EXERCISE

Hormones are powerful chemical messengers that affect almost everything in your body: from energy, mood, sleep, metabolism, muscle growth, and immunity. Did you know that one of the best-known natural ways to support hormone balance is through exercise? Even more specifically, strength training (also known as resistance training) is one of the most effective ways to exercise to help facilitate this balance. How Strength Training Impacts Hormones When it comes to exercise, we can categorise hormones into two different types: Both processes occur naturally during exercise, but strength training helps us tilt the scale more favourably. Strength training stimulates the production of anabolic hormones like testosterone, human growth hormone (hGH), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) while keeping catabolic hormones to a minimum. When anabolic hormones are released, they don’t just build muscle, they also: Alternatively, excess catabolic hormones (like chronically high cortisol) can impair body composition by decreasing muscle and increasing body fat stores. This process creates inflammation throughout the body and ignites a hormonal chain reaction that worsens imbalances. By incorporating strength training into your routine, this helps shift your body into a more anabolic, hormone-friendly state. Key Hormones Boosted by Strength Training Here are the key hormones that benefit most from strength training: For women, lifting weights also supports balance between estrogen and progesterone, especially during perimenopause and menopause when natural hormone shifts impact mood, energy, bone health, and body composition. Strength Training for Women’s Hormone Health Strength training doesn’t just build muscle it also helps women balance hormones in key ways: 1. Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Hormonal Balance More muscle means better glucose control. Strength training increases the number of GLUT4 “gateways” in your muscle cells, pulling glucose from your blood more efficiently. This improves insulin sensitivity and stabilizes sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. From this you’ll see benefits such as lessened PMS symptoms, steadier energy, and reduced mood swings. 2. Boosts Metabolism and Thyroid Function Your thyroid is the command center of metabolism. Strength training builds lean muscle, which helps raise your resting metabolic rate and helps improve thyroid hormone sensitivity. For women managing hypothyroidism, lifting weights can complement treatment and help ease fatigue, brain fog, and weight gain. 3. Builds Stress Resilience Chronic stress raises cortisol, which disrupts sleep, appetite, and mood. Strength training helps regulate cortisol rhythms over time by stimulating the release of myokines (which release when muscle fibres contract) and neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. When these are released, they have positive impacts on mood and adaptability. 4. Supports Sleep and Melatonin Balance Strength training improves sleep quality and duration by reducing anxiety and increasing sleep pressure. Better sleep restores melatonin cycles and helps regulate other hormones like cortisol and thyroid hormones. To further enhance the benefits of strength training on sleep, train earlier in the day or keep late-night sessions lighter to avoid disrupting melatonin release. 5. Protects Bone Health During and After Menopause When estrogen declines after menopause, bone loss accelerates. Strength training is well known to be highly beneficial for preserving bone mass. Strength training provides the mechanical loading bones need to stay strong, while also preserving muscle mass for balance and joint support. Any compound or complex lift like barbell squats or lunges are highly effective exercises to perform. Why Hormone Balance Through Strength Training Matters as You Age Muscle mass naturally begins to decline in your 30s, a process called sarcopenia. Without strength training, this accelerates, leading to more fat storage, less muscle, reduced energy, and even changes in mood and brain function. But strength training reverses much of this process. By building muscle, you create a healthier hormonal environment that supports: How to Strength Train for Hormonal Balance So how can you receive these anabolic, hormone-friendly effects? Here’s the formula: Strength Training Is Hormone Training Strength training is about so much more than building muscle. It’s one of the most powerful tools you have for supporting hormone balance, boosting metabolism, improving mood, and protecting long-term health. If you’re not already lifting weights, now is the perfect time to start, you can follow these tips to learn the best way to strength train. Keep it simple, aim for 2–3 sessions per week, and focus on the big compound movements. Your body, and your hormones, will thank you.