It is 11 p.m. You are standing in your kitchen, phone in hand, watching another midlife influencer swear her latest gadget changed her life. Maybe, you think, this could be the thing you’ve been searching for. Then you think about all the money you’ve spent on hope this year.
Before I hand you this list of eleven midlife enhancing wellness tools, let me address the elephant in the room. I preach that midlife is about editing, not adding, so you might wonder why I am writing about these eleven things. It’s a fair question. The answer – because these are proven things that add to my life and I hope they’ll add to yours as well.
These are tools I have personally tried and vetted and have published research. Some have strong science. Some have moderate evidence. One has more tradition than research, and I’ll be sure to tell you when we get there.
Foundations come first. Sleep, food, movement, sunlight, stress regulation. If you are not doing those things, no device or gadget will save you. Once these foundations are in place, you can carefully add a few tools that the research supports.
Midlife is about curating, not blindly adding. So is this list.
This post contains Amazon Associate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
1. Strength Training
Remember when cardio was all the rage? The script told us it was the answer to our health, weight, and metabolism problems. It needed to be sweaty and intense and hours long to count. But if we did this faithfully, we would burn the calories and be able to zip those jeans. It’s not just about looking good though.
Estrogen helps maintain both bone and muscle. As it drops in perimenopause, both start going with it. It’s important for women in midlife to counteract this muscle loss; strength training is one of the best ways to do this.
A 2025 review in the Journal of Education, Health and Sport called resistance training one of the most effective non-drug interventions for preventing bone loss after menopause, showing the biggest gains in the spine (among other areas).
Real talk: I am about a month back into lifting after two years away. There are so many good reasons to strength train, I couldn’t find an excuse not to anymore. I know it will improve my body composition and metabolism, protect my bones and let me age independently. And because I am on a GLP-1, I want to preserve muscle while the medication does its work.
Starting over was difficult, but I’m remembering why I used to enjoy strength training and how powerful I felt after. I started low and slow and am working my way up to a goal of three times a week for forty-five minutes each session.
2. Magnesium Glycinate
If you’ve stood in the supplement aisle squinting at six different magnesiums wondering which is the right one, you are not alone. Depending on who you ask, there are fifteen or more types of magnesium; most agree there are seven main types.
A 2024 randomized controlled trial in Frontiers in Nutrition found 250 mg magnesium bisglycinate daily for four weeks produced a meaningful drop in insomnia severity when compared to a placebo. Glycinate is the form you’ll find most cited for sleep, something many women struggle with in perimenopause. I know I’m not the only one.
I take magnesium glycinate orally for sleep; I also use magnesium topically. I love a hot bath with magnesium salts whenever I can, and I use magnesium spray or lotion on my feet and legs to get ready for bed. Pair this with legs up the wall for a five minutes before bed and prepare for ultimate relaxation.
While I’m still struggling with waking earlier than I would prefer, I firmly believe magnesium is has reduced my number of midnight wakes.
3. Ashwagandha
This is one I am writing about from the front of the line, not the back. I am about to start it, not finishing a six-month review. I felt comfortable sharing it because it’s been heavily researched and I’m excited to give it a try.
Ashwagandha is an adaptogen studied for its benefits for cortisol, stress, sleep and other perimenopausal symptoms. Fluctuating estrogen does not play well with cortisol. Additionally, the nervous system is more reactive, so sleep is not as easy to come by and your old stress management tricks may not cut it anymore.
A 2021 randomized controlled trial of perimenopausal women using 300 mg of KSM-66 twice a day for eight weeks found significant reductions in hot flashes and night sweats. Anxiety scores also decreased compared to those on the placebo. Other trials have shown about a 28% drop in serum cortisol with a similar dose.
Quick clarification: ashwagandha is the plant; KSM-66 is a root only extract made from the plant. All KSM-66 is ashwagandha but not all ashwagandha is KSM-66. Got it?
Honest take: my recent labs showed that my adrenals are overworked and not functioning properly. My cortisol is far from optimal. I’m working with a functional specialist and ashwagandha was on the short list of supplements recommended.
4. Vitamin D (Tested First)
Did your last labs include Vitamin D? Don’t be shocked if you were low, many people across the globe are. While some are at a disadvantage due to latitude, many have less sun exposure from more time indoors and sunscreen use, limiting their Vitamin D intake. Darker skin tone, obesity and nutritional intake can also be associated with lower levels of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D supports bone health, immune function, and mood. In midlife, this is important because bone loss is already accelerating. And let’s be honest, midlife mood swings are not the easiest to deal with either.
The Office on Women’s Health and the Institute for Functional Medicine both flag vitamin D as a key nutrient for the menopausal transition. Specific dosing of Vitamin D is determined by blood levels, so its important to test first rather than guess. The goal average for many practitioners is 50 to 70 ng/ml.
I take a weekly high-dose supplement for people with low Vitamin D who want to rev up quickly. I also get vitamin D injections occasionally when my levels need a push. Both happen under medical guidance based on lab work. I can’t stress enough – test first, then dose.
5. Continuous Glucose Monitor
The first time I wore one, I learned things about my diet that no regular glucose meter, food log, or medication had been able to show me. For one thing, blood sugar was a likely culprit for my regular 2a.m. waking.
Even on a GLP-1, my CGM showed me where my diet was still falling short. Foods I assumed were fine were spiking my numbers. Foods I had been avoiding turned out to be neutral. The device is painless; most days I forget it is there in the back of my arm.
Estrogen helps your body use insulin efficiently. As it drops, insulin resistance can creep up. The same foods that worked at thirty-two can spike you hard at forty-five. A CGM gives you continuous, real-time data on how your body responds to food, stress, and sleep.
Important context: I have type 2 diabetes, so wearing a CGM is a different experience for me than for someone without diabetes or with type 1. If you do not have diabetes, the use case is different and the conversation with your doctor matters more.
6. PEMF Mat
If I had to pick the one wellness tool I use most often and would replace first if it broke, the PEMF mat would be it. I’ve had mine for years now, and though it was an investment, it has held up well with heavy use.
PEMF stands for pulsed electromagnetic field therapy. It is a non-invasive, FDA approved treatment. The research has been building since it was approved in 1979, with the strongest evidence being around pain reduction, inflammation, and circulation.
A 2025 review in PLOS One found PEMF therapy improved pain scores and functional capacity in patients with shoulder impingement. More recently, a 2026 review in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living concluded that high-intensity, low-frequency PEMF offers meaningful pain relief for soft tissue injuries.
This is my favorite and most used tool. I have high inflammation, and bringing it down is one of my main goals. I rotate through settings depending on what my body and mood are asking for. Lower frequencies in the morning for grounding. Higher ones when I want energy. Heat when my muscles are sore.
7. Red Light Therapy
Of all the wellness tools I have tried, this one is the one I can actually see working on my skin.
Our collagen levels drop as we age and skin tends to get thinner, drier and more wrinkled. Estrogen drops accelerate collagen loss.
Red and near-infrared light, in specific ranges, work at the mitochondrial level to stimulate the cells that produce collagen and elastin. This is one of the most-studied non-invasive interventions for skin aging.
A controlled trial in Photomedicine and Laser Surgery measured significant improvements in skin complexion, roughness, and intradermal collagen in participants using red and near-infrared light. Harvard Health classifies this research as promising and growing.
I have several red light devices and use them all. An eye mask for the fine lines around my eyes. A face mask for full-face support. A wand for targeted spots on the face or body. A larger panel for my body’s aches and pains. When I am consistent, I see a difference. When I let it slide, I see that too.
8. Sunlight Therapy Box
This is one of the cheapest devices on the list with the best research-to-cost ratio I’ve found. It is my second most used wellness tool.
Light exposure governs your circadian rhythm, melatonin production, and mood. Not only does perimenopause disrupt your sleep, but it also impacts your serotonin. Spend your days working inside, throw in Winter, and you’ve got a recipe for mood and energy disasters.
A 2024 systematic review in JAMA Psychiatry found bright light therapy brought about remission in nonseasonal depression. The standard protocol is 30 minutes of 10,000 lux exposure in the morning, with an effect found to be comparable to most antidepressants.
I use mine every morning. When it’s too cold to sit outside, I pair the light box with an open back door so I can layer real sunlight on top of the box light. I have suffered from seasonal affective disorder for the past ten years or more; this combination has been truly game-changing for my SAD.
9. Infrared Sauna Blanket
I love to indulge in an infrared + red light sauna session at my local spa, but my schedule and budget don’t always allow it. That’s when my infrared sauna blanket comes in handy.
Cardiovascular risk rises after estrogen declines. Stress is harder to release, and we’ve talked plenty about sleep already. Heat exposure has been studied for all three of these things: cardiovascular health, stress regulation, and sleep quality. A sauna blanket gives you a more accessible version of what a traditional sauna offers.
A 2018 review in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found regular sauna sessions were associated with reduced cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, with the most consistent benefits at four to seven sessions per week. Most studies were done on traditional saunas rather than blankets, so consider the research directionally supportive. It is likely that sauna blankets do not offer the same level of benefits a traditional sauna would, but still offers some.
My sauna blanket is just that; it’s the substitute when the traditional sauna is not an option. I love a good sweat. I also love the thirty minutes of quiet and stillness. While I’ve been known to play on my phone or listen to a podcast, my body still releases what it’s been holding onto. I always feel better after a sauna session.
10. Rebounding (or Just Bouncing)
The first time I tried this, I felt like I was five years old, bouncing on my mini-trampoline in the basement. That’s the marketing nobody puts on the box.
Joints are more sensitive in midlife. Time is tighter. Rebounding gives you a low-impact way to raise your heart rate, train your balance, and apply gentle load to your bones in only ten to twenty minutes.
A 2023 study in the Journal of Women’s Health Physical Therapy on postmenopausal women found twelve weeks of rebounding three times per week improved balance, mobility, strength, and gait.
Worth noting: it is a great cardio and balance tool, not a magic lymph pump. The popular lymphatic drainage claims are mostly internet hype.
I first read about rebounding in Gabby Bernstein’s book Add More Ing to Your Life years ago. For her, it wasn’t about the physical benefits and exercise, but about changing your energetic state quickly and joyfully. You can use the physical lift as a doorway into a better emotional and mental state. I’d call that a win-win-win.
Also worth noting: you do not need a trampoline. You can get a lot of the benefit from simply bouncing or jumping in place. It’s a fun, lighthearted form of movement that doesn’t feel like exercise.
11. Copper Water Bottle
I will be straight with you on this one; the research on copper bottles is thinner than the research on every other tool I’ve listed. I still use mine, and I’ll tell you why.
Copper is an essential trace mineral that supports iron metabolism, connective tissue, and immune function.
Using copper to store drinking water overnight is an Ayurvedic practice called tamra jal that has been used for thousands of years. Practitioners believed it would purify the water and help balance the doshas, the three energy types in Ayurveda. The idea was that the copper would infuse the water and energize it.
The most consistent modern evidence supports copper’s antimicrobial properties. A study in the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition found that storing microbially contaminated water in a copper vessel significantly reduced bacterial contamination.
Claims about weight loss, anti-aging, and inflammation that you see floating on the internet mostly come from copper-as-nutrient research and are not well supported.
I first ran across copper water bottles at nearby wellness space, The Ground Lounge. It seemed like such an upgrade from my Stanley. I like having room temperature water in the morning and this keeps it on my nightstand so it’s ready to go as soon as I wake up. It’s a beautiful bottle and I love the ritual of it.
Know before you drink: copper bottles are for plain water only. Do not put citrus, hot drinks, or anything acidic in one, because this will pull too much copper into the liquid.
How to Prioritize (You Don’t Need Them All)
None of these tools are a magic bullet. That doesn’t exist. The women I know who are seeing results in midlife are doing three or four of these things consistently, not all of them perfectly.
Best advice is to sort by your symptoms and your budget.
Strength training, morning sunlight, magnesium, vitamin D, and copper are budget-friendly entry points. A PEMF mat, red light panel, and sauna blanket are bigger investments that earn their place once the foundations are solid.
If a tool stresses you out or turns your bathroom counter into a chemistry lab you can’t keep up with, it is not the right tool for this season. Choose the tools that serve who you are becoming and leave the rest.
This post is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. Talk to your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider before starting any new supplement, device, or wellness protocol, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, take prescription medication, or have an existing health condition. I share what has worked for me. What works for you may be different.