With symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, brain fog and weight gain, the menopause can be a real struggle for many women. But for some it can be made easier with these fitness tips.

The most important thing is that women are proactive before it happens, not reactive when it does. That means learning how to exercise to combat falling hormone levels, especially oestrogen.

As your oestrogen recedes, pounding on the treadmill for an hour at a time isn’t going to serve you now, as it stresses the body and raises the hormone cortisol, which lessons the ability of oestrogen and progesterone to do their jobs.

Exercise is great at getting you to sleep, especially if you go for a power walk in the early-ish morning, which is good for stabilising your circadian rhythms and helping your body know when it’s time for bed later on. However, getting the right balance, and including rest and recovery days, is crucial.

The longer you exercise, the higher the cortisol level is raised, and the more it contributes to the frequency and severity of your symptoms. Some cardio exercise is good for strengthening muscles around the bones, but it shouldn’t be done every day, nor for hours at a time.

Around the perimenopause women are in a state of psychological flux, as they are when they’re teenagers or in pregnancy, and it leaves them vulnerable to the onset of new health conditions. As a principal, mid life women should opt for shorter bursts of exercise, perhaps 15 minutes long, with an element of resistance training built in alongside the cardio.

Muscle mass decreases by 5% per year from the age of 40, and speeds up as we go into our 50s. Short bursts of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) give you a kick of natural growth hormone, which triggers the process of recovering crucial muscle that we really start to lose in midlife. There’s no question that falling oestrogen causes aches and pains, but if you go into it with a strong posture and properly engaged glutes, you’re far less likely to suffer.

Try this recommended exercise alongside keeping hydrated and following a healthy whole grain diet for the best results.

Keeping fit is bound to make you feel better both physically and mentally, but if you are suffering with severe symptoms of the menopause, speak to your GP.