Move through menopause with pilates and exercise

The struggle of feeling unlike yourself

Many women describe peri-menopause and menopause as a change they did not feel fully prepared for, especially when it comes to how their bodies feel day to day and during intimacy. 

It can be unsettling when your body starts to feel different. Sleep can be disrupted by night sweats, your back might ache more often, mood swings that catch you off guard. And, intimately and quietly, vaginal dryness can make sex and even simple movement feel extremely uncomfortable. 

Menopause is more than a hormonal transition; it can feel like losing the body you knew. Yet many women have discovered that there are ways to feel like themselves again. Not through a quick fix or miracle promise, but through sustainable changes that support the whole of you: your strength, your comfort, your intimate wellbeing. For many, this looks like a combination of regular pilates to rebuild core and pelvic floor support, alongside gentle, certified organic intimate care with YES products to help relieve dryness and restore everyday comfort.

Why menopause changes how your body feels 

When oestrogen levels fall during menopause, your body undergoes dramatic changes that most women don't see coming. Oestrogen isn't just a reproductive hormone—it's crucial for muscle preservation, bone density, joint lubrication, blood flow to tissues, and even tissue elasticity in sensitive areas.

Menopause impacts muscle mass and strength, a condition known as sarcopenia. Your pelvic floor weakens. Your core destabilises. Your joints become stiffer. Your vaginal tissues thin and lose natural lubrication.

It’s estimated that more than 33 million women in the UK will go through menopause. Approximately 90% may experience menopausal symptom (Menopause statistics report 2025). 

• "Why can't I stand up without using my hands anymore?"

• "Will I ever feel sexy again?"

• "How do I manage the pain during intimacy?"

• "Is there anything that actually works?"

The women who've found answers aren't taking HRT (though many are). They're not sitting on the sidelines accepting decline. They're moving. Specifically, they're doing pilates.

What the science says 

Research backs up what menopausal women are discovering firsthand. Recent studies show that pilates exercises are "effective non-pharmacological interventions for alleviating menopausal symptoms, improving quality of life, and enhancing sexual function."

One 2025 study found that women practising pilates experienced:

• Significant reduction in menopausal symptoms (including hot flashes and mood swings)

• Dramatic improvements in quality of life scores

• Enhanced sexual function and satisfaction

• Improved vaginal dryness symptoms

Another comprehensive review found that "physical activity including pelvic floor exercise training has been consistently shown to improve sexual function, sexual satisfaction as well as reduce urogenital symptoms," with "strong" evidence supporting the practice.

But the most compelling evidence comes from real women who've been doing this consistently.

What real women say

Online on the r/Menopause Reddit community, the testimonials are strikingly consistent:

"I am 52yo menopausal (no HRT yet but am using vag estradiol a couple times a week) and I've been doing nearly daily mat pilates (25-30 min) at home for just over one year. It's been very beneficial for me."

This woman reports:

• Weight bearing benefits gave her arm and ab definition she'd never had

• Flexibility and mobility—she can stand and sit without using her hands

• Low back aches completely resolved

• Inches shaved off bust, waist, and hips

• Better posture

Another woman at 60 years old shares: "Thanks to pilates workouts I have the body I always wanted when I was a 35yo cardio-queen, and I'm now 60F."

Why pilates works for menopausal women

Pilates has immense benefits for menopausal women:

1. It restores core strength

Your core is the foundation. As oestrogen levels fall and muscle mass naturally declines, the deep support around your spine and pelvis can start to feel less steady. 

When that core support is reduced, everything above and below has to work harder: posture can round forward, your back aches, your joints become unstable, you're at higher risk of falls.

Rebuilding gentle, functional strength through your core and pelvic floor helps restore that sense of internal support, so you can move with more ease and confidence. 

2. It lubricates your joints

There's a phrase in the menopausal fitness community: "Motion is Lotion." Pilates keeps you moving through your full range of motion. This circulation improves joint health, maintaining flexibility and reducing the stiffness that comes with oestrogen decline.

3. It strengthens the pelvic floor

This is where pilates becomes intimate and personal. The pelvic floor—the muscles supporting your vagina, bladder, and bowel—weakens dramatically during menopause. This contributes to incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, reduced sexual sensation, and, critically, reduced blood flow to vaginal tissues.

Pilates, particularly when done with pelvic floor awareness, increases blood supply to the pelvic region, nourishes tissues, and restores tone and function.

4. It's low-impact

Unlike high-intensity interval training or running, pilates is gentle on your joints and bones, even as you're strengthening them. This is crucial during menopause, when your bones are becoming more fragile.

5. It addresses mental health

Depression, anxiety, and mood instability are common symptoms of menopause. Pilates isn't cardio so it won't spike your heart rate or make you uncomfortable. Instead, it's meditative, controlled, and rhythmic. Pilates reduces stress and depression while improving overall mental health and concentration.

The first week may hurt 

Multiple women report: when they started pilates, they discovered muscles they didn't know existed. One woman jokes, "You will discover muscles you did not know you had, especially the next morning...😂"

That soreness isn't a sign your’re doing it wrong. It's evidence that your body is waking up. That you're reaching muscle fibres that have atrophied. And within a few weeks, it passes.

The consistency is what matters. Women who see transformative results aren't doing pilates once a week. They're doing it 3-5 times per week, even if it's just 25-30 minutes at home. That frequency allows your body to rebuild.

Top tip: You can find thousands of free pilates on Youtube from beginner to expert levels so you can find a video to suit your taste!

Vaginal dryness and menopause

Let's talk openly about vaginal dryness, because it's a major menopause symptom that affects sexual function, comfort, and frankly, your quality of life.

Here's the mechanism: as oestrogen declines, vaginal tissues thin, lose elasticity, and produce less natural lubrication. This causes dryness, irritation, pain during intercourse, and reduced sexual satisfaction. It's a real problem, not something to feel embarrassed about. You can read our guide on vaginal dryness here to learn more. 

Pilates helps restore blood flow to the region, which nourishes tissues and can improve symptoms over time. But it's not an instant fix, and exercise alone isn't always enough.

This is where YES comes in. 

YES moisturisers, YES lubricants and YES cleansers can become the core of your comprehensive menopause strategy, working alongside your movement routine to support everyday comfort and confidence.

YES products are specifically formulated to address vaginal dryness and discomfort in menopause, including during exercise. They provide:

• Daily hydration with YES VM Vaginal Moisturiser to support sensitive tissue comfort and elasticity over time.

• Immediate glide and comfort with YES WB Water-Based Lubricant designed to feel as natural as your own moisture and rapidly rehydrates dry and sensitive vaginal tissue.

• Gentle cleansing with YES CLEANSE Intimate Wash, formulated for sensitive, menopausal vulval and vaginal skin, to help you feel fresh without disrupting your natural balance.

• Natural, body-safe, certified organic ingredients, free from glycerine and hormones, designed for sensitive menopausal tissues.

• Clinically-informed, menopause‑suitable formulas that complement movement and pelvic floor work as you restore vaginal wellness.
  
  

When you are doing pilates consistently every week, you are engaging your pelvic floor, increasing blood flow and often sweating in an area where vaginal dryness can feel particularly uncomfortable. YES WB Water-Based Lubricant helps minimise friction so you can move with confidence through classes, reformer work and mat sessions.

On rest days or evenings, YES VM Vaginal Moisturiser restores hydration from dryness, itching and irritation, working with the improved circulation from regular pilates to gradually support tissue comfort over time. Used alongside this, YES CLEANSE Intimate Wash fits into your daily shower routine, washing away odour-causing bacteria without drying or irritation.

Together—pilates and YES VM, YES WB and YES CLEANSE—support menopause from both angles: rebuilding your body’s resilience through movement and providing targeted, immediate and ongoing symptom relief.

Getting started 

Getting started with pilates is easy. All you need is:

• A mat or towel

• 25-30 minutes

• YouTube (not necessary but makes it easy to follow along)

• Consistency

Youtubers we recommend:

• Move with Nicole 

• Jessica Valant Pilates

• Rachel's Fit Pilates

Also check out Dinah Simon Pilates on instagram an expert in this field!

You can also join a local pilates studio for accountability.

Start with 3 sessions per week. If you're dealing with pain, see a pelvic floor physical therapist or class instructor first to ensure proper form. (Some movements should be modified if you have disc bulges or specific injuries.)

Combine your pilates with:

• Daily use of YES vaginal moisturiser

• YES lubricant as needed during exercise or intimacy

• YES CLEANSE 

• Brief walks (multiple women report 30-minute brisk walks 2-3x per week alongside pilates)

• A clean and healthy diet 

Key takeaways

✓ Pilates rebuilds core strength, pelvic floor function, and bone density during menopause
✓ Research confirms pilates reduces menopausal symptoms and improves quality of life and sexual function
✓ Consistency (3x per week) is more important than intensity
✓ Real women are experiencing transformative body changes, improved confidence, and restored intimacy
✓ Vaginal dryness during menopause can be managed with YES products
✓ You're not too old, not too out of shape—your body is waiting to be rebuilt

Your menopause doesn't have to mean decline. Instead you can see it as a moment to gently reclaim comfort, confidence and intimate wellbeing on your own terms. 

Sources

• PMC/NCBI: Investigating the effects of Pilates exercises on menopausal symptoms (2025)

• Effects of pilates exercise on quality of life and menopausal symptoms (2024)

• Moving Medicine: Menopause – Physical activity improves symptoms of vaginal dryness

• Back to Function: The Role of Core Strength in Menopausal Women's Wellness

• Menopause statistics report 2025

• Move with Nicole 

• Jessica Valant Pilates

• Rachel's Fit Pilates