Research shows the importance of resistance training in perimenopause through postmenopause for maintaining muscle mass and strength.

Experts point out the benefits of lower-body strength training in particular, as well as finding a workout you can do consistently.

For women between the ages of 40 and 60, hormonal changes related to menopause can cause a significant decline in skeletal muscle mass—which can lead to reduced strength and function, and may even raise risk of disability later in life. But a recent study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise emphasizes that this isn’t inevitable. In fact, resistance training can have a notable, and major, preventative effect.

To come to this conclusion, researchers looked at 72 active women, between the ages of 46 and 57, who were not taking hormone replacement therapy.…