UK £14.99/mo or £89.99/yr · US $19.99/mo or $119.99/yr · 7-day free trial · App on iOS and Android, cast to TV · HIIT, strength, yoga, Pilates, barre and a full meal plan · You need a light and a heavier pair of dumbbells, a kettlebell for some sessions, and a mat.
Short answer: The Body Coach is a genuinely comprehensive, well-designed fitness app: HIIT, strength, yoga, Pilates, barre and abs, a quiz-assigned plan and a fully personalised meal plan, plus a real “Strength in Menopause” series led by Joe Wicks. I sample-tested that menopause series for a week and the strength workouts are excellent, especially for learning good form. It is a strong general app for women over 40, but it is not a holistic menopause platform: the menopause content is strength-only, there is just one pelvic-floor workout, and no dedicated menopause education.
The Body Coach Review 2026: Quick Answer
Sample-tested: one week on the Strength in Menopause series (upper, lower and full body).
Women over 40 who want a polished all-in-one app with strength, low-impact options and a tailored meal plan.
You want a holistic menopause platform with education, pelvic-floor programming and symptom support.
10 to 40 min; the Menopause Strength sessions are 20 min plus an optional warm-up.
Light and heavier dumbbells, a kettlebell for some sessions, and a mat.
Moderate overall (HIIT roots), with a dedicated low-impact series and low-impact menopause strength.
Fair to good: a real strength-in-menopause series, but strength-only, one pelvic-floor workout, no education.
No; on-demand follow-along with a structured 28-day cycle plan.
iOS and Android; cast to a TV via AirPlay or Chromecast.
UK £14.99/mo or £89.99/yr; US $19.99/mo or $119.99/yr.
7-day free trial (card required); two menopause workouts are free on YouTube.
Auto-renews; cancel in the App Store or Google Play at least 24 hours before renewal.
Neutral and upfront that it cannot tailor to your medical conditions; not a replacement for care.
Active; Apple Editors’ Choice, new content added regularly.
6.9 / 10
Quick Verdict
Worth it for women over 40? Yes as an all-in-one app, with the caveat that the menopause content is strength-only.
The Body Coach earns 6.9/10 in my sample testing. I spent a week on the Strength in Menopause series, and the 20-minute dumbbell workouts are genuinely well made, with Joe cueing every move in detail, so a beginner learns proper form while an experienced lifter still gets a challenge with the right weights. The wider app is comprehensive and a pleasure to use. Where it stops short is the menopause-specific side: the series is strength only, I found just one pelvic-floor workout, and there is no dedicated menopause education. Start here: take the 7-day trial, let the quiz set your plan, then try Upper Body 1 from the Menopause Strength series.
How I tested The Body Coach. I completed the app quiz, which assigned me the Advanced Cycle 1 plan, then focused my hands-on testing on Joe’s Strength in Menopause series across one week, doing the upper body, lower body and full body sessions (20 minutes each plus the optional warm-up). I explored the wider Train and Eat sections, the filters and the meal plan. Pricing checked against thebodycoach.com and the App Store in August 2026. This is a sample-tested review: hands-on but not a full multi-month test. It is education, not medical advice; speak to your clinician about menopause care or HRT.
Is The Body Coach (Joe Wicks) right for you?
The Body Coach is strongest for nutrition support (7.0 out of 10, against a 3.6 average across the 105 programmes scored) and weakest for training on low energy (5.0 against 5.6).
| Question | Verdict | Rating | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it suits a perimenopausal body | |||
| Is The Body Coach good for pelvic floor problems?Based on pelvic floor support and low-impact design | Moderate, about the same as mostmost score 4.7/10 | 5.3 / 10 | |
| Does The Body Coach include perimenopause and menopause education and programming?Based on programming, education, hormone awareness and credibility | Low, but better than mostmost score 3.2/10 | 4.8 / 10 | |
| Is The Body Coach good for painful joints?Based on low-impact design and recovery provision | Moderate, about the same as mostmost score 6.1/10 | 5.8 / 10 | |
| Is The Body Coach manageable when your energy is low?Based on recovery provision and mind-body support | Moderate, about the same as mostmost score 5.6/10 | 5.0 / 10 | |
| Is The Body Coach good if you are new to strength training?Based on beginner on-ramp and mind-body support | Moderate, about the same as mostmost score 6.1/10 | 6.0 / 10 | |
| Is The Body Coach good for building bone density?Based on bone loading and progressive strength | Moderate, but better than mostmost score 5.1/10 | 6.0 / 10 | |
| Does The Body Coach help with nutrition?Based on midlife nutrition support | Strong, and better than mostmost score 3.6/10 | 7.0 / 10 | |
| How it performs as a product | |||
| Can you fit The Body Coach into a busy week?Based on time efficiency | Strong, about the same as mostmost score 7.5/10 | 8.0 / 10 | |
| Is The Body Coach worth the money?Based on value for money | Strong, about the same as mostmost score 6.9/10 | 7.0 / 10 | |
Suitable if
- You want one polished app for workouts and a tailored meal plan.
- You are new to strength and want moves explained in detail.
- You like short, structured sessions and a plan chosen for you.
- You want variety: HIIT, strength, yoga, Pilates, barre and low-impact.
- You are happy to steer your own week around the menopause series.
Not suitable if
- You want dedicated menopause and symptom education.
- You need structured pelvic-floor programming.
- You want hormone-phase or symptom-based training.
- You want heavy progressive barbell loading.
- You want a calming, mind-body-led approach.
Jump to Section
What The Body Coach Actually Is
The Body Coach is Joe Wicks’ all-in-one fitness and nutrition app, built around a quiz-assigned, personalised 28-day cycle plan that combines follow-along workouts with a tailored meal plan.
The workout library spans six types: HIIT, strength, yoga, mobility, barre and abs, filtered by duration (5 to 40-plus minutes), trainer, equipment and difficulty. Beyond the core plan there are themed series, including Joe’s Strength in Menopause, Joe’s Low Impact series, Lottie’s Complete Pilates series and dance workouts, plus short 10-minute options. The Eat tab builds you a personalised plan of refuel meals, general meals and snacks, with around 250 recipes you can filter by cooking time and dietary need.
What this is not is a niche menopause product. It is a broad, polished general app that happens to include menopause-labelled content. That distinction runs through this whole review.
Who Is Behind The Body Coach? Credibility
Joe Wicks, known as The Body Coach, is a qualified fitness coach who built a global following through his Lean in 15 books and his free HIIT workouts, including the PE with Joe sessions that reached millions during lockdown. The app is a well-resourced company product with multiple trainers now involved, including Lottie for Pilates and Lucy for yoga.
What to keep in mind: Joe is a fitness coach, not a menopause clinician, and the app is upfront about its limits. During onboarding it screens for health conditions and weight-loss medication but states plainly that it cannot tailor your plan to your medical conditions. That candour is a point in its favour, but it means the menopause content is smart training for a midlife body rather than clinical menopause care.
What I Actually Tested
I focused my hands-on week on Joe’s Strength in Menopause series, working through the upper body, lower body and full body sessions. Each runs 20 minutes, with an optional warm-up you launch from the app, and uses dumbbells with a kettlebell in places.
The workouts are well made. Joe explains every movement in detail, the posture, what to focus on and what to avoid, so you are learning technique, not just following along. They were challenging enough at the right weights, and I can clearly see the benefit for a beginner who wants to learn the moves properly, as well as enough load for someone more experienced. The 20-minute length is the reason I would keep going back: it is short enough to actually fit in.
What I found using it. The Menopause Strength series is a plan of strength sessions you cycle between upper, lower and full body, and that is its strength and its limit. It is roughly three strength workouts a week. The app’s main quiz-assigned cycle plan is what structures your whole week, including other training and rest days, so a beginner who follows that plan is guided; but if you follow only the menopause series, you would fill the other days yourself from Joe’s Low Impact series, Lottie’s Pilates or the 10-minute workouts. I would have liked the menopause series itself to point you to that more clearly.
Content and Features
At a glance: a broad, well-organised library across six workout types with a full personalised meal plan. Strong on structure, beginner support and nutrition; light on menopause education, pelvic-floor and mindfulness.
| On-demand workouts | Yes; HIIT, strength, yoga, mobility, barre, abs, plus themed series |
| Live classes | No; on-demand with a structured 28-day cycle plan |
| Structured programmes | Yes; quiz-assigned Beginner to Advanced cycles with 28-day check-ins |
| Menopause content | Yes; Joe’s Strength in Menopause series (strength only) |
| Meditation / mindfulness | Limited; calming yoga content, but no dedicated meditation for hard days |
| Menopause education (clinician-led?) | No dedicated menopause or symptom education |
| Nutrition (meal plans / recipes?) | Yes; a personalised meal plan and around 250 recipes, filterable by diet and time |
| Pelvic floor | Minimal; I found one pelvic-floor focused workout |
| Community | Light |
| Modifications: beginner to advanced | Yes; quiz-assigned levels and strong beginner cueing |
What Equipment Do You Need for The Body Coach?
Some workouts are bodyweight, but the strength and cycle sessions call for two sets of dumbbells and a kettlebell. A mat makes floor work comfortable.
Lighter dumbbells
Your working pair for presses, curls and raises.~$30 to $45
Heavier dumbbells
For squats, rows and deadlifts as you progress.~$50 to $80
Kettlebell
Used in the cycle and some strength sessions.~$40
Stackable kettlebell
8 to 40 lb in one, grows with you.~$149
Exercise mat
For floor work, Pilates and cool-downs.~$22
Bottom line on equipment: a light and a heavier pair of dumbbells, a mat and a kettlebell will cover the vast majority of the app, including the Menopause Strength series.
The Body Coach Weighted Scoring: How the 6.9/10 Was Calculated
Scores on our nine weighted criteria. Confidence is high for the app structure, nutrition and the strength content I tested, and medium where I sampled rather than fully tested.
| Category | Weight | Score | Reasoning (confidence) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women Over 40 Specificity | 10% | 5.5 | A real menopause strength series and plenty of low-impact options, but strength-only, one pelvic-floor workout and no menopause education (confidence: high) |
| Time Efficiency | 15% | 8 | Short, effective sessions from 10 to 40 min; the menopause strength workouts are 20 min (confidence: high) |
| Muscle Potential | 18% | 6.5 | Progressive dumbbell and kettlebell strength with excellent cueing, though loads are lighter than a barbell plan (confidence: high) |
| Joint Friendliness | 12% | 6 | A dedicated low-impact series and low-impact menopause strength, but the core brand is higher-impact HIIT (confidence: medium) |
| Recovery Compatibility | 10% | 6 | Mobility and yoga plus rest days in the plan, no formal deload (confidence: medium) |
| Programme Structure | 12% | 8 | Quiz-assigned cycles, 28-day check-ins and themed series; genuinely well structured (confidence: high) |
| Value for Money | 8% | 7 | Workouts plus a full personalised meal plan is a broad bundle, though some find it pricey (confidence: high) |
| UX and Design | 8% | 8 | Polished, easy to navigate, strong filters; Apple Editors’ Choice (confidence: high) |
| Nutrition Integration | 7% | 7 | Personalised meal plan and around 250 recipes; not stated to be dietitian-designed (confidence: high) |
| Total | 6.9 / 10 |
Is The Body Coach Good for Women Over 40?
Short answer: Yes as a well-built general app with real strength and low-impact options for midlife, but not as a dedicated menopause solution.
Women Over 40 fit: 5.5 / 10. This is the Women Over 40 criterion from the scoring above; the capability breakdown below is what produces it.
For a midlife body, the important things are here: progressive strength that is well taught, a proper low-impact series so you can keep training around sore joints, mobility and yoga for recovery, and a meal plan that removes the daily what-to-eat decision. The Menopause Strength series in particular is a good on-ramp to lifting for women who have never picked up a dumbbell with confidence.
Who it suits, and what is missing: it fits women who want one polished app that covers workouts and food and are happy to steer their own week. What is missing is the menopause-specific depth. The menopause content is strength-only, I found only one pelvic-floor workout, there is no hormone-phase or symptom-based programming, and no menopause education to explain what is happening in your body.
The wider picture: as a general fitness and nutrition app that a woman over 40 can absolutely use well, it is one of the strongest I have tested. If your priority is menopause-specific programming and education, you will either pair it with something else or choose a purpose-built platform.
How The Body Coach Fits Perimenopause, Menopause and Beyond
Short answer: It offers genuine, well-cued strength for a midlife body and low-impact options, but the menopause programming is strength-only with no education, pelvic-floor depth or symptom support.
Strongest for progressive strength, low-impact training and nutrition; weakest for pelvic floor, menopause education and mind-body support.
At a glance (each out of 10): Right training for a midlife body 5.9 · Built for menopause 4.6 · Whole-woman support 6.3. Composite Menopause and Midlife Fit: 5.5 / 10.
| Group | Score | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Right training for a midlife body | 5.9 / 10 | Good progressive strength and low-impact options, lighter loading and no formal deload |
| Built for menopause | 4.6 / 10 | A real strength-in-menopause series, but strength-only, one pelvic-floor workout, no education |
| Whole-woman support | 6.3 / 10 | Strong beginner on-ramp and nutrition, lighter on mindfulness |
The full 12-capability breakdown, with the reasoning behind each rating, is below.
This is the perimenopause and menopause assessment, and it is separate from the overall score. Twelve things a programme either does for a midlife body or does not, each scored out of 10 with my reasoning next to it. Together they produce a single menopause fit score, and that becomes one of the nine categories in the overall scoring below.
How The Body Coach Fits Perimenopause, Menopause & Beyond
Women Over 40 is our most important criterion, and here's the full breakdown behind it.
The Body Coach is strongest for beginner on-ramp, midlife nutrition and low-impact, and weakest for pelvic floor, hormone awareness and menopause education, in our menopause and midlife capability assessment for women over 40.
At a glance
What the app teaches about perimenopause and/or menopause, not whether the training suits a midlife body.
| Capability | Score | Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right training for a midlife body | |||
| Low-impact | 6.5/10 | Some | A dedicated Low Impact series plus Pilates, yoga, barre and mobility give plentiful low-impact options, though the core brand is higher-impact HIIT. |
| Progressive strength | 6.5/10 | Some | Well-cued dumbbell and kettlebell strength with a structured menopause series; genuine progression, but loads lighter than a barbell plan. |
| Bone loading | 5.5/10 | Some | Dumbbell strength plus impact HIIT provide some bone-loading stimulus, lighter than heavy axial loading. |
| Recovery & deload | 5/10 | Some | Mobility, yoga and rest days in the cycle plan, but no formal deload or periodisation. |
| Menopause education and programming* | |||
| Menopause programming | 5/10 | Some | A real ongoing Strength in Menopause series of about 22 workouts, but it is strength only, not a full coached menopause plan. |
| Pelvic floor | 4/10 | Minimal | Some Pilates and postnatal content, but only one clearly pelvic-floor focused workout; not integrated programming. |
| Hormone awareness | 4/10 | Minimal | Onboarding screens for conditions and weight-loss medication, but there is no hormone-phase or symptom-based training adaptation. |
| Menopause education | 4/10 | Minimal | The menopause series has a Learn tab, but there is no dedicated menopause or symptom education. |
| Expert credibility | 6/10 | Some | Joe Wicks is a qualified, hugely experienced coach with a menopause series, but he is not a menopause clinician. |
| Whole-woman support | |||
| Mind-body support | 5/10 | Some | Calming yoga and mobility content, but no dedicated meditation or stress support for hard days. |
| Beginner on-ramp | 7/10 | Strong | Quiz-assigned levels and detailed movement cueing make it genuinely beginner-friendly. |
| Midlife nutrition | 7/10 | Strong | A fully personalised meal plan with around 250 recipes filterable by diet and time. |
ScaleBest-in-classStrongSomeMinimalNone
What the sources say: Scored from one week hands-on on the Strength in Menopause series plus hands-on exploration of the app, app-store data and peer-reviewed evidence (Aug 2026).
* What the app teaches and programmes around menopause, not whether the training suits a midlife body. Many programmes that score low here are still a good fit, they simply never use the word. A high score is not proof either: a few menopause videos added to a general library lifts this score without changing the training.
These are evidence-informed suitability ratings, not clinical measurements. They combine exercise science with product-specific research and, where indicated, hands-on testing, alongside multi-source verification, and are approximate. Individual response varies. A starting point, not medical advice. How we score menopause fit
What the testing shows: the Strength in Menopause series is a genuine, well-made strength plan, and that is exactly what it is, strength. It is not comprehensive menopause programming: no symptom education, no hormone-phase structure, and only token pelvic-floor content. For those, pair it with or choose a purpose-built option like Pvolve or Menovation.
What the Research Says About Training Like This Over 40
The app’s core methods, strength training plus HIIT with a menopause-strength emphasis, are well supported for a midlife body, with the sensible caveat that exercise is not a cure-all for every symptom.
Strength for muscle in midlife: supported. Resistance training builds strength and improves body composition in middle-aged women, though muscle-building is harder to drive after menopause, which is a reason to start now.[1]
Strength and impact for bone: supported. The LIFTMOR trial found that supervised high-intensity resistance and impact training improved bone density and function in postmenopausal women, underlining why loaded strength matters at this stage.[2]
HIIT for body composition and heart health: supported but not superior. HIIT improves fitness and body composition, and is broadly comparable to steady moderate exercise rather than uniquely better, so the app’s HIIT roots are effective without being magic.[3]
Mood, quality of life and sleep: supported and mixed. Exercise improves physical and psychological quality of life in women with menopausal symptoms[4] and reduces insomnia severity, with the clearest sleep benefit in those who already sleep poorly.[5]
Short workouts and the limits: the 20-minute format is defensible, since short sessions can deliver real cardiometabolic gains,[6] but a fitness app is not a substitute for medical care: the evidence that exercise relieves hot flushes is insufficient.[7]
What Users Report
Rating snapshot (checked August 2026): The Body Coach holds about 4.8 out of 5 on the UK Apple App Store (roughly 39,000 ratings, with an Editors’ Choice badge) and about 4.4 on Google Play (roughly 8,300 reviews). Trustpilot volume is thin and mixed and is best treated as unverified.
Consistently praised
- Joe’s encouraging, non-shaming coaching tone
- High-quality follow-along workouts that are easy to stick with
- Results and habit change, with a focus on photos and measurements over the scale
- Structured, level-based progression and a tailored meal plan
Consistently criticised
- Content can feel repetitive within a cycle
- HIIT-heavy roots; low-impact and menopause content are add-ons
- Price, and scepticism about celebrity menopause branding
- Auto-renewal and cancellation friction
Source and credibility note: ratings come from the Apple App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot, plus a perimenopause discussion thread for 40-plus colour. App-store ratings skew positive, and the sharpest 40-plus criticism is about value and celebrity-menopause credibility rather than injury risk. Public reviews do not disclose age, so any 40-plus read is inferred.
Devices, Platforms and App
The Body Coach is an app, available on iOS and Android, and you can cast it to a television with AirPlay or Chromecast to follow along on a bigger screen. There is no separate web player for the workouts. The app is polished and well rated, with strong filtering by workout type, duration, trainer and equipment, and a search function. As with any subscription app, follow-along quality depends on a stable connection, so if you rely on TV casting, trial it on your own setup first.
The Body Coach (Joe Wicks) specifications
- Free trial
- 7 days, card requiredSource: https://www.thebodycoach.com
- Cancellation
- Auto-renews; cancel via App Store / Google Play >=24h before renewalSource: https://www.thebodycoach.com
- Session length
- 10 to 40 minSource: https://www.thebodycoach.com
- Who makes it
- Joe Wicks, qualified fitness coach; multiple trainers; Apple Editors’ ChoiceSource: https://www.thebodycoach.com
- Still maintained
- Actively developed; Apple Editors’ Choice; ongoing Strength in Menopause series
- What is included
- On-demand classes: yesLive classes: noRecovery content: yesMenopause education: partlyStructured programmes: yesMeditation: partlyNutrition guidance: yes
- Women over 40
- Pelvic floor work: partlyMenopause clinician involved: noInjury modifications: partlyBone-health focus: partlyModified progressions: yesCycle syncing: noPrenatal options: partly
- Devices and access
- Offline downloads: partlyCasting to TV: yesSubtitles: partlyWearable sync: partly
- Support
- Clinical advisory board: noCommunity: partlySupplement upsell: no
- Last verified
- 15 August 2026
The Body Coach Price 2026: What You Actually Pay
| Plan | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | £14.99 | $19.99 |
| Quarterly | £37.99 | $54.99 |
| Annual | £89.99 | $119.99 |
Cancellation and billing
A 7-day free trial is available and a card is required. Subscriptions auto-renew, and you cancel through the App Store or Google Play settings at least 24 hours before the period ends, not inside the app. Two workouts from the Strength in Menopause series are free on YouTube if you want to try the style first. Prices were checked in August 2026 and may change.
Not sure The Body Coach (Joe Wicks) is the right programme for you?
Answer a few questions about your goals, schedule and fitness level, and get matched with programmes that fit.
Will You Actually Stick With It?
Six workout types, themed series and new content keep it varied, though a single cycle can feel repetitive.
The quiz-assigned cycle plan tells you what to do, and the meal plan does the same for food.
Joe’s detailed cueing makes the strength work genuinely beginner-friendly, which I felt directly.
Some women over 40 question the price and the celebrity-menopause angle, which can dent commitment.
Adherence should be strong for most people, because the plan removes decisions and the 20-minute sessions are easy to fit in. The likeliest reason to drift off is deciding the menopause content is not deep enough for what you specifically wanted.
The Body Coach Pros and Cons
Pros
- Comprehensive, polished all-in-one app
- Six workout types with excellent filters
- Quiz-assigned, structured 28-day cycle plans
- A real Strength in Menopause series, well cued for beginners
- A dedicated low-impact series plus Pilates and yoga
- Personalised meal plan with around 250 recipes
- Short, time-efficient sessions
- Upfront that it cannot tailor to medical conditions
- Apple Editors’ Choice with a 4.8 UK App Store rating
Cons
- Menopause content is strength-only
- Only one pelvic-floor workout
- No dedicated menopause or symptom education
- No down-regulating meditation for hard days
- Core brand is higher-impact HIIT
- Loads are lighter than a dedicated barbell plan
- Some find it pricey and question the celebrity-menopause angle
- Auto-renewal and cancellation friction
Similar programmes we partner with
Close to The Body Coach (Joe Wicks), if it is not quite right for you
These are not part of this review’s score. Each shares a goal or training style with The Body Coach (Joe Wicks), and each is worth a look if it is closer to what you need.
A huge, well-produced workout and nutrition library with a dedicated hormone programme in Belle Vitale. Strong value, but the mainstream library skews…
A well-structured AI coach app with genuine strength progression, but a high-impact default that is hard on midlife joints, no menopause programming,…
A polished UK studio-style HIIT, strength and yoga app with great variety and a motivating community, but HIIT-leaning with weak recovery, a modest be…
A science-based strength app with a generous free tier, progressive programming and optional human coaching. Strong for midlife muscle and bone, but n…
Affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. I buy my own subscriptions and a commission never moves a score or a position. Full disclosure.
How The Body Coach Compares
| The Body Coach | Sweat | Pvolve | Evlo | Caroline Girvan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 6.9 / 10 | 6.9 / 10 | 8.3 / 10 | 8.0 / 10 | 7.6 / 10 |
| Monthly price | ~£14.99 / $19.99 | ~$20 | ~$24.99 | ~$19.99 | Free (app extra) |
| Free trial | 7 days | 7 days | 14 days | 7 days | Free on YouTube |
| Best for | All-in-one workouts and nutrition | Structured women’s programmes | Low-impact menopause programming | Doctor-led low-impact strength | Free structured strength |
| Equipment required | Dumbbells, kettlebell, mat | Varies by programme | Bands and dumbbells (bundle for full) | Dumbbells and bands | Dumbbells |
| Session length | 10 to 40 min | 20 to 60 min | 5 to 60-plus min | 20 to 40 min | 30 to 45 min |
| Menopause programme | Strength series only | Some hormonal content | Best in class (Menopause Strong) | Peri-aware, doctor-led | No |
| Pelvic floor | Minimal (one workout) | Limited | Yes | Partial | No |
| Nutrition included | Yes, personalised meal plan | Meal plans and recipes | Not in streaming | Partial | No |
| Coaching style | Detailed verbal cueing | Verbal coaching | Verbal throughout | Verbal, doctor-led | Minimal cueing |
| Community | Light | Included | Included | Included | YouTube comments |
| Best suited to | Women wanting a polished all-rounder | All levels, structured plans | 35 to 55, perimenopause, joints | 40-plus, joint-sensitive strength | Women wanting free strength |
The Body Coach vs Sweat: which is better for women over 40?
These are the two big, polished all-in-one apps most women will compare, and they are close. Sweat is built around structured women’s training programmes with strong community and meal plans, and it leans more clearly into progressive programming you follow for weeks. The Body Coach is broader in workout variety, has the standout beginner cueing, and includes the dedicated Strength in Menopause series that Sweat does not.
If you want a rigid, follow-for-weeks programme with a big community, Sweat edges it. If you want variety, superb form coaching and a menopause-strength series inside a polished app, The Body Coach is the better all-rounder for a woman over 40. Neither is a substitute for a purpose-built menopause platform.
How to choose: pick The Body Coach for a polished all-in-one with great cueing; pick Pvolve or Menovation if menopause programming and pelvic floor matter most; pick Caroline Girvan if you want free structured strength.
If The Body Coach Is Not Right for You: Best Alternatives
- Best for menopause programming: Pvolve, low-impact resistance with a structured menopause programme and pelvic-floor content.
- Best menopause-specific plan: Menovation, built for perimenopause and menopause with education alongside the workouts.
- Best doctor-led strength: Evlo, physician-designed low-impact strength that is gentle on joints.
- Best free strength: Caroline Girvan, free structured strength for those who want a rigid block to follow.
The Body Coach FAQ
The Body Coach costs UK £14.99 per month, £37.99 per quarter or £89.99 per year, and US $19.99 per month, $54.99 per quarter or $119.99 per year, with a 7-day free trial that requires a card. Subscriptions auto-renew and are cancelled through the App Store or Google Play. Two Strength in Menopause workouts are free on YouTube.
It is good as a general fitness and nutrition app for women over 40, and it includes Joe’s Strength in Menopause series of 20-minute dumbbell workouts that are well cued for beginners. It is not a dedicated menopause platform: the menopause content is strength-only, there is one pelvic-floor workout, and no menopause or symptom education. Pair it with a purpose-built option if you want those.
No. It is a series of strength workouts you cycle between upper, lower and full body, roughly three strength sessions a week. The app’s main quiz-assigned 28-day cycle plan is what structures your whole week, including other training and rest days. If you follow only the menopause series, you fill the other days yourself from Joe’s Low Impact series, Pilates or the 10-minute workouts.
A light and a heavier pair of dumbbells, a kettlebell for some sessions, and a mat cover most of the app, including the Menopause Strength series. Some HIIT and bodyweight workouts need no equipment at all.
Yes. The quiz assigns you a plan at your level, and Joe explains every movement in detail, including posture and what to focus on, so beginners learn proper form rather than just following along. The Strength in Menopause series is a particularly good on-ramp to lifting.
For a polished all-in-one workout and nutrition app, yes, especially if you value structure, variety and beginner-friendly strength coaching. The main reasons to look elsewhere are if you need dedicated menopause education, structured pelvic-floor work, or heavy barbell loading.
Final Verdict
Score: 6.9 / 10 · Sample-tested (one week on the Strength in Menopause series)
The Body Coach lives up to its reputation as a comprehensive, well-designed app. The Menopause Strength workouts I tested are genuinely good, especially for learning to lift with confidence, the wider library is varied and the meal plan is a real bonus. It is a strong general fitness and nutrition app that a woman over 40 can use well.
The Body Coach is for women who want a polished all-in-one app with excellent coaching and a tailored meal plan. It is not for anyone who wants dedicated menopause education, pelvic-floor programming or symptom support, in which case Pvolve or Menovation is the better fit.
Testing Status
Sample-tested (one week on the Strength in Menopause series, plus hands-on exploration of the wider app; pricing and features verified August 2026). Full testing: pending. When we complete a longer test across the cycle plan and more of the library, adherence, progression and results are added to this same page, moving it to fully tested. How we score.
Sources and Further Reading
- Isenmann, E. et al. (2023). Resistance training alters body composition in middle-aged women depending on menopause: a 20-week control trial. BMC Women’s Health. Available at: link.springer.com. Resistance training improved strength and body composition in midlife women.
- Watson, S.L. et al. (2018). High-Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women: The LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. Available at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Loaded strength improved bone density and function after menopause.
- Guo, Z. et al. (2023). Effect of HIIT vs Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training on Fat Loss and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Available at: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. HIIT is effective and broadly comparable to moderate training.
- Nguyen, T.M. et al. (2020). Exercise and Quality of Life in Women with Menopausal Symptoms: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of RCTs. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Available at: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Exercise improved physical and psychological quality of life.
- Qian, J. et al. (2023). The effect of exercise intervention on improving sleep in menopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Medicine. Available at: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Exercise reduced insomnia severity.
- Gillen, J.B. et al. (2016). Twelve Weeks of Sprint Interval Training Improves Indices of Cardiometabolic Health Similar to Traditional Endurance Training despite a Five-Fold Lower Time Commitment. PLOS ONE. Available at: journals.plos.org. Short intense sessions raised fitness comparably to longer training.
- Daley, A. et al. (2014). Exercise for vasomotor menopausal symptoms. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Available at: cochranelibrary.com. Insufficient evidence that exercise relieves hot flushes.
This is a sample-tested review based on one week on the Strength in Menopause series plus hands-on exploration of the app. Pricing and features were verified in August 2026 and may have changed. Some affiliate links may be present, and this site does not accept payment from the programmes it reviews. Education, not medical advice.
Related Guides
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