The Best Workout for Menopause
And How Rowing Fits In
What’s the Best Workout for Menopause?
Menopause brings a unique set of challenges—sleepless nights, mood swings, weight gain, and fatigue, to name a few.
And while exercise won’t magically fix all of these issues, it can help smooth the transition and make you feel stronger, more energetic, and in control of your body.
But how do you find the right workout for menopause, when aches, hormonal shifts, and lifestyle changes are also at play?
The answer might just be rowing. For women in menopause and beyond, rowing hits all the right notes—low impact, full-body, adaptable, and an excellent calorie burner. In fact, it’s the perfect cardio solution.
Here’s why.
Why Exercise is Essential During Menopause
Exercise during menopause is about so much more than weight loss or hitting a fitness milestone. It’s about creating a routine that supports your body’s changing needs.
Regular movement can help manage weight, improve mood, strengthen bones, and boost your cardiovascular health—all essential during this life stage.
More specifically, exercise helps:
- Manage Weight Gain: Hormonal changes during menopause often lead to weight gain, particularly around the belly. Staying active can help manage that process and support a healthy metabolism.
- Strengthen Bones and Build Muscle: Bone density and muscle mass both decrease with age. Regular exercise, especially when it involves strength training, is crucial to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Adding muscle keeps our metabolic fires burning, and helps us maintain – and even build – the strength we need to keep doing all the things we want to do.
- Improve Mental Health: Exercise is a proven stress reliever, reducing anxiety, boosting mood, and helping with sleep regulation—common areas of concern for menopausal women.
- Heart Health: Cardiovascular disease risk increases during menopause, and especially once you hit postmenopause. Cardio workouts, like rowing, are one of the best ways to maintain a healthy heart and keep energy levels high.
A well-rounded fitness routine during menopause should include cardio, strength training, interval work, and balance. So, where does rowing fit in?
Why Rowing is the Perfect Cardio for Menopause
When it comes to choosing the right cardio exercise for menopause, rowing checks all the boxes: it’s low-impact, engages your entire body, adapts to your energy levels, and offers a powerful calorie burn—all while supporting posture and balance.
Here’s why rowing stands out as the ideal cardio for this stage of life.
1. Low Impact on Joints: For many women, joint pain is a reality during menopause. Whether it’s the knees, hips, or back, high-impact workouts can exacerbate discomfort. Rowing, on the other hand, offers a gentle, smooth motion that’s easy on the joints, allowing you to get your heart rate up without the pounding of running or jumping.
2. Full-Body Engagement: Unlike some forms of cardio that target specific muscle groups, rowing works your entire body – 86 percent of your muscles on every stroke. When you row you engage your legs, core, back, arms, and more. It’s a balanced workout that improves strength as well as endurance.
3. Scalable Intensity: One of rowing’s best features is its versatility. You can go from light, steady-state rowing to intense sprint intervals—all in the same workout. This scalability is particularly important for women in menopause, as it allows for the flexibility to match your energy levels day to day.
On days when you’re feeling less energetic, you can opt for a moderate, steady row. And when you’re feeling strong, you can ramp it up with interval training, which research shows is especially beneficial for maintaining cardiovascular health and muscle tone during menopause.
4. Calorie Burn: Rowing is a fantastic calorie burner, especially when combined with interval training. If you’re trying to manage menopausal weight gain, this full-body workout helps you burn calories efficiently, while also building muscle and improving cardiovascular endurance.
How to Add Strength and Interval Training to Your Rowing Workout
While rowing is fantastic cardio, it’s only one piece of the puzzle.
During menopause, it’s vital to pair your rowing sessions with strength and mobility work. Strength training combats sarcopenia, the natural loss of muscle mass that comes with aging.
Meanwhile, mobility exercises help maintain the range of motion and keep joints supple, preventing stiffness and injury.
Including sprint interval training (SIT) with rowing can also be highly effective. Short bursts of intense effort, followed by rest periods, can be done on a rowing machine to elevate your heart rate, improve cardiovascular fitness, and increase metabolism.
Even better? This type of interval training has been shown to have hormonal benefits, helping to balance insulin levels and potentially offset some of the hormonal fluctuations during menopause.
Rowing for Mental Health and Stress Relief
Beyond the physical benefits, rowing offers mental health perks that are crucial during menopause.
As hormone levels fluctuate, it’s not uncommon to feel more anxious, irritable, or emotionally drained. Exercise can help mitigate these symptoms, and rowing’s repetitive, rhythmic nature is especially soothing.
The focus on breathing and coordinated movements can create a meditative effect, reducing stress and helping you feel centered.
Endorphins released during exercise also provide a natural mood boost, giving you more energy to face the day’s challenges with a clear mind.
Rowing for Cardiovascular Health
Heart health is a critical concern for women in menopause. The risk of heart disease increases post-menopause due to decreasing estrogen levels. Regular rowing sessions are a fantastic way to keep your cardiovascular system strong.
Rowing improves lung capacity, boosts endurance, and helps regulate blood pressure—all key factors in reducing the risk of heart-related issues.
Rowing can be a great part of a heart-healthy lifestyle when combined with other forms of exercise and a balanced diet.
How to Get Started with Rowing
Ready to give rowing a try? Here are a couple of tips to get started:
Focus on Form: Proper form is key to maximizing the benefits of rowing and avoiding injury. Think of rowing as a smooth, fluid movement—push with your legs, engage your core, and finish with your arms. If you’re new, take the time to learn proper technique. (We’ve got a great program to get you started—check out our beginner rowing program RowNow.)
Build a Well-Rounded Routine: While rowing is excellent cardio, it’s important to include strength training and mobility work to round out your routine. Try pairing rowing with bodyweight exercises or light weights for an effective full-body workout.
Want a program that combines rowing and strength? Our RowStrong strength training for rowers program is perfect.
What to Wear for Rowing
As you know, menopause can bring hot flashes and temperature fluctuations. Make sure your workout wardrobe is up to the challenge!
Look for breathable workout clothes that allow for maximum airflow and comfort. A lightweight track suit might be the perfect option, particularly if you’re warming up on the rower then moving on to the weight room or an outdoor activity.
You’ll also want to be sure to wear a moisture wicking sports bra, so that you can stay comfortable and prevent chafing from the repetitive arm motion of rowing.
We’re often asked about shoes for rowing as well. We have a full guide in this blog post, but the short answer is flatter-soled shoes that aren’t too thick or stiff. You want to be able to feel your foot in contact with the footplates and be able to flex your foot and ankles as needed.
Conclusion: Rowing As Your Go-To Cardio in Menopause
Menopause requires a balanced exercise approach that includes cardio, strength, and mobility. Rowing stands out as the perfect cardio option because it’s low impact, full-body, scalable, and incredibly effective for both mental and physical health.
Whether you’re just starting out, or ready to ramp up your fitness routine, rowing offers the flexibility to meet your needs.
More Resources
- Get the Menopause Memo newsletter – Our free newsletter with science-backed tips, news, and more to help you make the most of this stage. Sign up here
- Want to feel like your old self in menopause – or maybe even better? Check out our group coaching program, Ready, Set, Soar
- Nutrition Coaching – Feeling and performing your best in menopause means fueling your workouts and your life properly. Get a coach’s help with a custom nutrition plan to set you up to meet all your goals. Learn more here