How to do HIIT and SIT training for Perimenopause/Menopause Weight LossIn my last post I talked about why strength training is so important for women in peri/menopause transition. Another key to help women improve their health, reduce their cortisol levels, and reduce the fat that seems to suddenly accumulate on our bodies, particularly around our bellies, is high intensity interval training, HIIT. A subset of HIIT sprint interval training, SIT. I'll refer to interval training and HIIT interchangeably in this post. HIIT works your fast twitch muscle fibers. Slow twitch muscle fibers help you with endurance activities, like long walks, hiking, steady state activities. Fast twitch fibers are the ones that keep you strong and powerful. You want both, but if you aren't challenging your fast twitch muscles, they atrophy and you can become weaker and frailer. Both fiber types have mitochondria inside their cells, which are the powerhouses of your muscles that burn calories to make your muscles —and YOU — function. If you aren't exercising to challenge all your fibers, then you can become weaker and your metabolism slows. There is a lot of incomplete information about HIIT for menopause weight gain in the media. There are videos are all over social media. The comments are frantic.
#1 Mobility work Our fascia, joints and tendons can become compromised by our changing hormones. If your menopausal symptoms include feeling stiffer and achier than usual, or you are experiencing things like plantar fasciitis or frozen shoulder, it would be wise to work on your mobility and range motion first. Even before strength work, which of course comes before interval work. Here are some examples:
Whether you are conditioned or not, everyone can benefit from improving their range of motion, joint mobility, posture and alignment, so they are able to lift heavy loads and do HIIT (which can be high impact, or not.) You can incorporate your mobility work into your warm up before you do your workouts. #2 Strength Work Strength can improve mobility and reduce pain. but if you can't function well, address your imbalances first. Physical therapy or a personal trainer with corrective exercise training can help you. Somatics and Proactive Postural Restructuring can be helpful. If you haven't been in a weight room in awhile, or ever, you can start with lighter weights, develop good form, then move into heavier weights, as I discussed in my last post. #3 HIIT and/or SIT Exercises Which I dive into below. . . #4 Agility and Equilibrium Training Believe it or not, balance and equilibrium are not the same thing. Balance is the ability to stand with equal weight in each leg. Equilibrium is the ability to shift your body weight through space with grace and without falling. Agility is another term for quick foot work. Because when you trip, you need your equilibrium and quick feet to keep you from falling down. (I'll talk more about these skills in a future post). Ok, now I'll talk about High Intensity Interval Training! What is High Intensity Interval Training, HIIT? Any exercise is better than no exercise. Different forms provide different results. If you are a woman in transition, and your exercise routine is no longer providing the results you've relied on, here are ways HIIT or SIT could help:
Both HIIT and SIT are meant to be super challenging for your cardiovascular system. Challenging, yes. But it's short bursts, not the long slog of steady state cardio which typically lasts 45-60 minutes. The amount of time devoted to interval training takes less time over all than steady state cardio. Take a look at this chart to help you rank your efforts. You can also use a heart rate monitor, but they aren't always in sync with your immediate efforts, meaning when you are going like a bat out of hell, your heart rate may spike a moment or two after you take your interval break. Smart watches aren't always an accurate measurement either. I prefer to use the scale below. No matter what fitness level you're at, this rate of perceived exertion (RPE) chart is a good way to track your efforts. From an olympic athlete to a couch potato, anyone can use the RPE chart. The athlete and the spud would be working at different intensities compared to each other, but how each feels on the scale is a fine way to measure.  HIIT = High Intensity Interval Training
HIIT intervals are done at 85-90% your maximal effort, 8-9 on the chart above. Examples of HIIT exercises: kettle bell swings running elliptical rowing machine cycling climbing hills or stairs kickboxing gliding exercises agility drills How to do a HIIT Routine
Sprint does not mean you have to go to the track and do sprints. I wouldn’t recommend that, even if you wanted to. Unless you are already a runner, all out sprints can take a toll on achilles tendons, calf and hamstring muscles. No point injuring yourself right out of the gate! :-) Sprint just means really short, high intensity intervals. You aim for 90-100% of effort, 9-10 on the RPE chart above.
How to do SIT Routine
How often per week should you do HIIT or SIT sessions? Perimenopausal women can incorporate 2-3 HIIT sessions and 1 SIT session per week. Menopausal women can incorporate 2 SIT sessions and 1 HIIT session per week. Excess of these amounts can backfire. Excess HIIT/SIT training can overtax you body, hindering recovery, disrupt sleep, all of which we are trying to avoid. Interval sessions can be tacked on at the of your strength sessions. This is not to say you can't do your longer cardio activities. but you could cut those back and actually do them at a lower intensity. Blend in some connection and nature with your cardio. In this time in our lives we can feel stressed and sandwiched between taking care of aging parents and our kids. Work, traffic, social media and the overall state of the world can compound our stress levels. Finding time for things you enjoy is important. Connecting with friends and nature provide health benefits, so why not blend them into your walks or hikes? These simple tweaks can also help lower cortisol levels. Review To be in optimal shape for your next chapter in life, a well rounded routine includes mobility, strength, high intensity cardio, equilibrium/agility training. If you are just getting started you may need to spend a few weeks at stage 1 before progressing to stage 2 and so on. If you are already active, you can start with mobility and strength work for a few weeks, the start adding in the intervals. Once you are well versed in all stages, every week should include all 4 activity stages. I hope this info has been helpful. Let me know if in the comments if you have any questions, or what your favorite interval training activity is. I personally love my vintage Airdyne bike. Kicks my butt every time! Thank goddess it's just for 25 seconds at a time! PS My friend and Self-Care Strategist Stacy Antos and I have two upcoming events. Let's Talk! Learn Ways to Kick Butt through you Meno-transition! Tuesday September 9 2025 • 6-7pm at Folkmoot, Room A10. We will be covering more info and answering your questions. 'Pause and Pour Join us the the Crown and Thistle, Waynesville, Monday September 22 6-8pm Please reserve your seat.
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