“It's nice to not feel embarrassed or ashamed that you're going through these things as a woman,” the famed ballerina tells PEOPLE of perimenopause
Credit: Thorne
NEED TO KNOW
- Misty Copeland discusses navigating perimenopause and embracing the changes in her body after retiring from ballet
- She has partnered with wellness company Thorne to promote a new supplement supporting women during the perimenopause transition
- Copeland hopes to reduce the stigma around perimenopause and inspire women to have open conversations about their experiences
After taking her final bow as American Ballet Theater's first Black female principal dancer, Misty Copeland is embracing the next chapter of her life.
But the famed ballerina, 43, is not only transitioning off stage, she is starting another new journey — navigating perimenopause — and recently spoke to PEOPLE about her adjustment. Perimenopause refers to the time when the body starts to make its natural transition to menopause, which marks the end of a woman's reproductive years.
Recently, Copeland started dealing with issues like acne, brain fog and struggling to sleep through the night. She initially brushed it off as being a mother to her 4-year-old son Jackson, whom she shares with husband Olu Evans.
“I just assumed that it comes with the territory,” she says.
“I think I was in denial about being in this phase of my life,” she admits. “I feel like a lot of women my age don't wanna talk about it… And, like, it's okay to accept and have the conversations and be really thoughtful about them.”
Credit: Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty
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Copeland tells PEOPLE that, over the last two years, she rolled her eyes whenever her best friend talked about perimenopause — she felt so far removed from it. But now she laughs at being “ready for the conversations."
“I think one thing that I have learned just from being a dancer is accepting the changes that naturally happen in my body,” she explains. “You get older, you go through injury, you don't have the same body that you had at 13. Just being able to really be grounded and in touch with who I am and those changes.”
“So it's been similar, I think, in how I'm kind of approaching [perimenopause], how I'm respecting and giving myself grace as I experience these changes,” she says.
As an athlete and a dancer, Copeland has always been “in tune with” her body and has taken great care of it. It was essential, or “you won’t last,” she says. She exercised, kept a clean diet and maintained the “outward aesthetics.” But as she gets older she’s more focused on what’s happening internally.
Credit: Thorne
That’s one of the reasons why Copeland is partnering with wellness company Thorne for a new women’s health campaign to introduce its science-backed product Perimenopause Complete. The supplement supports mood, sleep and balance during the natural transition.
Copeland says that through Thorne, she’s been able to let go of the stigma often associated with perimenopause and build a community with others.
“It's nice to have support and not feel embarrassed or ashamed that you're going through these things as a woman,” she continues. “It makes me think about when you’re a teenager and getting your period. It's like, why are we hiding our freaking tampons? This is a part of what we go through as women, and it's beautiful and it's normal.”
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Recognizing how far she’s come in her perspective of perimenopause, Copeland says actually embracing it was the first step toward feeling her best.
“Being able to name it and understand what's happening internally has been really, really helpful and made me feel more in control and more grounded,” she says. “I love this place that I'm at and it feels really good.”
Copeland tells PEOPLE that she hopes to help other women reach that place, too. Although she’s stepped out of the spotlight in terms of ballet, she’s proud of being able to find new ways to make an impact.
“I'm so fortunate to have had the platform to be able to speak about my experiences as a dancer, as an athlete, as a woman, as a Black woman, and really about the importance of taking care of yourself,” she adds. “I think it's important for young people, young women of color to see someone like me in this space and having these conversations.”
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