Strength and Conditioning for Female Runners and Triathletes: Why It Matters (Especially Through Menopause)

If you’re a female runner or triathlete, strength and conditioning might feel like something you should be doing but never quite get round to. But for female endurance athletes, especially as we approach menopause, strength training is one of the most powerful things we can do to stay injury-free, maintain muscle, and keep performing well in our sport.

Last week I gave a talk for International Women's Day about how women can adapt their training to get the best from their bodies.

One of the topics we discussed was strength and conditioning for women, and why it becomes even more important as we move towards midlife and menopause.

As women, we will all go through menopause and as we do, our oestrogen levels decline.

Oestrogen plays a protective role in the body. It supports our muscles, bones, ligaments and joints. When oestrogen drops, all of these become more vulnerable.

Whether you are pre, peri or post menopausal, strength and conditioning is one of the most effective ways to help protect them.

Here are some key things to include.

(Want to be told what to do rather than read an article? Get a 2 week free trial of my On Demand classes, covering everything I talk about here)

Start with Mobility

Begin any strength session – and ideally your runs too – with some mobility work.

Modern life means many of us spend long periods sitting, which gradually reduces mobility.

Mobility helps restore range of motion in the joints so that we can:

• move more efficiently

• reduce injury risk

• get more from the exercises we do

  
  

One of the biggest problem areas for runners is the hip flexors.

When we sit for long periods the hip flexors shorten and tighten. But when we run we need the opposite movement – the ability to extend the leg behind us and engage the glutes.

A few minutes of hip mobility can make a big difference to how we run. Other key areas to mobilise include ankles and our mid (thoracic) spine.

Here's a great mobility warm up for running:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciTwloUt9h0

Build Stability (Especially Your Glutes)

After mobility work comes stability.

Stability exercises help support your joints so they move as they are designed to.

For runners and triathletes this includes core, glutes and shoulders.

Your glutes are one of the most powerful muscles in the body. They generate power when running but also stabilise the hips and control the knees below them, which helps prevent injuries.

Mobility and stability work may not feel glamorous, but they are incredibly effective for:

• preventing injuries

• improving movement efficiency

• allowing consistent training

  
  

And consistency is what ultimately helps you improve as a runner or triathlete.

How Strength Training Helps our Health and Performance

After mobility and stability, we move into strength training itself.

This is where we actively build muscle – something that becomes increasingly important for women as we age.

Muscle is vital for:

• supporting bone health

• stabilising joints and posture

• maintaining body composition

• regulating blood sugar

• powering our running and cycling

If we don't train our muscles, all these things become harder to maintain, particularly through menopause, with impacts on our training and health.

The most effective strength exercises are multi-joint movements that recruit several muscles at once, such as squats, deadlifts and lunges. Once (and only once!) you're confident on your technique, aim for low reps (5-10 reps) using heavy weights.

What Else Should Female Runners and Triathletes Include in Strength and Conditioning

I also include some balance work. This helps performance by improving movement efficiency and reducing the risk of things like twisted ankles. But it can also be a literal life saver.

As we age our balance declines, and a postmenopausal woman has around a 50% chance of sustaining an osteoporosis-related fracture in her lifetime. Training balance helps reduce that risk.

I also include plyometrics (low-level jumping). These help strengthen bones and joints in the lower leg and maintain power production, another thing that declines with age.

And finally, pelvic floor work - up to 80% of active women experience urine leaks during exercise but it’s not inevitable – training your pelvic floor can change that.

The Exercise Runners Forget: Calf Raises

Finally, there is one exercise most runners overlook. Calf raises.

Your calves absorb huge forces when you run, and strengthening them is one of the best ways to reduce injury risk.

If you run – and by runner I mean anyone who runs – aim to build up to 25–30 single-leg calf raises. Ideally do three sets, three times per week, preferably after running to improve your running resilience.

Want Help Putting This Into Practice?

If you would like help putting this into practice, my Club Feel Fit strength and conditioning classes for runners and triathletes are designed specifically for women who want to stay strong, avoid injuries and continue performing well in endurance sport.

These sessions bring together everything we have talked about:

• mobility

• stability

• strength

• injury prevention

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All tailored for female runners and triathletes.

You can choose between a female-only live strength and conditioning class, or an On Demand class to do when suits you.

👉 Join Club Feel Fit to build strength that supports both your training and your long-term health.