Workout apps at a glance
| Phaes | Owning Your Menopause | SecondStrength | Pvolve | Trainwell | Stella | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for perimenopause and menopause | Partly | Partly | ||||
| Progressive strength plan | Programs | Not listed | Not listed | |||
| Running or race plans | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | |
| Adapts to symptoms or how you feel | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Human trainer | Symptom plans | |
| Live or video classes | – | Not listed | – | Videos | ||
| Symptom and MHT (HRT) tracking | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
What a workout app should do in this stage
The evidence points one way: progressive strength training is the most important exercise through perimenopause and menopause, because muscle and bone loss accelerate as estrogen falls. A good app builds that strength gradually, keeps most cardio easy, and gives you room on the weeks when sleep, hot flashes, or energy fall apart. See should I lift heavy in perimenopause? and what a perimenopause workout plan should prioritize.
The table is built from each app's App Store description in October 2026. "Not listed" means the listing does not mention the feature.
The apps, and what each is best for
Owning Your Menopause: best for classes and community
Strength, HIIT, yoga, Pilates, nutrition, and wellbeing for perimenopause through post-menopause, live and on demand, with programs and workshops.
SecondStrength: best for structured strength at home
Guided, progressive strength plans for women 40 and over, with mobility, core, and full-body workouts, written with perimenopause and menopause in mind. iPhone only.
Pvolve: best for low-impact functional training
Low-impact functional fitness with resistance equipment, on demand and live, including a menopause class.
Trainwell: best if you want a human trainer
A certified human trainer builds and adapts your workouts, with messaging and video feedback. Its listing mentions perimenopause and menopause support.
Stella: best for symptom-targeted programs
Personalised menopause plans for the symptoms you pick, with video workouts and pelvic floor content.
Phaes: best if you want one plan that adapts to your hormones
Phaes builds one adaptive plan around your goal: get stronger (heavy, progressive lifting by effort), get in shape (easy cardio including walking, strength, and intervals), or train for a race. A short daily check-in on sleep, energy, soreness, and symptoms reshapes the day, and a load guard keeps the build conservative. It also tracks your cycle, symptoms, MHT (HRT), and labs for free. It does not have live classes.
Which workout app is right for you?
- You like following a class: Owning Your Menopause or Pvolve.
- You want a strength program at home: SecondStrength.
- You want a person checking your form: Trainwell.
- You want a plan that changes when your symptoms do, and running or strength in one place: Phaes.
Not sure where your training stands? Take the are you lifting heavy enough quiz.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best workout app for perimenopause?
It depends how you like to train. Owning Your Menopause and Pvolve suit class lovers, SecondStrength offers structured strength at home, Trainwell gives you a human trainer, and Phaes builds one adaptive plan that responds to your symptoms, sleep, and cycle each day.
What is the best strength training app for women over 40?
Look for progressive overload (weights that increase over time), two to three sessions a week, and flexibility for recovery. SecondStrength and Phaes both build progressive strength plans; Phaes also adapts each day to how you feel and can combine strength with running.
What kind of exercise is best in perimenopause?
Progressive strength training two to three times a week, mostly easy cardio, and some higher-intensity work when you are recovered. Strength protects muscle and bone as estrogen falls, which is why every good perimenopause plan builds around it.
Is there a free workout app for women over 40?
Most workout apps in this space use a free trial or a free tier and then a subscription. In Phaes, cycle, symptom, MHT (HRT), lab, and body composition tracking are free, and the adaptive plan has a free first week. Check each app for what stays free after a trial.
What is the best workout app for a woman in her 50s?
Look for progressive strength, low-impact options, and room to recover. Owning Your Menopause and Pvolve suit class lovers, SecondStrength offers structured strength at home, and Phaes builds an adaptive plan that responds to how you feel each day, with heavy strength for bone and muscle.
Can a workout app help with menopause weight gain?
It can help by building muscle, which supports metabolism and changes body composition even when the scale is slow to move. Strength training matters more than extra cardio here. See why am I gaining weight when nothing changed.
Keep reading
- A perimenopause workout plan that adapts to you
- Strength training for menopausal women
- Why am I gaining weight when nothing changed?