This is the biggest misconception women have about menopause—and what you can do to ease symptoms, according to a doctor

Not to be a downer, but menopause symptoms are a real grab bag of awful, ranging from brain fog, hot flushes and joint pain to anxiety, low mood, weight gain and poor sleep.

With so many physical and mental symptoms to navigate, it’s little wonder many of us struggle during this period.

So when health and fitness platform Pvolve launched a Menopause Strong plan, a six-week program designed to help women manage symptoms with strength training, cardio workouts and recovery, I wanted to find out more.

Pvolve put me in touch with board-certified OB/GYN Dr Jessica Shepherd, advisory board member of women’s health and longevity at Pvolve, and what she said surprised me.

“The biggest misconception about menopause is that it’s a pause or a decline—a time when your body and life slow down,” Shepherd told me. “In reality, menopause is a biological evolution. It’s a chance to reconnect with your body, reclaim strength and prioritize health in ways that can profoundly impact how you feel physically and emotionally.

“Too often, women are told to just ‘accept’ symptoms, but with the right strategies, menopause can be a stage of empowerment and healthy aging.”

Shepherd, of course, is not minimizing menopause symptoms. “In addition to side effects like hot flashes, this life stage can have an impact on several areas of your body and the functioning of it,” says Shepherd.

“Every person’s experience with this phase is different, but what menopause does to your body can be impacted positively with nutrition and movement. By proactively embracing this phase, we can then prioritize our happiness and a path of optimal health.”

I liked the sound of that! So I asked Shepherd to share the overarching changes she recommends women make to help ease menopause symptoms and feel more like themselves again.

1. Prioritize exercise but set achievable goals

“Exercise is non-negotiable during menopause,” says Shepherd, but you don’t need to make impossible goals that you’ll only feel bad about if you can’t stick to them.

“Even 30 minutes of the right exercise a few times a week can make a remarkable difference in energy, mood and confidence,” she says.

“Strength training preserves and rebuilds muscle mass and supports bone density. While cardiovascular work—especially short, intense intervals—supports heart and brain health, and stimulates bone.

“Recovery, mobility, and pelvic-floor work regulate hormones, reduce inflammation and improve sleep and energy.

“Put really simply, movement is a key lever for controlling how you feel during this stage.”

2. Eat more protein and fiber

“Prioritize protein to support muscle mass and fiber to support metabolic and cardiovascular health,” says Shepherd. Protein is essential for maintaining and building muscle, and the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.

Fiber is known for lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. This keeps the heart healthy, boosts cardiovascular health and can reduce your risk of cardio-metabolic disease.

3. Focus on self-care

“Incorporate practices like meditation, gentle stretching or foam-rolling to manage stress and support sleep,” says Shepherd.

“Good sleep hygiene and lower stress levels both help to regulate hormones and overall wellbeing. Also, consider HRT as there are wide fluctuations and progressive decline in estrogen levels.”

4. Understand it

“Explore digital platforms like the Hers app [where Shepherd is chief medical officer] to get accessible, empowering support that meets women on their own terms. It’s full of content crafted by clinical experts in psychology, nutrition, exercise, sleep and more to set you up for success,” says Shepherd.