How Pole Fitness Changes During Menopause (From My Experience at 49)

Menopause has a way of changing the rules without warning. At 49, I’m no longer circling the edges of hormonal change—I’m in it. And as someone who practices pole fitness, I’ve felt those changes not just emotionally or mentally, but directly in my body, on the pole.

Pole fitness is demanding, honest, and deeply embodied. When hormones shift, pole doesn’t let you ignore it. What it does offer, though, is feedback, adaptability, and—surprisingly—support. Menopause hasn’t ended my pole practice. It has reshaped it.

What Menopause Feels Like in a Training Body

Unlike perimenopause, where hormones fluctuate unpredictably, menopause brings more sustained changes—particularly lower estrogen levels. At 49, I’ve noticed that my body still responds to training, but it responds differently.

For me, this has looked like:

• Slower recovery between sessions

• More noticeable joint sensitivity

• Fluctuating energy levels from day to day

• Heat intolerance and sweat affecting grip

• A need for more intentional warm-ups

These shifts aren’t failures. They’re information. And pole, perhaps more than any other movement practice, teaches you to listen.

Strength Changes—but It Doesn’t Disappear

One of the biggest myths around menopause is that strength simply declines. In reality, the expression of strength changes.

Explosive power and back-to-back high-intensity sessions don’t come as easily as they once did. But controlled strength—slow climbs, holds, transitions, and technically precise work—has become more accessible and more satisfying.

Menopause has nudged my pole practice toward:

• Fewer rushed tricks

• More focus on form and control

• Strength that feels grounded rather than forced

The strength is still there. It’s just wiser now.

Flexibility, Joints, and Respecting Limits

Lower estrogen affects collagen, which can make joints feel stiffer or, in some cases, less stable. I’ve learned that pushing flexibility the way I did in my 30s no longer serves me.

Instead, my practice now emphasizes:

• Longer, progressive warm-ups

• Active flexibility and end-range strength

• Backing off when joints—not muscles—feel tired

Pole has taught me that longevity matters more than extremes.

Grip, Heat, and Accepting Reality

Menopause brings temperature changes that directly affect pole training. Hot flashes, increased sweating, and feeling overheated faster all impact grip—especially on spin pole.

I’ve stopped framing this as a personal shortcoming and started treating it as a practical issue:

• Training at cooler times

• Using grip aids without guilt

• Choosing static pole on high-sweat days

Adaptation is not failure. It’s intelligence.

Recovery Is No Longer Optional

At 49, recovery isn’t something I “earn” after training—it’s something I plan for.

Menopause has made it clear that:

• Fewer intense sessions done well beat frequent exhausted ones

• Sleep, hydration, and nervous system regulation matter as much as strength work

• Rest days are part of training, not breaks from it

When recovery is respected, consistency becomes easier—not harder.

The Emotional Shift: Letting Go of Comparison

Perhaps the most profound change menopause has brought to my pole practice isn’t physical—it’s psychological.

There are moments of grief for how my body used to feel. But there’s also a growing sense of presence. I’m less interested in chasing peak tricks and more interested in how movement feels inside my body.

Pole has become:

• More intuitive

• More expressive

• Less about proving, more about inhabiting

That shift has been unexpectedly liberating.

Why Pole Fitness Still Matters—Especially Now

Pole fitness remains one of the most valuable practices during menopause because it supports:

• Strength and bone density

• Balance and coordination

• Body confidence during a time of change

• Creative expression and agency

It’s not just exercise—it’s a relationship with your body that evolves as you do.

Menopause Isn’t the End of Progress

At 49, going through menopause, I’m not regressing. I’m recalibrating.

Pole fitness hasn’t abandoned me during this stage of life. It’s met me here—asking for more patience, more awareness, and more respect. And in return, it’s offering something deeper than peak performance.

It’s offering sustainability.

And that’s a kind of strength worth keeping.