YOGA FOR MENOPAUSE
How long does menopause last?
The honest answer - plus what affects duration, what to expect at each stage, and what you can do to reduce the impact.
By Dr Daniella Goldberg PhD.
By Dr Daniella Goldberg PhD.
How Long Does Menopause Last?
The Honest Answer.
The Honest Answer.
It is one of the first questions I hear from women in perimenopause, and one of the hardest to answer with a simple number. The honest answer is that menopause itself - defined as the point 12 months after your last period - is a single moment in time. What most women are really asking is: how long will I feel like this? And that answer is more nuanced, more personal, and ultimately more hopeful than most sources suggest.
Perimenopause, menopause and
post-menopause
What is actually happening?
Most women are surprised to learn that what they experience as 'menopause' is actually perimenopause - the transitional phase that can begin anywhere from 2 to 10 years before your periods stop entirely.
Perimenopause typically begins in your mid-40s, though it can start earlier or later. It is during this phase that most symptoms appear: hot flushes, insomnia, anxiety, brain fog and meno-rage are all driven by the hormonal fluctuations of perimenopause rather than menopause itself.
Menopause is the clinical term for the point at which you have gone 12 consecutive months without a period. The average age in Australia is 51-52, though this varies significantly.
Post-menopause begins after that 12-month marker and continues for the rest of your life. Many women find that symptoms gradually ease in post-menopause as hormones settle at their new lower levels, though this is not universal.
Perimenopause typically begins in your mid-40s, though it can start earlier or later. It is during this phase that most symptoms appear: hot flushes, insomnia, anxiety, brain fog and meno-rage are all driven by the hormonal fluctuations of perimenopause rather than menopause itself.
Menopause is the clinical term for the point at which you have gone 12 consecutive months without a period. The average age in Australia is 51-52, though this varies significantly.
Post-menopause begins after that 12-month marker and continues for the rest of your life. Many women find that symptoms gradually ease in post-menopause as hormones settle at their new lower levels, though this is not universal.
So how long does it actually last?
The most reliable research suggests that vasomotor symptoms - hot flushes and night sweats - last an average of 7-9 years for most women, though some experience them for longer.
A 2015 SWAN study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that women who began experiencing symptoms in perimenopause had the longest duration, averaging 11.8 years.
Other symptoms, including anxiety, brain fog, sleep disruption and joint pain, are harder to measure with the same precision, as they overlap with other factors including stress, sleep quality, diet and general life circumstances.
What is clear from the research is that untreated, these symptoms can persist well into post-menopause for many women.
The more important question is not when your symptoms will end, but what you can do to reduce their impact while you are in the middle of it.
A 2015 SWAN study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that women who began experiencing symptoms in perimenopause had the longest duration, averaging 11.8 years.
Other symptoms, including anxiety, brain fog, sleep disruption and joint pain, are harder to measure with the same precision, as they overlap with other factors including stress, sleep quality, diet and general life circumstances.
What is clear from the research is that untreated, these symptoms can persist well into post-menopause for many women.
The more important question is not when your symptoms will end, but what you can do to reduce their impact while you are in the middle of it.
What helps the most?
The evidence supports several approaches for reducing the duration and severity of symptoms. Consistent mind-body practice - yoga, breathwork and mindfulness - has the strongest evidence base of any non-pharmacological intervention.
Reducing stress, prioritising sleep, limiting alcohol and caffeine, and maintaining social connection all contribute.
For women with severe or debilitating symptoms, discussing HRT with your GP is always worth considering alongside complementary approaches.
At Second Spring, we have spent 12 years teaching women exactly which yoga and breathwork practices address each specific symptom - not generic yoga, but targeted practices chosen because the research shows they work.
Reducing stress, prioritising sleep, limiting alcohol and caffeine, and maintaining social connection all contribute.
For women with severe or debilitating symptoms, discussing HRT with your GP is always worth considering alongside complementary approaches.
At Second Spring, we have spent 12 years teaching women exactly which yoga and breathwork practices address each specific symptom - not generic yoga, but targeted practices chosen because the research shows they work.
Start reducing your symptoms this week
If you are in the middle of perimenopause or menopause right now, you do not have to wait for it to end to feel better. Two hours of yoga a week, practiced consistently, can make a measurable difference in weeks, not years.
This is your Second Spring. It does not have to feel like this forever.
Daniella x
- Watch our free 1-hour yoga for menopause webinar <here> - then take the personalised quiz to find out which practices matter most for your specific symptoms
- Join a face-to-face class at our Bondi Junction clinic - <Book here>
- Access our on-demand video courses for symptom-specific practices any time
This is your Second Spring. It does not have to feel like this forever.
Daniella x
