You're Not Imagining It: A Real Talk Guide to Perimenopause
If you've found yourself lying awake at 3am for no reason, snapping at your kids over nothing, or wondering why your jeans fit differently even though nothing else has changed — you're not losing your mind. You're probably in perimenopause.
It's one of the most common life stages for women in their late 30s to 50s, and yet so few of us were ever taught what to expect. At Soul Athletic, we hear it constantly from our community: "Is this normal?" "Why did no one tell me this could happen?" "Am I too young for this?"
So let's talk about it properly.
Perimenopause vs menopause — what's the actual difference?
They get used interchangeably, but they're not the same thing.
Perimenopause is the transition phase leading up to menopause, when your hormone levels — particularly oestrogen and progesterone — start to fluctuate. It can start as early as your mid-30s and typically lasts anywhere from four to ten years.
Menopause is a single point in time: it's officially marked once you've gone 12 consecutive months without a period. Everything after that is called postmenopause.
So if your cycle is still happening, even irregularly, you're likely in perimenopause — and that's exactly when most of the confusing symptoms tend to show up.
The symptoms nobody really warns you about
Hot flushes get all the attention, but perimenopause shows up in far more places than that:
Sleep disruption — waking at odd hours, struggling to fall back asleep, feeling wired but exhausted
Changes in body composition — weight redistributing around the midsection, even with no change in diet or training
Brain fog — losing words mid-sentence, forgetting why you walked into a room
Mood shifts — anxiety, irritability, or a short fuse that feels out of character
None of these mean something is wrong with you. They're a direct result of shifting hormone levels affecting everything from your nervous system to your metabolism to your sleep architecture.
The stuff we don't talk about enough
There's a second tier of symptoms that rarely come up at the dinner table, but come up constantly in private conversations:
Changes to your period — heavier, lighter, closer together, further apart. Most of this is normal perimenopause territory, but a sudden dramatic change is always worth a chat with your GP.
Libido and vaginal changes — dryness, discomfort, or a drop in desire are common and, importantly, treatable.
Bladder changes — increased urgency or leaking, especially during exercise, is far more common than most people realise.
If any of this sounds familiar, you are nowhere near alone. These are simply topics that haven't had enough airtime.
HRT: separating the myth from the fact
Hormone Replacement Therapy has had a rocky reputation, largely built on outdated research from decades ago. For many women, modern HRT is a safe and highly effective option for managing symptoms — but it isn't one-size-fits-all. Whether it's right for you depends on your personal and family health history, and it's a conversation worth having directly with your GP or a women's health specialist rather than relying on what you've heard secondhand.
What actually helps
Alongside any medical treatment, there's a lot within your control:
Strength and resistance training — helps protect bone density and manage the body composition changes that come with shifting hormones. Our Reformer Strength classes are the perfect addition to your weekly exercise
Movement that supports your nervous system — low-impact, controlled training like reformer Pilates can help regulate stress response, which has a knock-on effect on sleep and mood
Consistent sleep and stress habits — small, boring, repeatable routines tend to outperform anything drastic
Good nutrition - You are what you eat, always remember to eat something at least 30minutes after waking up every day. And definitely prior to any exercise.
Community — simply knowing other women going through the same thing, and being able to talk about it openly, makes a measurable difference to how manageable this season feels
You don't have to figure this out alone
We have a wide range of allied health professionals to support. Please reach out and also keep your eyes peeling to our Instagram account where we will continue to share more. Including any events we will be running for our community.
Ready to move through this stage feeling stronger, not stuck? Book a class at your nearest Soul Athletic studio and join a community that gets it.