I'm having hot flashes and night sweats. Can I still train, and does anything help?
Yes, you can keep training. Questions about treating hot flashes and night sweats belong with your doctor, so start there. What we coach is the practical side: water within reach, layers you can take off, a cooler room or a fan, a training time that suits you, and the easier option on a rough day.
Waking up damp at 3am is no fun.
Neither is sweating through a work meeting.
Here's how we keep you training through it, and where your doctor comes in.
First, when should you talk to your doctor?
Hot flashes and night sweats are a doctor conversation. We're coaches, so we can't tell you what's behind yours or how to treat them.
Please talk to your doctor if:
- Night sweats drench your bed or wake you up, night after night.
- Your symptoms are getting in the way of your life. Work, sleep, your mood, your plans.
- Anything feels new, sudden or different from what's normal for you.
- You have any question about treatment. HRT, medication, or anything else you've read about.
And if you ever feel faint, dizzy or unwell during a workout, stop, and tell your doctor.
Here's our side of it.
We coach food, training, sleep and habits around what your doctor says.
We'll never tell you to start, stop or change any medication or HRT.
Can I still work out with hot flashes?
Yes.
A lot of the women we talk to tell us the sweating caught them off guard. It had never happened to them before, and suddenly they weren't sure whether to keep training.
Here's the thing.
Hot flashes don't mean you have to stop. Chris calls strength training "the foundation and heartbeat" of everything we do, and that stays true on the sweaty days.
What changes is how we set up your training, so you can get through it and feel good about it.
So, does anything help?
Here's the honest answer.
Questions about treating hot flashes and night sweats belong with your doctor. They know your history, and they're the right person to talk through your options with you.
We won't promise you that a food, a workout or a supplement will make them go away. You've probably seen plenty of those promises already. Right?
What we do coach is comfort and consistency. The practical things that help you keep showing up, plus the everyday basics every woman in our program works on:
- A sleep routine.
- Water through the day.
- A training time that suits you.
- An easier option on rough days.
- Telling your coach what's going on.
Think of these as the basics, done well.
Your doctor handles anything medical.
How do I make training days more comfortable?
Small things, set up before you press play:
- Water within reach. A full glass or bottle next to your mat, with sips between sets.
- Layers you can take off. A tank under a light top, so you can peel one off without stopping.
- A cooler room. Open a window, turn on a fan, or train in the coolest room in the house. Our workouts are follow-along videos at home, so you get to pick the room.
- A towel close by. Simple, and it means you're not stopping to go find one.
Chris coaches every workout with progressions, modifications and alternatives, so there's always a version that fits the day you're having.
Wondering how much water to aim for? Here's how much water to drink in perimenopause, and whether you need electrolytes.
When is the best time to train with hot flashes?
The time that suits you.
Some women feel best first thing in the morning, before the house warms up and the day piles on. Others have a time of day they already know works for them. Pay attention to when you feel most comfortable, and tell your coach.
When life allows, we usually nudge women toward earlier workouts anyway. In our experience, a hard workout late at night tends to make it harder to wind down. Here's more on how evening workouts affect sleep and fat loss.
Your coach helps you find the window that fits your real week.
What about night sweats and sleep?
For a lot of the women we talk to, night sweats and broken sleep show up together.
The sleep basics we coach are the same ones on our 2am wake-up page:
- The same wake-up time every day, weekends too.
- A real wind-down. Lights down, phone away, the TV out of bed.
- A bedroom set up for comfort. Cooler, with layers on the bed you can kick off.
- Training earlier in the day when you can.
We coach these for every woman, sweats or not.
And if night sweats are waking you up night after night, that's your cue to see your doctor.
What if I'm having a rough day?
Then you take the easier option.
Some days you'll feel great. Some days you'll have slept badly, and a full workout feels like a lot.
Here's what we coach on those days:
- Shrink it. A shorter workout still counts.
- Take the easier version. Every move has an easier option. Lighter weights, a slower pace, more rest.
- Swap in a walk. On a wiped-out day, an easy walk keeps you moving.
- Tell your coach. So tomorrow's plan fits too.
Missed a few days? Here's what to do so you don't start over.
Why does telling your coach matter so much?
Because she can only adjust what she knows about.
Chris asks every woman for one thing on her onboarding call: "All we want from you is communication."
Rough night? Say so. Need a lighter week? Say so. Your coach changes the plan with you, so a hard week becomes an adjustment instead of a reason to quit.
Every coach is a woman over 40 who has done the Reset herself. She checks in every two weeks, and you can reach her between check-ins.
Can I still lose fat while this is going on?
Most women come to us wanting to lose weight. What they actually want to lose is fat.
Hot flashes don't change the foundation we coach:
- Strength training that progresses.
- Enough protein and enough food.
- Sleep and recovery.
- A coach who adjusts the plan to how you're actually feeling.
We've helped 1,000+ women lose 10 to 20 lbs of fat in 8 weeks.
Ready for a plan that works on the sweaty days too?
You don't have to push through this on your own.
Start with the short video on our homepage at fortyfwd.com. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method we use to change that.
If it sounds like you, apply for a call with Chris.
He reads every application himself. On the call, he'll ask what you're dealing with right now, including your sleep and any medication or HRT you're on, and tell you straight whether the program is the right fit. If it is, he walks you through the investment then, once you both know it's a fit.
Your doctor handles the medical side.
We'll help you keep showing up.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still work out if I'm having hot flashes?
Yes. Keep water within reach, wear layers you can take off, train in a cooler room or with a fan, and take the easier option on a rough day. If you ever feel faint, dizzy or unwell during a workout, stop and tell your doctor.
Does exercise help hot flashes?
That's a question for your doctor, and we don't promise that training, food or any supplement changes hot flashes. We coach strength training because it's the foundation of everything we do, and we help you stay comfortable while you do it.
Can I lose weight in perimenopause if I'm having hot flashes and night sweats?
Hot flashes don't change the foundation we coach: strength training that progresses, enough protein and enough food, sleep and recovery. Your coach adjusts the plan to how you're actually feeling.
What time of day should I work out with hot flashes?
Whatever time you feel most comfortable. When life allows, we usually nudge women toward earlier workouts, because a hard session late at night tends to make it harder to wind down.
When should I see a doctor about night sweats?
If night sweats drench your bed or wake you up, if your symptoms are getting in the way of your life, if anything feels new or sudden, or if you have any question about treatment. We never tell anyone to start, stop or change medication or HRT.