When was the last time you noticed your grip wasn't as good as you thought?

As we head into perimenopause and menopause, oestrogen levels drop. This doesn’t just affect hot flushes and mood — it impacts the connective tissues that support the pelvic floor. They lose some strength and elasticity, meaning the “sling of muscles” that holds everything up can weaken. Does that mean we shouldn’t lift? Absolutely not. Weight training is still one of the best things you can do for long-term health. It just means we need to be smart about how we do it.

Somewhere between The Breakfast Club  and Footloose , we were told women could have it all . Careers, families, social lives — and hey,...