Movement is Medicine

When you walk into Milestone, one of the first spaces you see is our gym. That is intentional.
 

We placed movement at the entrance to our Centre because it reflects the place we believe it should hold both physically and within the context of your menopause and midlife care.
 

At Milestone, exercise is not an afterthought or an optional add-on to menopause care.

It is one of our foundational lifestyle medicine prescriptions.
 

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Why Strength Matters in Midlife

Menopause and the years around it bring real changes to bone, muscle, body composition and metabolism.
 

Research describing the proposed musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause has brought greater attention to the musculoskeletal changes women can experience during this stage of life-including joint symptoms and changes in muscle mass, bone density and physical function. More than 70% of women are estimated to experience musculoskeletal symptoms during the transition from perimenopause to postmenopause.
 

The good news is that we can do something about it.
 

Strength training - also called resistance training - is one of the most powerful tools we have to protect our physical health as we age.
 

MUSCLE · BONE · BALANCE · MOBILITY · INDEPENDENCE
 

These aren't simply fitness goals.
 

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What the Research Tells Us

BUILD & PROTECT BONE
 

Bone loss accelerates around the menopause transition. Resistance and weight-bearing exercise can help preserve bone mineral density, particularly at clinically important sites such as the spine and hip.²⁻⁵

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Importantly, appropriately selected and supervised resistance training can also be possible for women with low bone density. The LIFTMOR randomized controlled trial demonstrated improvements in bone density and physical function with supervised high-intensity resistance and impact training in postmenopausal women with osteopenia or osteoporosis.⁵

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BUILD & PRESERVE MUSCLE
 

Muscle becomes increasingly important as we age. Resistance training provides the stimulus needed to build and preserve muscle mass, strength and physical function.²
 

Building that reserve now matters for how we move, function and maintain our independence in the decades ahead.
 

BALANCE · MOBILITY · FUNCTION
 

Strength is about much more than how much weight you can lift.
 

Muscle strength, balance and mobility support our ability to walk, climb stairs, get up from the floor, carry groceries, travel, play with our families and continue doing the things that matter to us.
 

The International Menopause Society highlights multi-component physical activity incorporating resistance exercise, aerobic activity and balance training as part of healthy aging through menopause and beyond.²
 

HEART · METABOLISM · BODY COMPOSITION
 

Resistance exercise also reaches far beyond the musculoskeletal system.
 

Regular strength training can support body composition, glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular health—all increasingly important considerations through midlife.²
 

WELLBEING · QUALITY OF LIFE
 

Movement matters for how we feel, too.
 

Regular physical activity is associated with benefits for mental wellbeing and quality of life, while resistance-training studies in postmenopausal women have also reported improvements in functional capacity and possible reductions in vasomotor symptoms.²˒⁶

 

The Prescription

Strength train at least 2 days each week.
 

• Work your major muscle groups.

• Include balance and weight-bearing movement.

• Start where you are.

• Progress over time.

• You do not need to become an athlete.

• You do not need to spend hours in a gym.

• But our muscles need to be challenged in order to adapt and remain strong.
   

CONSISTENCY · PROGRESSION · LONGEVITY
 

It is never too late to begin.
 

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Strength & Movement at Milestone

Knowing that strength matters and knowing how to begin in your own body are two very different things.
 

That is why our Midlife Strength & Movement Specialists are part of the Milestone team.
 

They have years of experience working with women through midlife and menopause.
 

Importantly, they don't work with you in isolation.
 

They work within our broader team of menopause physicians and allied health professionals, allowing your starting point to be understood within the context of your overall health, your menopause journey and the other factors that may influence how you move.
 

Because your starting point may not be:
 

“How much can you lift?”
 

It may be:
 

• I leak when I exercise.

• My knee hurts.

• I've had an injury.

• My mobility has changed.

• I'm worried about my bones.

• I haven't exercised in years.

• I don't feel as strong as I used to.

• I don't know where to begin.
   

WE MEET YOU WHERE YOU ARE.
 

Our team understands that pelvic floor symptoms, injuries, pain, mobility limitations, bone health and your previous experiences with exercise can all influence how and where you begin.

And when something requires expertise beyond strength and movement, our specialists are surrounded by a team of physicians and allied health professionals who can help support your care.

Movement doesn't happen in isolation from the rest of your health.

And at Milestone, neither does your strength training.

 

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Meet Our Strength & Movement Specialists

Whether you have strength trained for years or are picking up a weight for the first time, you belong here.
 

Meet our two on-site Midlife Strength & Movement Specialists and learn more about their experience, approach and availability.








 

 

 

 

MOVEMENT ISN'T SEPARATE FROM YOUR MENOPAUSE CARE.
 

At Milestone, we believe it is part of it.


 

References

1. Wright VJ, Schwartzman JD, Itinoche R, Wittstein J. The musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. Climacteric. 2024;27(5):466–472. doi:10.1080/13697137.2024.2380363.

2. Anekwe CV, Cano A, Mulligan J, Ang SB, Johnson CN, Panay N, Schaedel Z, Akam EY, Porterfield F, Wang E, Nappi RE. The role of lifestyle medicine in menopausal health: a review of non-pharmacologic interventions. Climacteric. 2025;28(5):478–496. doi:10.1080/13697137.2025.2548806. International Menopause Society White Paper.

3. Xiaoya L, Junpeng Z, Li X, Haoyang Z, Xueying F, Yu W. Effect of different types of exercise on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Scientific Reports. 2025;15(1):11740. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-94510-3.

4. Howe TE, Shea B, Dawson LJ, Downie F, Murray A, Ross C, Harbour RT, Caldwell LM, Creed G. Exercise for preventing and treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2011;(7):CD000333. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000333.pub2.

5. Watson SL, Weeks BK, Weis LJ, Harding AT, Horan SA, Beck BR. High-intensity resistance and impact training improves bone mineral density and physical function in postmenopausal women with osteopenia and osteoporosis: the LIFTMOR randomized controlled trial. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 2018;33(2):211–220. doi:10.1002/jbmr.3284.

6. Sá KMM, da Silva GR, Martins UK, Colovati MES, Crizol GR, Riera R, Pacheco RL, Martimbianco ALC. Resistance training for postmenopausal women: systematic review and meta-analysis. Menopause. 2023;30(1):108–116. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000002079.

1. Menzies C, et al. Menopause, female sex hormones, skeletal muscle mass and muscle protein turnover in humans. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle. 2026. doi:10.1002/jcsm.70232.

2. Pan N, Krasowska K, Zbigniew O. Effect of short-term exercise with different programs on prevention of sarcopenia in postmenopausal women: a quasi-randomized controlled trial. PLoS ONE. 2025;20(9):e0333171. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0333171.

3. Paluch AE, Boyer WR, Franklin BA, Laddu D, Lobelo F, Lee DC, McDermott MM, Swift DL, Webel AR, Lane A. Resistance exercise training in individuals with and without cardiovascular disease: 2023 update: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2024;149(3):e217–e231. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001189.

4. Ruiz-Cerezo A, Mendoza Laiz N, Romero Ferreiro C. Physical exercise and mind-body exercise in the menopausal transition: a systematic review and meta-analysis of effects on quality of life, symptoms, and psychological health. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. 2026;325:115338. doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2026.115338.

5. Wang Z, Zan X, Li Y, Lu Y, Xia Y, Pan X. Comparative efficacy different resistance training protocols on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology. 2023;14:1105303. doi:10.3389/fphys.2023.1105303.
    

This information is intended for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. If you have osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, significant joint or mobility concerns, previous injury, or other health considerations, speak with our Milestone team about an approach to movement that is appropriate for you.

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