Why You Should Exercise Your Way Through Menopause

 

A woman doing yoga

Hot flashes? Mind fog? Emotional outbursts? You must be going through menopause. Menopause is a term that signifies that a woman has finished her last menstrual cycle. This usually happens around the age of 48-55, and many bodily changes lead up to this moment. From the heaviness to the regularity of your menstrual flow, you’ll notice many symptoms in the 5-10 years that lead up to menopause. Most women only experience mild symptoms, but others can face more difficulties. The years after menopause also pose various health risks like osteoporosis and heart disease.

How can a workout and meal plan help with that? Here’s all you need to know:

Reducing symptoms of menopause

Physically active women tend to have milder and fewer vasomotor symptoms than women who live a sedentary lifestyle, including disturbed sleep, night sweats, and hot flashes. This transition often coincides with various life changes, such as self-identity, relationships, family structure, and body.

Exercise can greatly impact your overall mood and even treat the mild depression that often accompanies life changes.

 

A woman stretching her legs

Preventing or reversing changes caused by menopause

Exercise can’t change the age that you become menopausal. The only thing that can impact such a thing is smoking—smokers tend to experience menopause a lot earlier, which serves as good motivation to drop the unhealthy habit.

A lot of women tend to gain weight after or during menopause, especially in the abdominal area. This might be because of the hormonal changes inside their bodies—the loss of estrogen and the increase of ‘male’ hormones. However, it’s more likely that women who live a sedentary lifestyle gain weight after going through menopause than those who are physically active.

Exercise can significantly influence women’s abdominal and overall body fat more than hormone replacement therapy. Women who gain weight after going through menopause tend to have a different pattern of weight gain. If your body used to deposit fat in your thighs or hips, you’ll find that it’s now getting deposited around your waist and stomach. This is due to the decrease of female hormones that promote a ‘pear’ body shape compared to an ‘apple’ body shape.

Unfortunately, the new pattern of fat storage around your organs can increase your risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. It’s extremely important to find healthy activities that can help you keep your waist trim during this age.

Protecting your body

Estrogen can have a sort of ‘protective effect’ against diseases like heart disease and osteoporosis. The decrease of estrogen during and after menopause can leave women more vulnerable to developing these health issues.

Exercise can provide a ‘protective effect’ of its own! Most of a women’s bone loss happens around 5 years post-menopause. Proper weight-bearing and strength training exercises can help you retain your bone mass. Regularly committing to cardiovascular exercises can also reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease while lowering your blood pressure and increasing insulin sensitivity.

Some women also experience poor bladder control because of menopause. The muscles in the pelvic floor tend to go into decline after the decrease of estrogen. These muscles control defecation, urination, and support your sexual organs. Kegel or pelvic floor exercises can help you strengthen these essential muscles.

 

A woman holding weights

Best exercises for menopausal women

An active lifestyle is essential for menopausal women; however, there are certain types of activities that are best for aging women:

· Stretching your flexible muscles for more fluid movement through yoga, pilates, tai chi, or stretching.

· Strength training for your bones and muscles through free weights, pilates, or calisthenics.

· Aerobic conditioning for your lungs and heart through aerobic classes, swimming, cycling, or walking.

You can also indulge in fun recreational activities such as martial arts, dance, or tennis to build up your muscles and bones! Older women must be much more careful when warming up before working out. Take out around 10 minutes a day to warm up your muscles before exercising. According to experts, any programs that can help you preserve your strength and flexibility are important to prevent injuries and improve your overall performance.

Find different ways to get your body moving—exercise should be enjoyable and make you feel excited. It’s a great time to explore different hobbies such as dancing, gardening, skiing, or hiking.

 

Two women exercising

Looking for a diet and exercise plan for women over 50?

Let’s face it; you don’t have the same energy levels at 50 as you did back in your youth. If you’re looking for a personal trainer and a healthy workout and meal plan, Start Today Wellness has got you covered! This high-quality workout and meal plan app will motivate and guide you through the best exercises to stay on top of your menopause symptoms.

Visit their website to find out more details!

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