It's fair to say that most of us can't replicate the exercise routines of A-listers, but in the case of Halle Berry's workout, it may be more relatable than you might think.
As well as roles in some of Hollywood's biggest films, 58-year-old Halle Berry is known for being in great shape. Now the actress has revealed she’s had to change how she exercises, ditching her treadmill workout and indoor cycling in favour of something else to look after her body as she goes through menopause.
Halle Berry has always advocated for an active lifestyle, but in a conversation with author and presenter Tamsen Fadal on The Tamsen Show podcast, the Oscar-winning actress said her focus had shifted in recent years. “I used to do a lot of cardio. Now I do no cardio. I’m trying to put muscle mass on, so I lift weights now,” she said.
“I never used to lift weights before. I only did my own body weight and cardio, cycling and running. Now I just do pretty much, boring - what I find boring - but it’s necessary for this stage of life, really just heavier weights than I’ve ever lifted, and I probably do it two more days a week than I ever used to.”
Berry said she wasn't doing strength training to “get muscly” - just to "stay heathly" and "manage my diabetes", but now she's lifting heavy weights and "still not getting muscly".
"I'm just kind of holding onto the muscle that I have, and that's important at this age," she said.
Personal trainer Kate Rowe-Ham is a women's fitness specialist and the founder of Owning Your Menopause. She says the actress is doing exactly the right thing for her body at this stage. “As oestrogen levels decline, we start to lose bone density and muscle mass at an accelerated rate. This natural shift puts us at greater risk of osteoporosis, sarcopenia (muscle loss), and reduced metabolic health. Strength training helps counteract all of that,” she says.
Last year, Berry revealed she found out she was in perimenopause when she was 54 but knew little about it or where to turn to for support. Since then, she’s founded Respin, a digital community for women to discuss their experiences and support each other through perimenopause and menopause.
As the star suggested, strength training doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to even up ‘ripped’. In fact, it's very hard to do that without trying, especially during menopause. What it does do, as Rowe-Ham says, is help us build lean muscle, support joint health, and boost our metabolism, in turn helping to balance our hormones.
But what about abandoning cardio altogether? High-intensity exercise like Berry described, such as running and HIIT, can "put more stress on the body because it causes an increase in our cortisol levels," says Rowe-Ham.
“When cortisol is chronically elevated, it can drive fat storage (especially around the midsection), disturb sleep, affect mood, and worsen perimenopausal symptoms like hot flushes, anxiety, and fatigue," she says.
The PT says she works with many women who say they’re exercising harder than ever but aren’t seeing results. “When we look closer, it’s usually because their bodies are stressed, inflamed, and not getting the support or recovery they need.”
Rowe-Ham says: “Cardio isn’t the enemy, but it has to be part of a well-balanced plan, and strength training is a crucial piece of that puzzle.”
Some types of strength training raise the heart rate enough for the workout to be considered low-intensity cardio exercise, offering the same cardiovascular health and overall wellbeing benefits as walking, swimming, hiking, cycling, and Pilates.
Why is it important to lift heavy weights?
Berry told The Tamsen Show she’s "lifting heavier weights than ever", which is key here. While small dumbbell workouts - like Pilates with weights - can be useful, Rowe-Ham says heavy lifting is important for women in their 40s and 50s. “As women, we’re often told to lift light, but that doesn’t cut it if we want to make meaningful changes in our muscle and bone health," she says.
Instead, the PT suggests lifting heavy. These are weights that feel challenging after a couple of repetitions. Doing so “drastically improve energy, stability, confidence and even posture," she says.
