Strength After 50: What Menopause Really Does to the Body — and How Movement Heals
Menopause is one of the most significant transitions in a woman’s life — physically, emotionally, and hormonally. Yet many women move through it confused, unsupported, or believing that discomfort and decline are inevitable.
In this Her Next Chapter podcast episode, Corpus Studios™ founder Kelly McKinnon sheds light on what truly happens to the body during menopause, and how consistent, conscious movement becomes one of the most powerful tools for rebuilding strength and vitality.
Kelly’s approach blends Pilates, osteopathy, anatomy, and functional movement into a clear, actionable understanding of how to support the body after 45.
Listen to the Podcast Episode🎧
Menopause Is More Than a Hormonal Shift
Many women experience menopause symptoms without connecting them to the hormonal changes happening within their bodies.
Kelly lists the most common — and often misunderstood — experiences:
“Brain fog, dizziness, anxiety, sleep disturbance, joint pain, weight gain, changes in sexual desire… Women don’t always put these symptoms together.”
Other symptoms she highlights include:
- Skin dryness and facial changes
- Fatigue and reduced stamina
- Memory shifts
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Tingling sensations in hands or feet
- Loss of muscle mass
Menopause is not a small transition. It is a full physiological recalibration.
Understanding Muscle Loss After 50 (Sarcopenia)
As estrogen declines, so does the body’s ability to maintain muscle. This impacts:
- Balance
- Strength
- Posture
- Joint stability
- Daily activities (stairs, rising from a chair)
Kelly explains:
“These are not natural aging things. You don’t have to feel weak. You can rebuild strength.”
The Numbers Matter
- Muscle loss begins around age 30
- It accelerates after 50
- Women lose approximately 8% of muscle mass per decade
- Without intervention, this loss increases dramatically after menopause
But the message is hopeful: muscle can be restored at any age.
The SARC-F Self-Assessment Checklist
Kelly encourages women to evaluate their functional strength using the SARC-F model:
SARC-F Categories
- S – Strength: Trouble lifting 10 lbs/5 kg?
- A – Assistance: Need help walking across a room?
- R – Rising: Need your hands to get out of a chair?
- C – Climbing: Struggling with stairs?
- F – Falls: Have you fallen in the last year?
Difficulty in any category is not a sign of “getting old.” It’s a sign your body needs targeted, supportive movement.
Why Foundation Training Is Essential During Menopause
Kelly reminds women that jumping right into high-intensity exercise is not the answer — especially in midlife.
She references the 3F Model, created by Jonathan Hoffman, movement educator and inventor of the CoreAlign® system:
The 3F Model (Jonathan Hoffman)
- Fix — Medical care, osteopathy, physiotherapy
- Foundation — Pilates, GYROTONIC®, yoga, breath-led stabilization
- Fun — Running, tennis, dancing, CrossFit, cycling
Most women unknowingly follow a pattern of:
Fix → Fun → Fix → Fun
skipping the essential Foundation phase.
Kelly explains:
“Your foundation work is what allows your fun activities to be safe. Without stability, you’re repeating the injury cycle.”
What Movement Should Look Like After 50
Kelly’s recommendations are simple, accessible, and sustainable:
1. Prioritize Strength Training
- Equipment-based Pilates
- Resistance bands and bungees
- Weighted exercises
- Isometrics (wall sits, planks)
2. Add Breath-Led Movement
Breath regulates the nervous system, supports stability, and prevents strain.
3. Move Every Day
Not intensity — consistency:
- Walk more
- Choose stairs
- Rotate, bend, reach
- Vary your terrain
4. Increase Protein Intake
Many women in midlife unintentionally under-eat protein, leading to:
- Muscle loss
- Fatigue
- Poor recovery
5. Maintain Social and Mental Engagement
Kelly reminds us:
“Learning something new — a language, an instrument — keeps the brain active. That’s part of aging well.”
Why Menopause Is the Perfect Time to Rebuild Strength
Instead of seeing menopause as a decline, Kelly reframes it as an invitation:
“This is the moment to reassess what your mind, body, and emotional state need — right now.”
Menopause creates an opportunity to:
- Reconnect with the body
- Shift from aesthetics to longevity
- Explore new movement practices
- Build a foundation for the decades ahead
Women who commit to movement during this stage often experience:
- Improved strength
- Better sleep
- Clearer thinking
- More stable mood
- Increased energy
- Renewed confidence
Closing: Your Body Can Rebuild at Any Age
Kelly’s message is deeply encouraging:
“Ask the body and it will respond.”
Menopause is not an ending. It’s a recalibration — one the body is designed to navigate with the right support.
Movement is medicine, and strength is a lifelong resource.
At Corpus Studios™, we guide women through this chapter with education, care, and conscious movement practices.
