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Menopause Awareness Month · October 2026
Write the prescription.
My menopause journey, the symptoms I never expected, the conversations that changed everything, and why I never stopped moving.
By Sara Hanna, founder of TLC Sport
Menopause Awareness Month, October 2026
Forty years of movement. One unexpected challenge.
October is Menopause Awareness Month, and this year I want to share something personal.
For more than forty years I have stood at the front of studios, from my first classes in Cairo in 1982 to the BODYPUMP and BODYBALANCE sessions I teach today.
I have spent much of that time designing and making clothing that helps women feel strong and confident when they move.
Fifteen years ago, menopause tested all of that.
Experiences and timing vary. This is a simplified overview.
It wasn't what I expected.
I had my fifth baby at 41, and my menopause began in my mid fifties. There were no night sweats. Instead I felt irritable and foggy, my decisions became slow, and above all my arms and legs ached until the discomfort alone left me exhausted.
For someone whose whole life has been built on movement, that was hard to accept.
Brain fog
Thinking and decisions felt slower.
Irritability
Mood changes I hadn't anticipated.
Aching limbs
Persistent discomfort in my arms and legs.
Exhaustion
The discomfort left me worn out.
The decision to try HRT.
I decided to start HRT, and some of my peers were horrified that I had, as they saw it, succumbed.
Friends warned me about the reported link with breast cancer, and those conversations frightened me.
But I weighed it up and chose a better quality of life. Fifteen years on, I am glad I did.
We now understand more about the benefits and risks of HRT. These vary depending on the type of treatment and a woman's individual circumstances.
Every woman deserves informed, individual advice from a clinician who understands menopause.
Years on HRT
I am now approaching seventy and still using HRT under medical care.
Finding what worked for me.
I was chatting to Rosemary Conley, whom I had worked with for many years, and told her I still did not feel much better.
When I explained what I had been prescribed, she felt the dose might not be enough. That conversation prompted me to seek further medical advice.
Once my prescription was adjusted, it was a game changer.
Getting there was not simple. In those days finding the right HRT was largely trial and error.
I knew things were not going well when my male GP took down a huge book of prescription medicines and began searching through it for my HRT.
Since then I have been looked after by dedicated nurses who specialise in HRT, and the difference has been remarkable.
My mother's advice.
“Write the prescription.”
My mother told me never to give up my patch, no matter how often I was asked.
She kept her own HRT patches until the day she passed away.
Every time she visited the doctor they asked about her patches, and every time she replied, sternly, “Write the prescription.”
I have never forgotten it.
Understanding what is happening.
Menopause is reached when periods have stopped for twelve consecutive months. In the UK it usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55, with an average age of 51, according to the NHS.
The years leading up to it, known as perimenopause, can bring symptoms long before periods stop.
Every woman's experience is different. Hot flushes and night sweats are the symptoms most people have heard of, but aching joints and muscles, brain fog, irritability and exhaustion are also part of many women's experiences.
If symptoms are affecting your daily life, speak to your GP or a menopause specialist. Read more on the NHS website .
Why movement matters.
Exercise has been non-negotiable for me throughout my life, and menopause did not change that. What changed was how I listened to my body.
Some days called for heavier weights; others called for stretching, breathing and a walk by the water.
Strength training helps maintain muscle and supports bone health, while walking, dancing, yoga and Pilates can help with everyday movement, flexibility and balance.
You do not need to do everything. You need to find what you will keep doing.
Strength
Supporting muscles and bone health.
Walking
Simple, accessible everyday movement.
Yoga & Pilates
Balance, flexibility and calm.
Dance
Enjoying movement at every stage.
Made for real women. At every stage.
At TLC Sport we have always designed for real women, and we use real customers as our models.
Menopause made that ethos even more personal.
When your body aches and your energy is low, the last thing you need is clothing that pinches, digs in or makes you feel self-conscious.
You need fabrics that feel kind against the skin, comfortable waistbands and clothing that makes you want to get dressed and go.
Our Extra Strong Compression collection is designed for a firmer, sculpting feel that moves with you.
Extra Strong Compression Pocket Mesh Leggings
Firm shaping, sculpting support and practical pockets.
Extra Strong Compression Collection
Discover the full collection of supportive, sculpting styles.
TLC activewear is not medically graded compression and is not a substitute for prescribed medical compression garments.
Menopause is not the end of anything.
It is a change, and like every change it asks us to pay attention, ask questions and look after ourselves with the same care we give everyone else. Talk about it with your friends, your family and the women in your class. Find your community. And if anyone ever questions your choices, remember my mother.
With love, Sara x
This article shares Sara's personal experience and is not medical advice. HRT suitability, dosage and duration should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional.