A resistance-based exercise programme that Jennifer Aniston calls "a game changer" has been shown to improve a range of physical issues that arise during and after the menopause transition.
New research from the University of Exeter has found that Pvolve - a popular resistance training method who officially partnered with Jennifer Aniston in 2023 – increases hip strength, dynamic balance, flexibility, and lean body mass in women aged between 40 and 60. Published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, this study is the first time researchers have found the benefits of resistance exercise on lower limb strength and balance can be maintained throughout the menopause transition, through engaging with specific types of exercise.
The reduction in sex hormone production during menopause is believed to increase age-related decline in muscle mass, strength, and stability - making falls and fractures more likely. Therefore, maintaining skeletal muscle strength and balance as women get older, especially around the menopause transition, is vitally important.
While previous studies suggest the decline in lower limb strength and flexibility across the menopause transition may be prevented with increased exercise, this is the first study to compare the effect of resistance exercise training on muscle strength and mass before, during and after menopause.
Seventy-two healthy and active pre-, peri-, and post-menopausal women, not currently taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT), took part in the research. Participants were randomised to either follow physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes per week, or complete a 12-week whole-body, low-impact resistance training program from Pvolve.
The participants took Pvolve exercise classes that incorporated strength-building movements using resistance bands and ankle weights at the hips, wrists, and ankles, as well as lifting dumbbells of various loads. These strength-based exercises are paired with single-leg balances and stability training, along with bodyweight exercises, including hip hinges, planks, and multi-planar rotational movements, often with added resistance and weight loads. All classes were 30 to 35 minutes in duration, and the intensity of the classes increased over 12 weeks.
Professor Francis Stephens from the University of Exeter Medical School led the research: "Women often see a decline in their muscle strength and balance shortly before, during and after the menopause. This ultimately increases the risk of falls and fractures later in life, particularly of the hip, which is why it's so important to find a way for women to maintain that strength and balance as they get older. The great thing about these simple resistance exercises is they can easily be performed at home, and we've now shown they're effective at improving strength and balance in women during and post-menopause. In fact, some measures of balance appeared to increase to a greater degree in post-menopausal women, suggesting that these exercises are not hindered by the menopause transition."
Researchers found the following improvements in participants who consistently engaged in the Pvolve Method, compared to a standard exercise routine:
- 19-percent increase in hip function and lower body strength
- 21-percent increase in full-body flexibility
- 10-percent increase in dynamic balance, mobility, and stability
- Increase in lean muscle without increasing total body mass (with some measurements increasing after just four weeks)
These improvements were comparable across pre-, peri-, and post-menopausal groups, suggesting for the first time that the menopause transition, and associated decline in sex hormone production, may not negatively affect the ability to see benefits from a resistance exercise training programme.
"We are incredibly excited to collaborate with the University of Exeter on this groundbreaking research," said Julie Cartwright, President of Pvolve. "Women undergo tremendous physical change during the menopause transition, and this research shows that the Pvolve method can serve as an intervention, helping women to live better and feel better throughout their lives."
In future studies, a longer intervention period may be required to detect any differences between the menopause groups, and despite this being an online home-based programme, performing exercise under supervised conditions in a group scenario may have different results compared to exercising at home alone.
The paper 'A novel low-impact resistance exercise program increases strength and balance in females irrespective of menopause status' was published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Recruitment and data collection were carried out in the Nutritional Physiology Research Unit (NPRU) at the University of Exeter.
"Like nothing you've ever done before"
By her 40s, April Brooks had given up on trying to touch her toes. Though healthy and active, she had never been able to reach her digits - until she took part in the Pvolve trial.
"It was amazing - I really noticed the difference in my flexibility," she said. "I can now easily touch my toes and have maintained flexibility, even though I haven't done the programme for a while. It's fantastic strength training, too."
The senior nurse and mother-of-two took part in the study because she wanted to be part of research around keeping women active as they go through menopause. "It's so poorly understood - we need to be able to know what really works," she said.
At the start of the trial, the 72 participants were given a box of different weights and equipment, including resistance bands and ankle weights, and committed to joining classes four times a week - even taking some of their kit box on holiday with them. "I got stopped and searched on the way back from Cyprus, and the airport security were pretty confused by the sand in the ankle-weights showing up as a suspicious substance on the x-ray scanner!" April said. "We were all really committed to making the trial work, as we all believed it's such important research."
April, from Exeter, does a weekly session with a personal trainer and HIIT boot camp, yet saw results she had never expected from Pvolve. "We all saw changes in our bodies," she said. "For me it was about flexibility and muscle definition - a lot of people also dropped weight. While we were going through the trial, Jennifer Aniston emerged as an ambassador for Pvolve, which was pretty impressive. She's an A-list star after all, and she looks incredible for her age."
Fellow participant and GP Lorna Mason said taking part in Pvolve gave her muscle definition she never knew she could achieve. "Around nine weeks into the trial, we all started to notice we
were changing shape," she said. "I run around three times a week, but I've never done any strength training before Pvolve. I've always had aches and niggles after I run, but I no longer get that now that my strength and flexibility has improved - it's been brilliant, and I'm still doing Pvolve classes two years on from the trial."
Lorna, from Broadclyst near Exeter, described the exercises as "like nothing you've ever done before". She said: "There's lots of equipment that's easy to use, and the focus of the classes is on functional movements which translate so well into helping with tasks in everyday life, such as twisting to look behind yourself, or lifting heavy bags. You never really experience this in other exercise routines.
