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fog.“ About 20 per cent of women have a really terrible time like I did, and there’ s 20 per cent of women who will sail through and not really have too many symptoms,” she explains.“ Eighty per cent of women who have been studied said that their perimenopause and menopausal symptoms affected their day-to-day life.”

If you’ re in your 40s and you’ re noticing changes in your body, Shelly suggests monitoring and tracking symptoms.“ When you need to see a doctor, make sure they are trained in menopause and perimenopause,” she adds.

Power through peri

Healthy lifestyle choices can make a significant difference to how well women fare during perimenopause.“ As you age and your oestrogen levels decline, it’ s harder to retain bone and muscle, so you have to set down good, healthy habits, including strength training and plyometric exercises and eating enough protein,”

Dr Teagle says.“ Don’ t worry about trying to be skinny; worry about being fit and strong and functional so you can continue to do those activities that will keep you well in older age.”

For Shelly, sleep hygiene is pivotal.“ You have to protect your sleep because research shows that if you are sleep deprived, all of your symptoms will be worse the next day,” she says.“ I treat going to bed like I’ m a naughty toddler – I have a bedtime and a dark, cool room. I’ m not allowed to scroll my phone and I listen to an audiobook on a timer.”

The good news is there’ s plenty to look forward to on the other side of menopause.“ Your symptoms will be much more stable,” Dr Teagle says.“ I liken it to a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. The whole of the caterpillar’ s body breaks down, reforms and rearranges and a beautiful, fantastic butterfly emerges with new capabilities.”

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KIMBERLY GILLAN

is a Melbourne-based lifestyle and health writer, plus a regular contributor to Costco Connection.

COSTCO CONNECTION JUL / AUG 2026 | 25