Exercise is one of the most powerful tools to protect long term health. For women, there is additional complexity: the menstrual cycle, hormonal changes across the lifespan, and stages such as pregnancy or menopause can influence how you feel, how you perform, and how you recover. The good news is you do not need a perfect plan. You need a clear framework and a program you can sustain.
Start early: build the base
There is a preventive idea that captures the point well: bone health is built early. Bone mineral density tends to peak by late adolescence and early adulthood. After that, the goal is to maintain and lose as little as possible over time.
That changes how you should think about exercise for girls and teens:
- Prioritize variety and play to build the habit.
- Add impact and jumping progressively when appropriate.
- Introduce strength work with good technique, without obsessing over load.
The goal is not early specialization. It is entering adulthood with a strong musculoskeletal system and a healthy relationship with movement.
Menstruation: a conversation that improves training
Many sports cultures treat the menstrual cycle as something not discussed. That is a mistake. The cycle is a health signal and also useful information for adjusting training and nutrition.
What to track without overcomplicating
You do not need to track ten variables. Start by recording for two or three months:
- Energy and motivation.
- Sleep quality and body temperature.
- Pain and perceived effort.
- Appetite and digestion changes.
That alone often reveals patterns. Some women feel strongest on certain days. Others notice more symptoms before menstruation. The key is not interpreting these changes as weakness or lack of discipline.
Why losing your period is not a badge
In sport, absence of menstruation has been framed as a sign of being very fit. In reality it often indicates low energy availability, meaning you are not eating enough for the training you are doing. That state can affect bone density, recovery, mood, and injury risk.
If an athlete loses her period, the priority is clinical evaluation and energy adjustment, not pushing training harder.
Strength training: the pillar that changes the future
Every stage of life benefits from strength training. Not only for aesthetics, but to preserve muscle, protect joints, and maintain independence with age.
What smart strength training looks like
You do not need five gym days. A realistic structure is:
- Two or three sessions per week.
- Basic movement patterns: squat, hip hinge, push, pull, carry.
- Slow progression: add reps or small load increases when technique is solid.
Strength also supports bone because bone responds to mechanical loading. That is one reason walking is excellent but it does not replace strength work.
Cardio: health, energy, and work capacity
Cardio is not the enemy of strength. Both complement each other. For health and longevity, a combined approach is often better.
How to organize cardio without getting lost
- Daily movement: walking, stairs, errands on foot.
- Easy work: comfortable breathing, you can speak full sentences.
- Hard work: short intervals, speaking is difficult.
Many people think they are training at a moderate zone, but they are actually going too easy to drive adaptation. If your goal is general health, that is not a problem. If progress is stalled, it may mean you need a bit more stimulus on part of the week.
Recovery: the factor that breaks consistency
A woman can train and eat well yet plateau if sleep is poor, stress is high, or training is hard every day without room for recovery.
Signs you should adjust
- Sleep quality drops.
- Hunger becomes chaotic.
- Performance declines for two weeks.
- Soreness becomes constant.
In that case, reduce volume, keep some moderate intensity, and protect sleep and food intake. Progress is not earned only by training. It is earned by training and recovering.
A practical plan across stages
Teens and early adulthood
- Strength training twice per week.
- Sports and play for impact and coordination.
- Enough food to support growth and training.
Adults with limited time
- Two well executed strength sessions.
- One short interval session if tolerated.
- Walking most days.
Perimenopause and menopause
- Keep strength as the priority.
- Protect sleep and stress.
- Increase protein and pay attention to micronutrients.
Practical steps to start today
- Pick two fixed days for strength.
- Track your cycle and symptoms simply.
- Eat enough, especially when training increases.
- Aim for slow progress, not perfection.
Conclusion
The best program for a woman is not the most popular one, it is the one that fits her life stage and can be sustained. Build the base early, use the cycle as information, prioritize strength, and combine cardio with recovery. With that framework, training becomes a tool for living better, longer.
Knowledge offered by Dr. Peter Attia