Mood swings, meet mindful movement

Are you starting to notice some changes as you hit midlife? Maybe you’re feeling a bit stiffer in your joints, your mind races at night or you just don’t bounce back like you used to. You’re definitely not alone – lots of women over 40 are on the lookout for ways to honour their changing bodies while also taking care of themselves mentally.

Have you given yoga a go? This once-sacred-now-mainstream practice has some pretty amazing benefits that can help with everything from hormonal balance to stress relief. In this article, we’ll explore how yoga can support you during this stage in your life, focusing on things like bone health and emotional wellbeing.

Key takeaways

• Regular yoga practice improves hormonal balance during (peri-)menopause, reducing symptoms with just three weekly sessions
• Weight-bearing poses strengthen bones naturally – providing essential protection against age-related density loss
• Yoga’s stress-reduction techniques activate the parasympathetic nervous system, particularly beneficial during midlife transitions
• The practice strengthens pelvic floor muscles, enhances cognitive function and addresses common concerns for women over 40
• Unlike high-impact exercises, yoga adapts to changing abilities, making it sustainable throughout all life stages

Regulates hormones

Hormones during (peri-)menopause can leave many women feeling out of sync with their bodies. But what if there was a natural way to find balance again?

A review published in Psychoneuroendocrinology found that regularly practicing yoga – especially poses like bridge and cobra, combined with mindful breathing – can help lower stress levels by reducing cortisol, blood pressure, and heart rate. These changes suggest that yoga may support the body’s stress response system and help ease (peri-)menopausal symptoms when done consistently (Pascoe et al., 2017).

Plus, regular practice stimulates the endocrine system in ways that high-intensity workouts simply cannot match. Unlike vigorous exercise – which can sometimes exacerbate hormonal imbalances – yoga’s gentle approach works in harmony with your body’s changing needs, offering relief without medication.

Builds bone density for strength

Weight-bearing yoga poses create a fascinating paradox: through stillness comes strength. When holding poses like warrior sequences and tree pose, the body responds by stimulating cells responsible for maintaining and building bone density – precisely when it is needed most.

Yoga might not be the first thing you think of for bone health, but research suggests it can make a real difference. A 10-year study published in Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation found that practicing just 12 minutes of yoga daily was associated with improved bone density in key areas like the spine and hips – especially important for women over 40, when bone loss typically begins to accelerate.

Unlike high-impact exercises, yoga strengthens bones gently by improving balance, posture and muscle engagement, which can also help prevent falls.

Helps you get a better night's sleep

Yoga may not be a direct sleep cure, but it can create the ideal conditions for better rest.

Research suggests that regular practice helps calm the nervous system, lower stress and anxiety levels, and even increase melatonin – the hormone that supports healthy sleep cycles. In fact, according to News Medical Net, 55% of people who practice yoga report noticeable improvements in their sleep quality.

Gentle evening routines with poses like forward folds and twists can help the body unwind and prepare for rest, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep, especially during midlife, when sleep disruptions are more common.

Recalibrates the stress response

For women over 40, who often juggle career peaks, family responsibilities and personal transitions, stress can feel like a constant companion. Research demonstrates yoga’s remarkable ability to reduce cortisol levels, serving as a go-to solution for relief.

Research found in PubMed shows that meditation and yoga can influence the brain in ways that help reduce anxiety. Regular practice has been linked to changes in brain chemistry – such as increased levels of calming neurotransmitters like GABA and serotonin – and improved activity in brain regions involved in mood and stress regulation, like the prefrontal cortex. These effects may help explain why many people experience less anxiety and better emotional balance after incorporating meditation or yoga into their routine (Krishnakumar et al., 2015).

It’s no wonder more women are turning to restorative retreats and mindful movement as a way to recharge; something we thoughtfully incorporate into every experience at Homefield Grange.

Bolsters pelvic floor strength

While it’s not something people usually chat about, pelvic floor health is super important for women who have gone through childbirth, are experiencing age-related changes or both. Yoga’s emphasis on gentle muscle engagement is a great way to strengthen these key muscles.

Poses like bridge and malasana (the yoga term for a squat) offer a powerful way to work on your pelvic muscles without the boredom of traditional Kegel exercises. By weaving pelvic floor work into your overall practice, it becomes easier to stick with it and see results.

Boosts your brainpower

Yoga does more than help you de-stress; it can actually change your brain. As reported in a recent article published by the BBC, neuroimaging studies have found that regular yoga practice is linked to an increase in grey matter – the part of the brain involved in memory, decision-making and learning.

This is especially important during (peri-)menopause, when many women experience brain fog or cognitive dips. The article also highlights research showing that yoga supports areas of the brain tied to emotional regulation and self-awareness, helping you stay focused, sharp, and more in tune with yourself as you move through midlife.

Connects you with like-minded individuals

As children leave home and life circumstances shift, many women find their social circles getting smaller just when they need support most. While improving physical fitness, group yoga classes provide valuable social connections in an environment of shared understanding and growth.

These shared experiences often blossom into supportive communities where women can openly discuss midlife challenges. The mat becomes common ground where conversations flow naturally – creating bonds that extend far beyond the studio walls.

Allows you to embrace getting older

In a world that often fixates on youth, yoga takes a different approach by celebrating what our bodies can do instead of how they look. This mindset helps free us from those unrealistic beauty standards, letting us focus more on function than appearance.

Practicing yoga regularly helps you genuinely appreciate what your body is capable of, no matter your age, weight or flexibility. This shift in how you see yourself can lead to real self-acceptance, which is a gift that just gets more valuable as the years go by.

Evolves with your body's needs

Unlike high-impact activities that may become challenging with age, yoga adapts to changing physical capabilities. It’s a practice that grows with you, since yoga offers modifications that adapt to your body through life’s various stages.

The mindset of non-judgment cultivated on the mat naturally extends into daily life, fostering greater self-compassion through life’s changes. And it is this mental shift transforms how you approach self-care, making it much more sustainable and enjoyable.

Your mat at Homefield Grange awaits...

If you’re on the lookout for a way to ease some physical discomfort, tackle those emotional ups and downs or just feel better overall, yoga might be just what you need – especially if you’re in midlife. It really has a lot to offer when it comes to improving different aspects of your health all at once, making it a fantastic tool during this life stage.

Why not come join us at one of our luxury retreats? You can experience the benefits of yoga we’ve covered above and see how it can support you through (peri-)menopause.