Menopause, Midlife & Movement
If you’re going through the effects of perimenopause or menopause, the main thing to take away is this – what you’re experiencing isn’t random – and it’s not something you have to just put up with.
We’re proud to introduce our new specialised Menopause, Midlife & Movement assessment! Book in with one of our Physiotherapists or Osteopaths today.
Introducing the Menopause, Midlife & Movement assessment:
O-healths menopause, midlife and movement assessment is a specialised assessment designed specifically for women in perimenopause, menopause, or those wanting to proactively prepare for this stage of life.
Our assessment focuses on helping women understand the musculoskeletal changes associated with menopause, providing an evidence-based education and testing, personalised treatment, and practical strategies to help them move well today while building strength, confidence, and resilience for the decades ahead.
This assessment is built on education, understanding your needs and goals, and prescribing a personalised plan to help you do the things you love. We aim to cover three key areas in our assessments.
1). Understanding Menopause
Our first step focuses on helping you understand the changes occurring within your body, and how these changes relate to movement and musculoskeletal health. We’ll cover things like:
- Understanding menopause and perimenopause
- The musculoskeletal system and menopause
- Why aches, stiffness, and slow recovery occur
- Understanding what is common, what is expected, and may require further investigation.
The aim here is for you to leave with a greater understanding of why you are experiencing these changes and reassurance that there are effective strategies we can utilise to help manage you.
2). Moving Well Today
Our second focus is on your current state and your immediate goals. Here, we begin to assess how you’re moving and what’s limiting you now, and what you are hoping you’ll be able to do. This includes:
- Taking a detailed history
- Discussion of current aches, pains, and symptoms
- Assessment of movement and function
- Individualised treatment
- Personalised O-health roadmap for recovery, strengthening, and living better through menopause
3). Building Your Future
Here, we shift the conversation beyond symptom management, and focus on healthy ageing and pro-active next steps.
Rather than simply treating today’s concerns, the discussion centres around helping you maintain strength, independence, and confidence for the decades ahead. We’ll discuss and go into topics such as:
- Healthspan v Livespan: How long we remain healthy, active, and independent
- Why Strength Matters: Why we train to prevent frailty before it occurs
- Bone Health: The importance of bone health for conditions including osteoporosis and osteopenia
Evidence-Based Assessment
Lastly, you’ll complete a standardised objective assessment using our VALD technology. This will provide an objective baseline that can be re-tested over time to demonstrate improvements in strength and function.
What actually matters
During perimenopause and menopause, your body goes through real physical changes that affect strength, bone health, energy and recovery. That’s often why things start to feel different, even if your routine hasn’t changed. We understand that this stage of life can be confusing, confronting, and scary even, and that’s why we are so proud to now offer a specialised Menopause, Midlife & Movement Assessment.
A few things are worth keeping front of mind:
- Menopause isn’t just hormonal – it affects your muscles, joints and bones
- Changes in strength, stiffness and recovery are common
- What you do during this stage has a direct impact on your long-term health
- Staying active helps, but targeted strength training is what really makes the difference
Research like the LIFTMOR trial (2015) has shown that supervised strength training – including heavier lifting and some impact work – can improve bone density, increase strength and support overall function in postmenopausal women.
What you’ll leave your assessment with:
The Menopause, Midlife & Movement assessment is designed to educate and empower you, equipping you with a carefully developed plan catered to your individual needs and goals.
After your assessment, you’ll leave with:
- A better understanding of what’s happening in your body.
- Confidence in managing your current concerns
- A personalised plan based on your results, needs, and goals.
- Clear recommendations for the most appropriate next steps.
For some of you, education and re-assurance might be all that you need at this point. But for others, additional recommendations may include:
- Ongoing physiotherapy or osteopathy appointments to manage concerns
- Referral to our exercise physiology team
- Referral to specialists
- A 12-week O-gym program
- GP review
- DEXA scan
The role of the assessment to educate, assess, treat, and recommend the most appropriate pathway for you, ensuring all our recommendations are driven with your best interests at heart. We truly want to see you thrive in this stage of your life.
Further Reading & Trusted Resources
If you’d like to explore further, these are good, reliable places to start:
Books:
- ‘It’s the Menopause‘ – Kaz Cooke
- A practical, relatable, and often humorous guide to navigating menopause.
- ‘The M Word‘ – Dr Ginni Mansberg
- Clear, evidence-based advice from an experienced GP.
- ‘The Menopause Brain‘- Dr Lisa Mosconi
- A deep dive into how menopause affects brain health, mood, and cognition.
Online: