At 44, former member of The Saturdays Una Healey is working to break the taboos around menopause. Recently opening up about her perimenopause journey, the mum-of-two revealed that ‘terrible night sweats’ had slowed her down – but since starting HRT, she completely rebalanced her body, joking that she now ‘feels 25 again because hormonally I am’.
Exercise has also been a big part of her embracing midlife and empowering herself amid such big hormonal shifts. Upon turning 40, she told Top Sante she uses her home gym four times a week: ‘The more exercise I do, the more energy I have. I make exercise part of my daily routine, even if it’s just a short walk to get outside. I work out on average four days a week, doing a mixture of weight-bearing exercises and running. I’ve set up a home gym in my house in Tipperary, Ireland.
Karwai Tang//Getty Images
‘Earlier this year, I also took up cold water swimming. I swim either at the coast or in lakes and have got the bug for it! The first time I did it, I thought, “What am I doing? This is horrible. It’s so cold.” Whereas now it just feels invigorating. When you’re immersed in cold water, your body goes into fight or flight mode and is flooded with cortisol, followed by endorphins.’
As for resistance training, Una recently took to Instagram to share her exact workout, writing: ‘I might be at level 44, which can feel like a rollercoaster at times! But I am trying my best to kick this peri’s ass 💪😅.’ With research showing resistance training is unmatched for perimenopausal benefits, from preserving muscle and bone density to boosting your mood and supporting sleep, here’s how to do it, with demos from Una.
Una Healey’s 7 go-to strength exercises1.Sled push 
Load the sled, grip the handles and lean your torso slightly forward. Brace your core and drive the sled forward with powerful, quick steps, pushing through the balls of your feet while keeping your back flat.
2. Ski erg
Stand tall with the handles overhead. Pull them down in one smooth motion by driving your arms towards your hips while hinging at the hips and engaging your lats and core. Return to the start with control.
3. Lat pulldown
Sit with your thighs secured under the pads and grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width. Pull the bar towards your upper chest by driving your elbows down and back, squeezing your shoulder blades together, then slowly extend your arms to return.
4. V squat machine
Position your shoulders under the pads with your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform. Lower into a squat by bending your knees and hips until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, then press through your heels to return to standing without locking out your knees.
5. Single-arm cable row
Stand or sit facing the cable with one hand on the handle. Keeping your chest lifted and core engaged, pull the handle towards your ribcage, driving your elbow close to your body. Pause to squeeze your back muscles before extending your arm back to the start.
6. Dumbbell hammer curl to press
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other. Curl the weights to your shoulders, keeping your elbows tucked in, then rotate slightly as you press the dumbbells overhead. Lower them back to your shoulders before returning to the starting position.
7. Dumbbell goblet squat
Hold a dumbbell vertically against your chest with both hands. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and brace your core. Sit your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat, keeping your chest up and elbows inside your knees. Drive through your heels to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director and a qualified Pilates and yoga instructor, Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism.
After earning a first-class degree in journalism and NCTJ accreditation, she secured her first role at Look Magazine, where she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!
Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red. Today, she oversees all fitness content across Women’s Health online and in print, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, which showcases the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise.
She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how. Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.