Rebuilding Exercise Motivation When Energy Loss Strikes Perimenopause

I loved exercise. I ran regularly. I went to yoga classes. I felt good when I moved. Then perimenopause hit and I could not make myself exercise. I was too tired. I could not motivate myself. I felt guilty about not exercising. Then I realized I needed to change my approach to exercise, not stop exercising.

How I got here

Before perimenopause, exercise was something I did for myself. It made me feel good. It was energizing. During perimenopause, my energy decreased so much that I could not make myself exercise. I was exhausted. Even thinking about going to the gym felt overwhelming. I stopped exercising and felt guilty about it.

What I actually did

I realized I needed to change my expectations about exercise. Instead of hard workouts that left me exhausted, I started doing gentle movement that actually energized me. I went for walks instead of runs. I did gentle yoga instead of intense yoga. I did strength training with lighter weights. I gave myself permission to exercise less intensely. To my surprise, gentle exercise actually gave me energy instead of taking it away. I started looking forward to my walks. I started feeling better. As my energy improved, I slowly increased the intensity of my exercise. Within a few months, I was doing more challenging workouts again.

What actually changed

My energy and motivation for exercise returned. I realized that I had been trying to exercise at a level my body could not sustain. When I adjusted my expectations, exercise became something I looked forward to again. My energy improved and my whole sense of wellbeing improved.

What my routine looks like now

I exercise regularly but I listen to my body. I do gentle movement on low-energy days and more intense movement on high-energy days. I track my energy and exercise using PeriPlan. I have a healthy relationship with exercise based on how my body actually feels, not what I think I should do.

If you have lost motivation and energy for exercise during perimenopause, consider adjusting your approach instead of giving up. Gentle movement might be exactly what your body needs. You can increase intensity as your energy returns. This is not medical advice about exercise. Please talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise program.