The Menopause Makeover Blog | Weight Loss After 40

2 Powerful Exercises That Beat Belly Fat In Perimenopause And Menopause

belly fat cardio exercise fat loss lifting weights muscle building strength training walking weight training Sep 17, 2025

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Why Cardio Isn’t the Queen Anymore

I grew up in the 80s and 90s with leg warmers, Jane Fonda, and step aerobics leading the fitness scene. Back then, cardio was the queen. We were taught that the more you sweat it out on the treadmill or in an aerobics class, the more calories you’d burn, and the more weight you’d lose.

But here’s the thing: in perimenopause and menopause, more cardio doesn’t equal more fat loss. In fact, it often backfires. Long sessions of running, cycling, or high-impact classes actually raise cortisol, your stress hormone. And when cortisol goes up, guess what else goes up? Belly fat.

That’s right—those endless cardio sessions that used to feel like the gold standard are now contributing to the very thing you want to get rid of.

This doesn’t mean cardio is bad or that you should never do it. But it’s no longer the star player. Midlife bodies need a smarter strategy—one that works with your hormones, not against them.

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Kris Honeycutt

I’m a Trim Healthy executive coach, menopause fitness specialist, and personal trainer helping women over 40 lose stubborn weight, balance hormones, and feel confident in midlife bodies. Around here, we ditch diet drama and build real results—one wise, grace-filled step at a time.

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Discover the POWER of bio-identical hormones for your midlife health

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When we support our hormones with BHRT, proper nutrition (like eating Trim Healthy), exercise, and lifestyle changes, we give our bodies the best chance to actually burn fat and respond to all our efforts.

So if you’re doing all the things and haven’t looked into your hormones, now is the time!

Take the quiz to find out what your body really needs! 👇

Take the Hormone Quiz today!