As a doctor, even I was floored by the menopause – here’s how I transformed my body

Dr Vonda Wright is an orthopaedic surgeon and ageing expert who works with thousands of world-class athletes to enhance their performance and longevity. For 20 years, she led research on musculoskeletal aging and longevity at the University of Pittsburgh. Her latest book, Unbreakable, walks midlife women through how to transform their life from something they are enduring to the best years of their lives, based on her own experience. Here she reveals her best advice for thriving in midlife.

I was miserable, angry and sleeping terribly

In my 40s I had my dream job as an orthopaedic surgeon, had just had a baby, and was at what I saw as my peak fitness. But then at 47 I completely hit a wall. I did not feel like myself, I had my first night sweats, I wasn’t sleeping; I couldn’t think cle