45 - Science You Can Use: Menopause, Movement, and Midlife Health

45 - Science You Can Use: Menopause, Movement, and Midlife Health

From 1,000 Waking Minutes by Wendy Bazilian

December 17, 2025 · 30 min · Episode 48

About this episode

Dr. Wendy Bazilian discusses the evolving science of menopause and its implications for movement and health in midlife.

Menopause is finally getting the attention — and the science — it deserves. In this Science You Can Use episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes , Dr. Wendy Bazilian explores a meaningful shift in women’s health and what it means for how we move through midlife and beyond. This episode arrives at a moment when menopause care is being reconsidered — not through fear or outdated assumptions, but through updated evidence and lived experience. As the science evolves, the conversation expands beyond hormones alone to include what women can do, day to day, to feel stronger, steadier, and more at ease in their bodies. Dr. Bazilian takes a close look at movement — not as a generic recommendation, but as something that works differently during this stage of life. Drawing from three recent research reviews, she examines what the data actually show about physical activity and menopause symptoms, including sleep disruption, mood changes, fatigue, and bone health — as well as where movement helps, and where expectations need to be realistic. The focus isn’t on finding a perfect routine or doing more for the sake of it. It’s about understanding how the body responds during midlife, choosing forms of…

People in this episode

Host: Wendy Bazilian

Topics covered

  • menopause
  • movement
  • midlife health
  • women's health
  • physical activity
  • well-being

Keywords

  • menopause
  • movement
  • midlife
  • health
  • physical activity
  • well-being
  • research

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