Reclaiming Your Recovery: RED-S, Menopause, and Why Fueling Matters More Than Ever
Eat less. Move more. Push through.
But if you’re feeling more exhausted, not sleeping well, struggling with body changes, or noticing your workouts just aren’t hitting the same… this approach may actually be making things worse.
Let’s talk about why.
When Recovery Is Missing the Mark
Recovery isn’t just about rest days or better sleep hygiene—it’s about whether your body has the resources it needs to repair, regulate, and function well.
And one of the most overlooked disruptors of recovery in active women?
Low Energy Availability (LEA)—which is the driving force behind Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S).
This happens when you’re not fueling your body enough to support:
- Daily life
- Training demands
- Basic physiological function
RED-S + Menopause: An Overlapping Storm
Here’s where it gets important:
RED-S and menopause share a very similar symptom profile, including:
- Impaired bone health
- Sleep disturbances
- Metabolic changes
- Cardiovascular strain
- Fatigue and decreased performance
So if you’re:
- Exercising regularly
- Eating “clean” or restricting calories
- Trying to manage weight changes
👉 You may be compounding the very symptoms you’re trying to fix.
“Pouring Gasoline on the Fire”
Menopause is already a time of hormonal transition—particularly with declining estrogen. When you add chronic under-fueling on top of that?
You’re not “optimizing.”
You’re amplifying stress on the system.
This can show up as:
- Worse sleep (despite being exhausted)
- Increased hot flashes or temperature dysregulation
- Slower recovery from workouts
- Plateau or regression in strength and muscle mass
- Increased injury risk
- Mood changes and brain fog
You Cannot Starve Your Way Through This
This is the hard truth:
You cannot starve your way through menopause.
Restricting intake might feel like control in a season of change—but physiologically, it pushes your body further into stress and conservation mode.
And that directly conflicts with what your body needs right now:
- Muscle preservation
- Bone density support
- Nervous system regulation
- Hormonal balance (as much as possible during transition)
Here’s where pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) comes in as a crucial part of recovery for this population:
- Hormonal changes affect pelvic tissue: Declining estrogen can lead to weaker connective tissue, which can contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction.
- Low energy and under-fueling affect tissue repair: The pelvic floor is part of your core—if your body doesn’t have enough resources, recovery is compromised, increasing the risk of leaks, prolapse, or pelvic pain.
- Exercise and movement require coordination: PFPT can teach you how to engage and protect your pelvic floor during strength training, cardio, or high-intensity workouts.
- Recovery support: Targeted PFPT helps improve circulation, reduce tension, and enhance neuromuscular control, which complements sleep, nutrition, and hormonal support.
What Supporting Recovery Actually Looks Like
Let’s bring it back to the basics—because they matter more than ever here.
1. Fuel Consistently
- Eat enough to support your activity level
- Prioritize protein for muscle maintenance
- Don’t skip meals, especially around training
- Consistent sleep/wake times
- Strategic training (not all high intensity, all the time)
- Build in true recovery days
- Reduce late-night disruptions (including excessive fluid intake)
- Keep your environment cool and dark
- Create a wind-down routine
- Strength training is essential—but so is recovery
- More is not always better
- Adaptation happens after the workout
If you’re in perimenopause or menopause and feeling like your body is suddenly “working against you,” it may not be about needing more discipline.
It may be about needing more support.
More fuel.
More recovery.
More intention.
Because this phase isn’t about shrinking yourself—it’s about sustaining your body through change.
Final Thought
Recovery is not a passive process. It’s an active investment in how you feel, function, and show up.
And in this season of life?
It’s not optional—it’s essential.
"I have loved my experience at Uplift and 100% recommend it! Dr. Lauren has been so helpful through the middle of my pregnancy and postpartum. She helped me get prepared for labor and I attribute my smooth labor and delivery to all the exercises she taught me! I really like that this practice is more holistic. She evaluates your lifestyle and how you move your body on a daily basis and how everything is tied together to promote healing. She makes you feel comfortable at each visit. Love her!"
"Uplift PT has been a wonderful resource and support during my pregnancy. Dr. Lauren is so knowledgeable and can explain everything in a way that is so easy to understand. She helps me problem solve ways to continue exercising in the way I love while managing how my body changes in pregnancy. I would highly recommend checking them out!"
"Uplift PT has been an absolute game changer for me during this pregnancy. It’s my first so I didn’t know what to expect and when I started to experience hip pain Dr. Lauren was able to get me pain free and back to doing some of the things that I love. She does a great job educating patients and is very supportive of our goals. I can’t recommend her enough!"
"Uplift PT has been a wonderful resource and support during my pregnancy. Dr. Lauren is so knowledgeable and can explain everything in a way that is so easy to understand. She helps me problem solve ways to continue exercising in the way I love while managing how my body changes in pregnancy. I would highly recommend checking them out!"
"Uplift PT has been an absolute game changer for me during this pregnancy. It’s my first so I didn’t know what to expect and when I started to experience hip pain Dr. Lauren was able to get me pain free and back to doing some of the things that I love. She does a great job educating patients and is very supportive of our goals. I can’t recommend her enough!"
"Lauren is so knowledgeable and helpful with pelvic floor healing and also preparing for having a healthy pelvic future. She listens to your goals and concerns, and tailors your program to work with your daily life and your activity level. Absolutely recommend Lauren!"
"Uplift PT has been an absolute game changer for me during this pregnancy. It’s my first so I didn’t know what to expect and when I started to experience hip pain Dr. Lauren was able to get me pain free and back to doing some of the things that I love. She does a great job educating patients and is very supportive of our goals. I can’t recommend her enough!"
"Lauren is so knowledgeable and helpful with pelvic floor healing and also preparing for having a healthy pelvic future. She listens to your goals and concerns, and tailors your program to work with your daily life and your activity level. Absolutely recommend Lauren!"
"Working with Lauren dramatically improved my c-section and general postpartum recovery. She even helped me with other aches and pains, and has a really wide span of knowledge for the practical recovery questions. I never heard a dismissive “that’s normal” to anything I said, and she consistently followed up on any remark I made, no matter how small."
"Lauren is so knowledgeable and helpful with pelvic floor healing and also preparing for having a healthy pelvic future. She listens to your goals and concerns, and tailors your program to work with your daily life and your activity level. Absolutely recommend Lauren!"
"Working with Lauren dramatically improved my c-section and general postpartum recovery. She even helped me with other aches and pains, and has a really wide span of knowledge for the practical recovery questions. I never heard a dismissive “that’s normal” to anything I said, and she consistently followed up on any remark I made, no matter how small."
"Highly recommend Dr. Lauren and Uplift! I started seeing her during the end of my pregnancy and she’s been wonderful. Extremely knowledgeable with all things related to pelvic health and is helping my body and mind feel more prepared for birth!"
"Working with Lauren dramatically improved my c-section and general postpartum recovery. She even helped me with other aches and pains, and has a really wide span of knowledge for the practical recovery questions. I never heard a dismissive “that’s normal” to anything I said, and she consistently followed up on any remark I made, no matter how small."
"Highly recommend Dr. Lauren and Uplift! I started seeing her during the end of my pregnancy and she’s been wonderful. Extremely knowledgeable with all things related to pelvic health and is helping my body and mind feel more prepared for birth!"
"Dr Lauren is absolutely amazing! She helped me so much during pregnancy and helped prepare for delivery with second child. Seeing her postpartum has helped with so many things I’ve had going on. I wish I would have had her with my first pregnancy/postpartum. I can’t recommend her enough to anyone looking for a pelvic floor therapist for any reason and tell everyone I know about her!"
Dr Lauren is absolutely amazing! She helped me so much during pregnancy and helped prepare for delivery with second child. Seeing her postpartum has helped with so many things I’ve had going on. I wish I would have had her with my first pregnancy/postpartum. I can’t recommend her enough to anyone looking for a pelvic floor therapist for any reason and tell everyone I know about her!
I have loved my experience at Uplift and 100% recommend it! Dr. Lauren has been so helpful through the middle of my pregnancy and postpartum. She helped me get prepared for labor and I attribute my smooth labor and delivery to all the exercises she taught me! I really like that this practice is more holistic. She evaluates your lifestyle and how you move your body on a daily basis and how everything is tied together to promote healing. She makes you feel comfortable at each visit. Love her!
"Uplift PT has been a wonderful resource and support during my pregnancy. Dr. Lauren is so knowledgeable and can explain everything in a way that is so easy to understand. She helps me problem solve ways to continue exercising in the way I love while managing how my body changes in pregnancy. I would highly recommend checking them out!"
"Uplift PT has been an absolute game changer for me during this pregnancy. It’s my first so I didn’t know what to expect and when I started to experience hip pain Dr. Lauren was able to get me pain free and back to doing some of the things that I love. She does a great job educating patients and is very supportive of our goals. I can’t recommend her enough!"
