How Jazzercise Is Helping Women Over 50 Lose Menopause Weight—and Feel Stronger Than Ever
Found: 3 key moves to practice to target midlife weight gain, improve bone density and build strength
Are workouts just not working for you anymore? One big reason may be the loss of estrogen that comes with age, and how it makes the body resist fat burning. So to answer the question, ‘How can I lose weight in menopause?’ we turned to Jazzercise. The timeless fitness brand, which turned 56 this year, has grown with its users and is having a bit of a menopause moment right now. Its newest program targets middle-aged weight in three powerful, research-proven ways. Here, how to use Jazzercise to lose weight in perimenopause and beyond.
The inspiration behind Jazzercise’s new menopause workout
Jazzercise was founded in 1969 by Judi Sheppard Missett, who still teaches weekly classes today at the age of 81! But it was Judi’s daughter, Shanna Missett Nelson, CEO and Chief Choreographer at Jazzercise, who used her own menopausal experience to inspire a new way of working out.
A few years ago, Nelson felt bombarded with her own menopausal symptoms like anxiety and hair loss. “Then I had body composition changes that I could not rectify and fatigue that was not normal.”
Woman's World Answers
So Nelson started looking for answers. She learned, during menopause, the body no longer responds to exercise the same way it did in youth. She realized, “Once you understand these changes, you can work with your body, not against it.” The result of her research is Jazzercise’s new Vital Sculpt HIIT program.
How age makes weight loss harder
What Nelson was experiencing is backed by science. Studies show that the drop of estrogen during the peri/menopause years can lead the body to partially “resist” the fat burning effects of exercise, explains Melina Jampolis, MD. “The good news is that exercise itself can reverse many of these changes, but you may have to do things a little differently.” That means changing up your movements, even if you’ve been an avid exerciser your whole life, and especially if you were solely a “cardio queen” as Dr. Jampolis hints.
Research, including work conducted by world-renowned exercise physiologist Stacy Sims, PhD, reveals there are three key exercises that work best for menopausal women looking to burn fat and promote longevity. And all three moves are showcased in the new Jazzercise program.
3 keys to an effective menopausal workout
Here, the three Jazzercise moves that are crucial to shedding menopausal weight and symptoms.
1. Jump training
Jumping—especially not in place but rather forward, backward and side-to-side—after age 40 improves balance and bone density. So alternate jumping with both feet to the right and then left for 30 seconds, taking a break and then repeating. Since dance is at the center of all Jazzercise classes, keep moving to music you love while you work out.
Why it works: Nelson explains, “Estrogen activates our muscle cells when working out. But to get your body to react post-estrogen loss, you have to do something to stimulate your central nervous system, and it needs to be somewhat shocking to your system, like jumping.” This movement also helps bones reknit together. “Jumping has been proven to prevent and even eradicate osteoporosis.”
2. Weight training
Dr. Jampolis says, “If you don’t lift weights already, you should start. And if you do lift weights, you may need to increase the number of sets or the amount of weight to get the same benefit.” Try using hand weights that are 2 to 4 pounds heavier than you usually use during workouts to gently stress the system and build muscle. Try arm presses, bicep curls or tricep kickbacks for the length of one upbeat song.
“Once again, you need to stimulate your central nervous system differently to get your muscle fibers to react the way they did when you had estrogen readily available,” Nelson explains. “Lifting heavier weights can do that for you. It should be a little challenge. The goal is to build more muscle mass, which is key for strength, balance, stability and metabolic health.” Indeed, the more muscle we have, the faster our metabolism tends to burn calories.
Postmenopausal women who lifted heavier weights for more reps had 44 percenrt more muscle growth than those lifting lower weights for fewer reps, finds 2024 research in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.
3. Sprint interval training
“Lastly, add HIIT: high-intensity interval training,” says Dr. Jampolis. “Many of my patients entering menopause start to back off on intensity as they age but this is the opposite of what you should do as HIIT training is even more effective than sustained endurance exercise for reducing belly fat.” One 16-week study in postmenopausal women found that HIIT training doubled weight loss compared to endurance training.
Bonus: Intervals at this age are best if they incorporate functional movements that promote stability, flexibility and mobility to support independent living. For example, practice getting down on the floor and climbing back to your feet, or reaching up to the ceiling and squatting low in an invisible chair, repeating for thirty seconds before taking a break.
These quick moves engage our legs, core and hips, which are important muscle groups needed to burn fat, build strength and even preserve cognitive decline as we age. Jampolis says, “I recommend HIIT training twice a week.”
Health and weight-loss results from this Jazzercise approach
Using a combination of these three moves is resulting in endless health success stories. One Jazzercise member reports, “This helped me lose 65 pounds, get stronger and remain flexible. I have severe arthritis, and it helps me with my joints. The more weight I lose the better it gets for me.”
Another online Jazzercise member shares, “I couldn’t believe that my body was starting to change. In nine months, I am 32 pounds lighter. I have more energy now than I did in the last 25 years. I am no longer a type 2 diabetic. I am so happy!”
And Nelson says, “One of our members who is 70, and participating in Vital Sculpt HIIT, went for her body scan and received news her osteoporosis is gone!” Nelson herself reveals she got the results she was looking for. “My body has responded so well to this class. I feel stronger than ever. My body composition shifted and I have more muscle and definition in my arms!”
The encouragement to jumpstart your weight loss
Incorporating these three Jazzercise moves into your routine may be the change your body needs to release extra weight. Nelson says, “Don’t get discouraged. Get curious. Get creative!” She explains, “When what I was doing wasn’t getting me the results I was used to, I decided to figure out what I could do a little differently.” She adds, “I want women to know they can increase stamina, they can build and maintain muscle and gain definition in their body.”
Try this Jazzercise weight-loss program for yourself for FREE
Visit Jazzercise.com to find a fitness studio in your area. Or try “Jazzercise On Demand” in the comfort of your own home. Use code: WOMENSWORLD to get one month free of workouts or nutritional support.
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