Navigating the Job Related Fitness Test through Perimenopause and Menopause

As a female emergency service worker, your annual Job-Related Fitness Test (JRFT) might feel increasingly challenging as you navigate perimenopause and menopause. Many of you have shared your concerns with me during my talks and sessions with Thames Valley, Surrey, and Metropolitan Police Services. The good news? You don't need to dread your fitness test or feel that your changing body is working against you.
This blog post will help you understand what's happening in your body during this transitional phase and give you practical, effective strategies to not just pass your JRFT, but to thrive physically throughout your career and beyond.
Understanding Your Changing Body
The decline in oestrogen and progesterone during perimenopause and menopause creates real physiological changes that affect your fitness and performance:

• Shifting body composition: You might notice increased abdominal fat, softer muscles, and fluctuating energy levels
• Decreasing bone density: Lower oestrogen accelerates bone loss, increasing risk of injuries and conditions like osteopenia
• Muscle mass reduction: Your muscles may not respond to exercise the way they used to
• Joint stability changes: As connective tissues are affected, your risk of injury may increase

But, knowledge is power!

These changes are genuinely challenging, especially when your job possibly demands physical fitness and your career depends on passing annual fitness tests. But here's what's crucial to understand: the traditional training approaches that worked in your twenties and thirties often don't serve you well now.
The reality is that historically 96% of exercise research has been conducted on men. This means that most training protocols weren't designed for women's bodies, especially during perimenopause and menopause. It's time for a different approach—one that works with your changing physiology rather than against it.

A Better Approach: Training Smarter, Not Harder
The key to successfully preparing for your JRFT while supporting your body through this transition is training smarter, not harder or longer. Here's how:
1. Strength Training: Your Foundation for the JRFT and beyond
Strength training isn't optional anymore—it's essential for maintaining a body that is fit and healthy for life, not just for the JRFT.

Why it matters:

• Preserves functional strength: Crucial for the physical demands of your role
• Maintains muscle mass: Counteracts the accelerated muscle loss during menopause. Did you know that our lean muscle mass declines by between 3 and 8% from the age of 30 if we don't work on strength training?
• Improves bone density: Essential for reducing injury risk during demanding shifts
• Boosts metabolism: Helps manage weight changes that can affect JRFT performance

How to implement it:

• Schedule 2-3 strength sessions weekly (just 20-30 minutes each)
• Focus on compound movements that mimic real-life demands: squats, lunges, deadlifts, push-ups, and rows
• Prioritise heavier weights with lower reps (1-6 range) to build strength efficiently
• Progress gradually to avoid injury while building capacity

HIIT Training: Perfect Preparation for the JRFT
High-Intensity Interval Training mirrors the stop-start nature of the JRFT and is particularly effective during perimenopause and menopause.

Why it matters:

• Mimics the JRFT pattern: The bleep test is essentially an interval test
• Improves recovery: Teaches your body to recover quickly between efforts
• Manages hormonal impact: Shorter, intense workouts are less likely to elevate cortisol long-term
• Reduces visceral fat: Targets the abdominal fat that often increases during this life stage

How to implement it:

• Keep sessions short (15-20 minutes) but focused
• Try these JRFT-specific formats: 
  • 20 seconds on/20 seconds off: Perfect for simulating bleep test efforts
  • 30 seconds on/60 seconds off: Builds recovery capacity
  • Tabata protocol: 20 seconds all-out effort, 10 seconds rest for 4 minutes

Plyometric Training: A fantastic all-round tool in your armoury!
The JRFT requires rapid direction changes and quick movements. Plyometric training develops exactly these capabilities while also supporting bone health. If the word strikes fear into your heart at the thought of box jumps, it's not all about that - there are some simple. small, multi-directional options....

Why it matters:

• Improves agility: Essential for the quick turns in the JRFT
• Enhances bone strength: Helps counter menopause-related bone density loss
• Builds reactive strength: Crucial for emergency situations requiring quick responses
• Improves coordination: Supports overall movement efficiency

How to implement it:

• Incorporate simple plyometrics into your warm-ups: 
  • Side-to-side hops
  • Forward and backward jumps
  • 180-degree jumps (simulating the JRFT turns)
  • Short sprint-and-stop drills
  
  
  
  

Specific JRFT Preparation Strategies
Beyond these foundational approaches, here are specific strategies to help you prepare for the bleep test component of the JRFT:

Work Backwards from the Test
Look at the test requirements in reverse—train slightly above the speeds you'll need to achieve:
Sample JRFT-specific interval session:

1. Warm up thoroughly for 10 minutes with gentle jogging
2. Run at a pace faster than your required JRFT level for 25 seconds
3. Recover completely for 35 seconds (walk or stand)
4. Repeat 2-4 times initially, building up over time
5. Cool down with 5 minutes of easy movement

Progression strategy:

• Gradually add more intervals each week
• Adjust the work/rest ratio (increase work time, decrease rest time)
• Incorporate the specific movements of the test (rapid turns, acceleration)

Get Familiar with the Bleeps
Mental preparation is just as important as physical training:

• Download the official bleep test audio from the College of Policing website
• Listen to it during daily activities to become comfortable with the timing
• Practice visualising successful completion
• Time some of your training intervals to match the bleep pattern

Manage Test-Day Anxiety
Many officers report that anxiety affects their JRFT performance more than fitness itself:

• Practice box breathing before your test: breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4, repeat for 5 minutes
• Arrive early to familiarise yourself with the test environment
• Have a consistent pre-test routine to signal readiness to your body
• Remember: your experience and knowledge as an officer is invaluable—this test is just one aspect of your contribution

What about the Chester Test?
Offered to some as the alternative fitness test, especially for those with knee issues. This test is essentially a ramp up treadmill test. All of the above protocols will help with that, but particularly STRENGTH. Keep your lean muscle mass in check and you will do yourself a huge favour because, this isn't just an annual fitness test...

The Bigger Picture: Fit for Life
While passing the JRFT is important, the strategies in this post serve a greater purpose—keeping you healthy, strong, and capable throughout your career and beyond.
Remember that these physical changes aren't something to battle against but to work with. By adapting your training approach to align with your body's current needs, you're not just preparing for a fitness test—you're investing in your long-term wellbeing and career longevity.
Many female officers I've worked with have found that these approaches not only improved their JRFT performance but also reduced menopausal symptoms, increased energy levels, and enhanced their overall quality of life.
You bring unique skills, experience, and perspective to your emergency service role. By taking care of your changing body with these targeted strategies, you ensure you can continue making that valuable contribution for years to come.
Stay strong, stay confident, and know that you have the capacity to thrive physically during this transition—both on the job and beyond.
Would you like more personalised support? I offer specialised coaching to support women at whatever stage they are in their hormonal journey. Take a look at my website for more info.
I also deliver in-person and online talks to empower women to work with their hormones to reach their full potential, see here  for more information.