Queen Latifah Feels Powerful, In Control During Menopause (Exclusive)

For Queen Latifah, hearing the word “menopause” from her doctor came as a shock. But now the 55-year-old has one word to describe this phase of her life: Powerful.

“I feel like I’m in control when it comes to this,” she tells PEOPLE. 

In an exclusive interview, the rapper and actress opens up about navigating menopause and announces the launch of the new WeightWatchers for Menopause campaign, a holistic program to help women during the natural transition.

Latifah’s journey began about two years ago when she visited her gynecologist. As someone who’d previously experienced “challenges with my reproductive system,” the doctor’s appointment was routine, and she thought nothing of it.

“I felt pretty normal,” she says, recalling her surprise when her doctor pointed out changes in her hormone levels. “I wouldn’t have even known that I was in premenopause, and I was actually kinda shocked.”

“It was her telling me what my numbers were saying. And once I saw that, I could sort of tune into a couple of symptoms I may have been having,” the Girls Trip star continues. “I never had a hot flash or sweat down my forehead instantly like some of my friends, but I might argue about the temperature in the car with my driver so hey, maybe that was what was going on. Or this last 10 pounds that doesn’t wanna go — you know, different things like that.”

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Latifah — whose real name is Dana Owens — says her doctor immediately gave her information about navigating menopause and made it less “scary” for her. But the Grammy winner recognizes that “it is a scary thing for a lot of people and not very well talked about.”

“At the end of the day, it’s a physical change that’s happening and we all want to understand how to deal with it and how to handle it better,” she says.

That’s why Latifah is partnering with WeightWatchers for the launch of their new WeightWatchers for Menopause campaign. With the actress as the first spokesperson, the program will give women equitable access to menopause support and resources in hopes of ending the stigma surrounding the pivotal stage of life.

“It’s important to be able to get as much information as you can so that you can take care of yourself,” she says. “Whether it’s hormone replacement or other options that are available, I think what WeightWatchers is doing is making sure that they have clinicians there for you, that they have the information there for you, and a supportive community that you may need while going through this.” 

“It’s important to have people who do understand,” she adds. “Finally, there’s something you can do about it.” 

In addition to the help from WeightWatchers, Latifah has also had a lot of support from her close friends.

“Fortunately, I was a young girl running in these streets trying to be grown,” she says with a laugh. “So a lot of my friends are several years older than me so they experienced this before me. I mean, I’d never really heard the word perimenopause until one of my friends brought it up.”

Latfiah says she also tries to focus on overall wellness and how she can “remain as healthy and vibrant” as possible.

For her, it starts with sleep — and everything else falls into place.

“I think sleep is extremely overrated for some people, but I always try to get a good night’s sleep. Eight hours or better,” she notes. “And then some exercise, eat well, strengthen your bones, and just have fun, stay positive, you know, check on your mind.”

“I’ve been on my scooter a lot lately just because I need to feel the wind in my face,” she adds. “That does something for my brain and my heart.”

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Since wrapping up The Equalizer earlier this year after five seasons, Latifah says she no longer has 16-hour workdays to manage, but admits that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is still a challenge.

However, she’s ready to meet that challenge.

“It’s never been easy for me to schedule my life, but I never stop trying. I’ll always continue to try to get better at it,” she tells PEOPLE. “And for me, I’m just excited right now because, you know, menopause is a word that has a meaning. But what’s left with the rest of life? My God, every day is a new thing I’m excited about.”

“Scary times,” Latifah quips. “Nevertheless, I’m excited about what the future holds because every day that we are here, there’s a chance to learn something new and even an opportunity to change someone’s life. So that’s where I like to keep my mind.”