Why Menopause? What All Women in Midlife Need to Know
Updated: Aug 24
Bre Bicknell empowers women to age powerfully. She is a Certified Personal Trainer, Nutrition Specialist, Health Coach, and Menopause Coach. She delivers practical science-backed methods to gain muscle, boost brain health, and ignite purpose in the second half of life.
Menopause has a meaningful purpose. It’s not just nature playing a tough trick on women. In fact, it’s an amazing evolutionary advantage given only to women. It represents our brain evolving us for the next exciting stage of life and a more powerful role in society. We end our reproductive years so we can become even more productive in other ways.
Leading female brain researcher Dr. Lisa Mosconi and anthropologist Dr. Kristen Hawkes have shared scientific findings showing that menopause allows women to step into a bigger role in the second half of life. As estrogen levels drop, the brain remodels itself, and women begin to embrace new roles and purposes in society.
Dr. Mosconi discovered that estrogen is present in the brain, not just in the ovaries. Thanks to her work, we now understand that perimenopause is a neuroendocrine transformation, not just a reproductive one. This means that during perimenopause, our bodies aren’t just winding down reproduction, our brains are also going through a major remodeling phase. Dr. Mosconi calls this process “neural pruning.” It’s a smart way for the body to save energy for the second half of a woman’s life. Since the hypothalamic pituitary ovarian (HPO) pathway is no longer needed, the female body starts a kind of spring cleaning in the brain to strengthen areas that are more important for society. Our brains change in ways that make us less reactive, more responsive, more empathetic, and filled with wonder and curiosity, qualities the world truly needs to grow.
In her book, The Menopause Brain (p. 102), Dr. Mosconi asks, “What if evolutionary forces are still behind menopause, but this time, they favor women for once?” She then highlights the work of Dr. Kristen Hawkes, an anthropology professor at the University of Utah. Dr. Hawkes’ research shows that grandmothers in hunter-gatherer tribes were key providers of calories and support to their families and communities. Studies around the world confirm that grandmothers do much of the important work, even though they are no longer reproductive, they remain incredibly productive.
This idea is called the “Grandmother Theory,” which suggests that older women have helped cultures survive and evolve.
As a 47-year-old woman, six years into perimenopause, I find it so comforting to know that this phase of life isn’t my body working against me. Instead, my brain is doing a lot of work to prepare me for the next stage, a time when I’m less reactive, more empathetic, more purposeful, and better able to play a strong role in society.
We, midlife women, are transforming from focusing on creating family and prioritizing others to becoming wise teachers and guides who serve society.
We have a wonderful reason to stay strong and keep our minds sharp with a powerful sense of self! That’s why it’s important to recognize that women face a higher risk of age-related conditions like osteoporosis, muscle loss (sarcopenia), Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other neurodegenerative disorders. Since estrogen plays a protective role in our body and brain, we need to support ourselves with daily habits that help keep our brains sharp, our bodies strong, and our risk of disease low.
Helpful ways to do this include Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), getting consistent, quality sleep, managing stress, engaging in high-strength training, enjoying activities that involve bilateral stimulation like dancing, skipping, or walking, eating brain-boosting foods, and staying connected with other women in our communities.
This is why I created a 12-week online group support program for women over 40. My “Rock Menopause” Program starts this fall on September 28, 2026. Click here for details. I’m so excited to be on this midlife journey with you!
Read more from Bre Bicknell
Bre Bicknell, Perimenopause and Menopause Expert
Bre Bicknell is a perimenopause and menopause expert. After 20 years in the fitness industry, anxiety & depression hit her hard at age 44. After fighting to get on HRT, she dedicated herself to understanding the effects of perimenopause on the female brain. She leads women's groups and online training programs that help women gain muscle so they can age powerfully.
