By Marleen, FemVital — pharmacologist and menopause fitness coach

Here’s something I see all the time. A woman decides she’s finally going to get strong and feel better in menopause. She downloads a plan, or copies one from someone half her age online, follows it for three weeks, and then quietly gives up — convinced she’s the problem.

She isn’t. The plan is. The answer isn’t a better generic plan. It’s a personalised menopause plan — one built around you.

Because menopause is one of the most individual experiences there is, and handing every woman the same generic programme is a bit like giving every patient the same dose of the same medicine and hoping for the best. As a pharmacologist, that’s the part that makes me wince.

No two menopauses look the same

We talk about “menopause” as if it’s one thing. It isn’t. There are more than thirty recognised symptoms, and every woman gets her own unwelcome combination. One of you is wrecked by broken sleep and brain fog. Another barely sleeps badly but can’t shift the aching joints. One has hot flushes; her friend has none but feels flat and anxious instead.

On top of that, you’re all starting from completely different places. Some of you trained for years and have simply lost ground. Some of you have never picked up a weight in your life. Some have twenty minutes and a pair of dumbbells in the spare room; others have a gym membership and three free mornings a week.

A single plan can’t possibly meet all of that. So it meets none of it well.

Your body responds in its own way, too

This is the bit that really matters, and it’s where the generic approach falls down hardest.

Two women can do the exact same programme and respond completely differently. One feels her energy lift within a fortnight; the other needs longer, or needs more protein, or needs more rest between sessions because her sleep is shot. Neither is doing it “wrong.” Their bodies are simply different — different hormones, different history, different lives.

In my old world, we never assumed one dose suited everyone. We looked at the person, started sensibly, watched how they responded, and adjusted. Strength and nutrition in menopause deserve exactly the same respect. The question isn’t “what’s the best plan?” It’s “what’s the best plan for you, right now — and is it actually working for you?”

What personalised actually looks like

It’s simpler than it sounds. It comes down to three things:

Start from where you actually are. Not where a 25-year-old influencer is. Your level, your time, your equipment, your symptoms. The right first step is the one you can genuinely do this week.

Match the plan to your life. Twelve minutes at home with no kit is infinitely better than a brilliant gym programme you never get to. The best plan is the one that fits the life you have.

Watch how you respond — and adjust. This is the part almost everyone skips. If you don’t track how your energy, sleep and symptoms move as you train, you’re guessing. When you can see that you sleep better on the days you lift, or that week three felt easier than week one, two things happen: you adjust intelligently, and — just as importantly — you keep going, because you can finally see it working.

Why I built FemVital the way I did

Honestly, this is the whole reason the app exists.

It starts with a few quick questions about you, so your first plan fits your level, time and equipment — not someone else’s. Then, after each workout, there’s a ten-second check-in, and over time your Menopause Report shows you how your own energy and sleep compare on training days versus rest days. That’s your body’s data, not a generic promise.

From there it flexes to however much support you want: programmes and nutrition on Premium, or fully one-to-one coaching with me, where I build the whole thing around you and we adjust it together as we go.

The honest bottom line

You do not need the perfect plan. There’s no such thing. You need your plan — one that starts where you are, fits your real life, and shows you what’s actually working so you don’t give up in week three thinking it’s you.

It never was you. You just needed something built for you, not for everybody.

Marleen is a pharmacologist and the founder of FemVital, helping women feel strong through menopause with honest, science-backed support. This article is for information only and isn’t medical advice — if you have a health condition or take medication, check with your own doctor before starting something new.

Want a plan that actually fits you? Start free with my 7-Day Starter Pack — 12 minutes a day, no equipment. femvital.app