What is the best exercise for women at each life stage?
Exercise for women rests on the same base at every life stage: 150–300 minutes of moderate activity a week plus strength training on 2 or more days, per the WHO 2020 guidelines. In the UK, the NHS sets this at at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week, plus strengthening on at least 2 days.
If you're unsure where to begin, that's common, and there's no need to take on everything at once. This folder holds our training guides in two layers: one guide for each life stage, and topic guides on strength, bone loading, HIIT, the pelvic floor, pregnancy and the return after birth. The mix shifts by stage because your body does, so lifting and impact gently take up more of the week over time. A good place to start is the stage that sounds most like you today. Parents of younger girls can begin with active play and exercise for children, and exercise in puberty is for the teenage years. For the reproductive years, the guide many readers reach by asking about exercise on your period also covers pregnancy and birth. For the transition years there is perimenopause exercise, and for the time around the final period, menopause exercise. For the years after, readers who arrive asking about losing weight post menopause will find a guide built on strength, bone and how you feel, not a number on the scale. The topic guides cut across the stages, so it's fine to dip in and out.
- Pelvic floor training: How daily pelvic floor training works and when leaking is worth raising with a doctor.
- Exercise in pregnancy: What keeping active in pregnancy can look like, from cardio to strength work.
- Strength training: Sets, reps and progression for building muscle and bone at any stage.
- Heavy bone loading (LIFTMOR): How heavy lifting and impact work support bone density at the spine and hip.
- Exercise after birth: A gradual return to movement after birth, from walking to running.
- HIIT and sprints: Short, hard intervals: how often, how long and what to eat beforehand.
Facts
Common questions
How does exercise in pregnancy help?
It is linked with a lower risk of several complications. The WHO physical activity fact sheet (2024) lists pre-eclampsia, gestational hypertension and diabetes, delivery complications and postpartum depression, with no adverse effect on birthweight or stillbirth risk. Many women keep up moderate cardio and strength work and choose activities without contact or a risk of falls. A midwife or OB-GYN can help shape the plan.
When can I start running after birth?
Pelvic floor work and walking can begin early. In the UK, the NHS says more intense activity can start after the 6–8 week postnatal check, if you feel able, and vigorous activity isn't recommended if you were inactive before pregnancy. In the US, low-impact work usually follows the postpartum checkup. A gradual build suits most women, and a midwife, OB-GYN or GP can help with timing.
What does a simple pelvic floor routine look like?
A common routine is 3 sets of 8–12 slow squeezes plus some quick ones, every day, and it matters most in and after pregnancy. Urgency and leaks also become more common in perimenopause, so the habit is worth keeping. Leaking during exercise is common, and it's worth raising: a pelvic floor physical therapist (a physiotherapist in the UK) can help.
What does heavy bone loading look like in practice?
The LIFTMOR trial (Watson et al., 2018) used one lift at about 5 sets of 5 at roughly 85% of your max, in 2 strength sessions a week, built up gradually with good technique. Many women add 10–50 jumps, hops or step-downs 2–3 times a week. A qualified coach or physical therapist can help you learn the lifts safely.
Are women really less active than men?
Worldwide, women are less active than men by about 5 percentage points on average, a gap that has not changed since 2000 (WHO physical activity fact sheet, 2024). That is a pattern across populations, not a verdict on any one woman. Many find that starting with short, regular sessions and adding a second strength day over a few weeks makes the guideline feel reachable.
Next steps
A good place to start is the stage guide that matches where you are now, followed by one topic guide that answers your biggest question, whether that is strength, bone, the pelvic floor or a return after birth. When to see a doctor: leaking during exercise, or low mood, anxiety or intrusive thoughts after birth, are worth raising with your doctor, OB-GYN or midwife (in the UK, your GP or midwife) sooner rather than later. From there, take what fits your body, your schedule and your goals, because this is not one size fits all.
Sources
The guidelines and studies this page draws on.
- World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour, WHO / British Journal of Sports Medicine (2020)
- Physical activity fact sheet, World Health Organization (2024)
- Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64, NHS (2026)
- ACOG Committee Opinion 804: physical activity and exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2020)
- Watson et al., LIFTMOR trial of heavy and impact training for bone, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (2018)