Michelle Obama is embracing all the changes that come with aging, including letting go of her signature, muscular biceps.

In the lead up to the release of her new book, The Light We Carry, the former First Lady reflected on hitting menopause, entering this new chapter of her life, and how candid conversations with her friends and family about those experiences have helped her re-find herself amidst it all. “There is not a lot of conversation about menopause. I'm going through it, and I know all of my friends are going through it. And the information is sparse.” she told People in an interview published this week. “There's a lot we don't know.” But during this time of uncertainty, Obama has found comfort in her tight-knit group of girlfriends, explaining, “I find that when we get together and we're moving and we're laughing, then we spend a little time talking about what we're going through. 'What's a hot flash?' We have girlfriends around the table who are OBGYNs, who have real information. All of that keeps us lifted up.”

In the interview, Obama spoke about changing her approach to how she takes care physically now that she's getting older. “Some of it is menopause, some of it is aging,” she said. “I find that I cannot push myself as hard as I used to. That doesn't work out for me. That when I tear a muscle or pull something and then I'm out. The recovery time is not the same.” Which is why, these days, her routine is focused more on flexibility over cardio. “You wind up balancing between staying fit enough and being kind enough on your body to stay in the game,” the former FLOTUS elaborated.

So far, Obama says she's been spared serious mood swings, but she's still experiencing hot flashes as well as some menopausal weight gain. “I never used to weigh myself. I'm not trying to stick to numbers, but when you're in menopause, you have this slow creep that you just don't realize,” she explained. “We're all in menopause with stretchy [waist] bands and our athleisure wear on, and you look up and you can't fit the outfits you had last year. I have to be more mindful, not obsessive, but more mindful.”

Even so, she added that she considers herself “blessed” when it comes to her experience. “I think my skin still feels healthy. My hair is still in my head. These are the things that I have to count my blessings for,” she said. “I am still physically active, and my goal now, instead of having ‘Michelle Obama arms,’ I just want to keep moving.”