In 2022, 17% of adults globally practised yoga with women twice as likely as men to participate.
However research is showing that with increasing frequency women aged 45-55 are joining and soon after leaving gyms, yoga classes, exercise programs, health clinics. Their unique needs are not being met turning them away from mainstream health services and classes.
Professor Wendy Sweet undertook her doctorate with these women and found that yoga needs to be specifically focused on the benefits for women over 50.
Is this you?
Menopause is a natural phase of life for women
Most women experience a transition through menopause as a natural part of ageing between the ages of 45-55.
Women in these midlife years wish to exercise, be healthier. Many experience symptoms including brain fog/fatigue, an increase in weight and body fat, more pain/stiffness in the joints. Often they take up a form of exercise (yoga, weights, gym) to manage some of these effects.
But this longitudinal study of women’s health since 1990 found that women aged 45-55, in the context of ‘exercise’ for health, were not well understood by health and fitness professionals.
The important focus in menopause for yoga (& other exercise) …
your arteries, your fascia, your collagen, your health condition.
VASCULAR (arterial) stiffness – very typical for women between 40 and 70 years are changes in the myocardium (muscle of the heart).
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So why does this matter?
- this comprises cardiovascular (heart) health, blood pressure, and overall heart function.
- an increase in arterial stiffness is a strong indicator of future cardiac events.
- women have distinctly different occurrences and symptoms of heart disease than men, which need to be managed differently*.
- *Professor Angela Maas has been pioneering over decades in her focus on hypertension in women.
How can yoga practices help?
- poses that improve heart rate variability, arterial blood flow, circulation.
- specific pranayama (breathing techniques) that influence energy.
- positions that promote lymphatic drainage (specific yin positions).
- balancing the functions of the adrenals and kidneys (specific restorative poses).

FASCIAL (tissue) stiffness – as oestrogen levels decline a stiffening of muscles occurs (fascial stiffness) with an increased sensitivity to ‘pain’.
So what happens?
- women may notice that their movement is stiff, sore or uncomfortable. They may believe this is an indicator to stop moving, but it’s not!
- increased ‘pain’ responses are not necessarily indicative of damaged tissue. Women need encouragement to move safely.
Yoga practices can create change here:
- a longer warm-up, more movement through the joints, before the deeper aspects of a pose are explored.
- movement repatterning, somatic awareness, lengthening vs stretching of muscle fibres, targeted loading for the joints (read about Collagen below)
- tailored movement adapted to the person to ensure less ‘pain’ and more enjoyment (so that they wish to continue!)

Collagen reduces with lowering oestrogen levels, increasing stiffness in ligaments and slowing the healing of tendons.
So what happens?
- women at this age are more prone to injury with less optimal recovery.
- targeted weight-bearing exercises such as weightlifting are required (though a specific program with a Physiotherapist, Exercise Physiologist, skilled Trainer).
Limitations of yoga practice here:
- asana is not sufficient to stimulate the production of collagen to strengthen bones and tendons.
- to be effective, yoga practices need to focus on balance for falls and injury prevention, functional as movement not simply static and still poses.
Many chronic health conditions are the result of inflammation which again coincides around the age of menopause for women.
Brain fog, fractures, fatigue are some of the symptoms reported in menopause that are also consistent with chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, declining cognition.
Research by Professor Singh, Gerontologist and Exercise Physiologist, focuses on chronic health conditions in ageing and how to improve health status and quality of life.

Why you need a Yoga Therapist not a young nimble teacher!
As a Yoga Therapist my approach is with you, the ‘whole’ person, not simply your condition(s) or medical label.
I offer a deeper understanding of the physiological changes that occur for most (but not all) women at this stage of life.
From this knowledge we can more effectively work together and explore tailored practices whilst supporting you to ongoing health and well-being.