longtime Vanity Fair contributing editor, Michael Joseph Gross has published investigative reporting, essays, and books about culture, technology, politics, religion, and...

info_outline
5 Things I Would Do If I Were Tired All the Time in Menopause show art 5 Things I Would Do If I Were Tired All the Time in Menopause

The Flipping 50 Show

So many women say they’re tired all the time in menopause.  Even those who do exercise to improve health, which would include energy levels, will often say, “I’m tired all the time.”   Let me share what I would do, and actually did at the end of 2019 when I found myself recovering from a big year of mental and physical stressors. 80% of the population don’t exercise, specifically 80% of women don’t lift weights the minimum times per week needed for optimal metabolic health. If you are one of those 20% you should be the most energetic people in the room wherever you go! If...

info_outline
You’re Not Really Bloated! show art You’re Not Really Bloated!

The Flipping 50 Show

We’ve had it wrong! You’re not really bloated!!   My guest explains what ‘bloated’ is … and isn’t… How your hormones and gut interface happen and why adding protein might NOT be the thing you need to do right now if you’re not really bloated.   My Guest:  Shefaly Ravula, PA-C, IFMCP is the visionary founder of Precision Gut Health, a virtual telehealth practice on a mission to unlock the secrets of gut health, nutrition and longevity. At the heart of her practice lies a powerful fusion of functional medicine, culinary nutrition, and a profound commitment to...

info_outline
5 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight or Gaining Muscle After 50 show art 5 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight or Gaining Muscle After 50

The Flipping 50 Show

If you are exercising but not losing weight or gaining muscle after 50, there are some easy and yet not-so-obvious reasons why.  This is for all of you exercising but not getting results.  Whether you or women you work with are interested in gaining muscle after 50, you may like this:  How to Design Strength Programs that Work PRE, peri and post-menopause is a new workshop I'm offering complimentary to our members and existing Menopause Fitness Specialists. If you’re interested as a non-member, add your name here to the .    5 Reasons You May Struggle Losing Fat or...

info_outline
What to Do When Joints Hurt, Ache or Need Replaced? A Doctor Viewpoint show art What to Do When Joints Hurt, Ache or Need Replaced? A Doctor Viewpoint

The Flipping 50 Show

What do you do when your joints hurt? Do you think this is only temporary because I did too much of something? What can you do when joints hurt, or at least ache? Are you thinking or told about knee replacement? If this is you, this is your episode!   My Guest:  Dr. Joshua Schacter, DO, FAAOS, America’s Holistic Orthopedic Surgeon, is redefining joint care with a commitment to providing actual solutions for his patients. Spending a decade as the Chief of Orthopedic Surgery and Director of the Advanced Orthopedic Center of Excellence, he saw the need for non-invasive, innovative...

info_outline
Extended Cardio and Low Protein Equal Short Term Weight Loss show art Extended Cardio and Low Protein Equal Short Term Weight Loss

The Flipping 50 Show

Short term weight loss sounds great BUT it’s not all fat – it’s muscle! Muscle will be much harder to regain as we age because of anabolic resistance..  Clothes might feel loose and you get weight loss compliments. But short term weight loss is just giving a “false positive” honeymoon period. This might mean you divorced muscle, the love of your life.   1. Muscle Mass Loss (Sarcopenia) Protein Deficiency Protein is essential for building and maintaining muscle tissue. Insufficient protein intake exacerbates muscle atrophy and increases the risk of falls and injuries....

info_outline
Simple Ways to Know if You’re Following Protein Rules in Menopause show art Simple Ways to Know if You’re Following Protein Rules in Menopause

The Flipping 50 Show

The protein rules in menopause change.  We’ve talked about protein before. But not like this.  Instead of a complicated, Smart Scale, DEXA scan-based check your numbers hard line obsession, you’re going to get down-to-earth, easy to hear support for your protein rules in menopause.    My Guest: Jordan Robertson is an evidence based naturopathic doctor, and the owner of The Confident Clinician, a software built specially to help clinicians make research-backed decisions for their patients with nutrition, supplements and lifestyle medicine.   Questions We Answer in...

info_outline
Listener Menopause Exercise Question: Are You Exercising Too Much, Too Little, or Just Right?” show art Listener Menopause Exercise Question: Are You Exercising Too Much, Too Little, or Just Right?”

The Flipping 50 Show

Listener Menopause Exercise Question: Are You Exercising Too Much, Too Little, or Just Right?”   Recently, a listener asked a menopause exercise question, "I'm doing strength training three times a week for 30 minutes. Is that too much? If you have wondered, or wonder what is enough, too much or the Goldilocks for you, this is for you.   Based on a study in Ireland called Menowell (not to be confused with the bars), almost 70% of us get our information from friends and 50% get information from social media. So, beware. Even researchers right now are spending a lot of time and...

info_outline
Essential Oils for Menopause Hormones | Essential How-to for Essential Oils show art Essential Oils for Menopause Hormones | Essential How-to for Essential Oils

The Flipping 50 Show

In this episode of essential oils for menopause hormones, I asked all the questions you ask. The purpose? To find beyond exercise and food, what can you do with essential oils to support your symptoms or simply elevate your health.  I ask about essential oils for menopause hormones – adrenal fatigue, sleep, libido, cravings and more.  Don’t miss this one!    My Guest: Jodi Sternoff Cohen is a bestselling author, award-winning journalist, functional practitioner and founder of Vibrant Blue Oils, where she has combined her training in nutritional therapy and aromatherapy...

info_outline
What Stem Cell Therapy Taught Me About Recovery, Mindset, and Reinventing Downtime show art What Stem Cell Therapy Taught Me About Recovery, Mindset, and Reinventing Downtime

The Flipping 50 Show

In today’s episode, I share my personal experience with stem cell therapy—and the unexpected lessons that came from being forced to slow down. Whether you’re choosing a procedure like stem cell therapy or suddenly dealing with an injury or illness, time off from your normal routine isn’t just inconvenient — it’s a major mental and physical shift. But it doesn’t have to be a setback.  In this episode, I unpack the power of reframing your downtime with three key focus areas: Mindset,  Movement, and  Meaningful redirection.   Why I opted for Stem Cell Therapy...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

I’m going to review the cortisol and exercise connection or confusion… and offer some solutions.

Feeling exhausted, frustrated and fat? Got stubborn belly fat you want to lose?
You’re exercising but tired all the time? Sleep or don’t, and you’re still never rested? 
Sound familiar or been there?

This episode is PACKED with solutions on cortisol and exercise in menopause. Don’t miss it.

 

What is Cortisol?

  • Your body's primary stress hormone, but it’s also your energy hormone.
  • Regulates metabolism, immune response, and stress.
  • Mental and emotional response to stress.

For women in midlife, perimenopause or postmenopause, how cortisol behaves is everything.

 

Cortisol Follows Your Circadian Rhythm

  • Morning: Cortisol spikes – helps you get up, feel alert, burn fat, and stabilize blood sugar.
  • Evening: Cortisol drops – when melatonin (your sleep hormone) takes over.
  • Disruptions to Circadian Rhythm – chronic stress, fatigue, overexercising, late-night screen time keep cortisol elevated when it should be dropping.

 

HPA Axis Dysfunction (hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal)

  • Your body's stress thermostat — when it’s overworked, it breaks.
  • Constant demand leads to adrenal insufficiency. 
  • HPA Axis dial things down to protect you and that’s when you hit a wall:
    • You’re tired but wired.
    • You can’t sleep or sleep all day.
    • Your blood sugar is out of whack — hello cravings and midsection weight gain.
    • Workouts leave you exhausted instead of energized.

 

Work Out Doesn’t Work Anymore?

  • Cortisol Chaos
    • When your old workouts become stressors instead of solutions.
    • Workouts add fuel to the fire.
  • Solution: Cortisol-Conscious Movement
    • The right exercise, at the right time, for the right reason.

 

The Cortisol–Thyroid–Adrenal Triangle

  • Cortisol: Regulates blood sugar and inflammation.
  • Thyroid: Controls metabolism — but sensitive to cortisol imbalances.
  • Adrenals: Produces cortisol — but burns out if they’re overstimulated.

If cortisol stays high, the thyroid slows metabolism. That’s when fat loss becomes frustrating, no matter how you eat or train.

 

The Influence of Cortisol and Exercise in Menopause 

 

Cortisol During Perimenopause and Postmenopause

  • Hormonal Fluctuations
    • Decline in estrogen and progesterone affects cortisol regulation.
    • Increased sensitivity to stress and potential for cortisol imbalance.
  • Symptoms of Elevated Cortisol
    • Weight gain, especially around the abdomen.
    • Sleep disturbances and fatigue.
    • Mood swings and anxiety 

 

Symptoms of Low Cortisol 

  • Fatigue - in spite of rest
  • Low Blood Pressure, weakness  
  • Loss of Appetite 

 

Know When You Are On An Allostatic Load

  • When you reach a tipping point, overloaded by chronic stress.
  • Different kinds of stressors:
    • Emotional
    • Relationship
    • Financial
    • Work
    • Home
    • Hormonal Change
    • Physical (diet & sleep)
    • Exercise

 

The Good News: Cortisol Isn’t Your Enemy

  • Cortisol isn’t bad. It’s misunderstood. When it works with you, it helps you burn fat, stay focused, and bounce back fast.
  • The key is restoring rhythm — using smart, intentional exercise and lifestyle upgrades that rebalance your body’s natural stress-response system.

 

Exercise and Cortisol

  • Impact of Exercise on Cortisol Levels
    • High-intensity workouts can spike cortisol levels. (it's natural!!) 
    • Chronic overtraining may lead to sustained high cortisol and adrenal fatigue .
  • Timing Matters
    • Morning workouts align with natural cortisol peaks.
    • Evening high-intensity workouts may disrupt sleep and cortisol rhythm .

 

Managing Cortisol Levels

  • Lifestyle Strategies
    • Prioritize sleep and stress management techniques.
    • Incorporate relaxation practices like yoga and meditation, box breathing.
  • Nutrition Tips
    • Maintain stable blood sugar with balanced meals.
    • Limit caffeine and alcohol intake
    • Avoid strict keto or carnivore and include resistant starches 
  • Exercise Recommendations
    • Focus on low-to-moderate intensity and short duration workouts.
    • Include restorative activities and avoid overtraining.
  • Supplement Recommendations
    • B vitamins and magnesium are depleted by stress. 
    • Maca (Find Femminescense here) is an adaptogen. 
    • Ashwagandha can also be helpful for some. 
    • Cortisol Manager (available online) contains some of the above.

 

Solutions To Your Questions on Cortisol and Exercise in Menopause

 

Q: Can I recover from adrenal issues on my own?

A: Yes, but only if you actually slow down and stop pushing through it.

  • Most women make the mistake of thinking rest is weakness. It’s not. Recovery starts when you listen to your body’s signals instead of ignoring them.
  • Dial down high-intensity workouts (for now), focus on sleep, manage blood sugar, and pull in the right kind of movement — walking, yoga, strength training with intention.
  • Identifying how deep your HPA Axis dysfunction goes. 

Recovery is possible — but not if you keep acting like nothing’s wrong.

 

Q: How long will it take to recover?

A: That depends on how long you’ve been burned out… and whether you actually change your behavior.

  • Mild adrenal fatigue: 4–6 weeks of rest + smart training + nutrition can turn things around.
  • Moderate dysfunction: 3–6 months to really feel like yourself again.
  • Severe HPA Axis dysfunction or adrenal insufficiency: 6–12 months of consistent changes, possibly with functional support.

Reminder: The sooner you start, the faster you bounce back.

 

Q: Will I lose this weight once I fix my cortisol issues?

A: Most likely — yes.

  • If cortisol is the reason for your stubborn midsection fat, fixing it is a prerequisite to fat loss.
  • Cortisol dysregulation = insulin resistance, blood sugar swings, cravings, and metabolism slowdown.
  • When cortisol normalizes, your thyroid, adrenals, and metabolism start cooperating again.

But here's the kicker: you can’t “outwork” cortisol. You have to work with it.



Other Episodes You Might Like:

 

Resources: