Go hard or go home....
The 'train hard' mentality may well be setting you up for exhaustion when menopause hormone changes hit hard, but should you just give up and take up yoga? Simply put -NO! But, this doesn't mean you should ignore your body when fatigue and sleepless nights are kicking your ass!
What is the best form of exercise then?
Ask women what they believe to be the best form of exercise for weight loss and a large proportion will say 'running', but is this the truth? Both running and walking can be excellent forms of movement because of their low cost and ease of access for all fitness levels. Look at the popularity of the 'couch to 5km' app for example, I bet you know more than one friend who used this app to build their cardiovascular fitness and possibly lose a few extra kilos on the scales. Most of us need to move more and move more often, if running gets you moving then hey, who am I to stop you? If on the other hand, you are running to lose weight, running hard, and running often, you could in fact be creating more problems for yourself than you are solving. Let me explain.
Estrogen plays a fundamental role in bone strength and muscle mass, so as you can imagine, women's bones and muscles begin to decline with the decline of estrogen during peri-menopause unless we actively choose to do something about it.
Women Are Not Small Men.
A few days ago I was listening to a great podcast with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon and Dr. Stacy Sims, both very well-educated women worth following if you don't already. Dr. Stacy Sims wrote the book ROAR - How To Match Your Food And Fitness To Your Female Physiology. She also created the Menopause For Athletes course which I completed back in 2021. If any woman knows about menopause and female fitness/performance it's Stacy. Anyway, going back to the podcast, Stacy reminded me of how important it is to train hard in a 'smart' way as our hormones begin to take a nosedive during the menopause transition. For a little bit of background, did you know that estrogen is present in almost every cell and tissue in the body? Neither did I until these last few years. Estrogen plays a fundamental role in bone strength and muscle mass, so as you can imagine, women's bones and muscles begin to decline with the decline of estrogen during peri-menopause unless we actively choose to do something about it. Along with declining estrogen, we also have lower levels of progesterone and testosterone. Stacy pointed out that this lower hormone state leaves women at increased risk of higher cortisol (stress hormone) levels as the body learns to adjust to this new hormonal state. Cortisol levels that are too high can lead to poor sleep quality and duration, gut issues, poor post-exercise recovery, muscle and bone breakdown, and increased belly fat accumulating around the waistline and organs (visceral fat). All in all, this is a pretty tricky place to be, because when women begin gaining weight they automatically want to cut calories and start exercising harder, but this is definitely not always the right choice given our changing hormones.
Women need to train hard in a smart way as their hormones change, flogging ourselves the wrong way is now counterproductive and may increase belly fat, decrease muscle mass and lead to exhaustion.
So let me get back to the point of this post.
What type of training is suitable for women during the menopause transition?
YOGA - There is definitely a place for yoga, especially if your life is high-stress and busy all the time (sounds like every woman I know). A good choice would be any type of yoga that helps take you into a parasympathetic (relaxed) state. This will assist with lowering cortisol levels which can help you to sleep better, recover more effectively, and potentially slow down the process of menopause weight gain. Yoga Nidra, breathwork, and meditation can also take you into a parasympathetic state, so keep these tools in mind for future reference.
STRENGTH TRAINING - Building muscle and bone is achieved as a result of effectively placing appropriate stress on our muscles and bones. As estrogen declines, we must make a concerted effort to stimulate bone and muscle tissue and this can be achieved through strength training. Heavy lifting is necessary, but it doesn't mean you need to flog yourself in the gym every day. Start lifting at a level appropriate to you and your current fitness/strength. Plan to train 3 x per week for 30-45 minutes, every week, forever! Ensure that you are challenging yourself sufficiently, this means working at 8-9/10 exertion for some of your strength exercises. This level of exertion is what's needed to stimulate muscle and bone in the presence of lower estrogen levels. Bodyweight exercises can be just as effective as machines and free weights when an appropriate stimulus is applied. A qualified fitness professional can help you to understand what this looks like for you.
INTERVAL TRAINING - As you will have gathered, we are looking to stimulate muscle and bone growth and repair without overstimulating cortisol. High-intensity interval training can place a lot of stress on our internal environment (think excess cortisol) which is why it needs to be approached with the right mindset. This style of training is very important as we age, but the right dose is equally important. The benefits of interval training can be improved insulin sensitivity and improved fat-burning (especially visceral fat) which is exactly what we need. Aim for 1-2 sprint interval sessions per week remembering that you are an individual and any form of exercise needs to be scaled and tailored to your personal needs. According to Dr. Stacy Sims, short 20 seconds of all-out work followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 x like a TABATA circuit can be exactly what's needed. Follow each TABATA with 1-minute rest and repeat for another 2-3 cycles.
OTHER TYPES OF EXERCISE - Does this mean that other types of exercise are pointless? Absolutely not! Moving is good, a lot of us need more of it, so if you've found something you enjoy, keep going but keep the above thoughts in mind with regards to building bone and muscle mass and keeping cortisol in check.
Conclusion.
I hope this post has helped you to better understand what your body needs with regard to exercise as your hormones change during peri-menopause and post-menopause. Women need to train hard in a smart way as their hormones change, flogging ourselves the wrong way is now counterproductive and may increase belly fat, decrease muscle mass and lead to exhaustion. In addition to smart training women also need to think about their nutrition in a measured way. Hard dieting is also creating more problems than it solves. I have written numerous other posts that you can find on my blog and I am sure I will write more about this topic again in the future. If you would like to learn more, please reach out and send me a message.
#womensfitness #strongwomen #bonehealth #healthywomen #osteoporosisprevention #osteoporosisawareness #growstrong #strengthtraining
Hi I'm Melanie Briony and I Help Peri & Post Menopause Women (35+) To Grow Strong and Optimise Their Nutrition & Lifestyle. Being strong, fit, healthy, and vibrant as we age is one of the best gifts we can give to ourselves after years of caring for others. Are you at that time in life when your body is starting to feel 'old'? Are you fed up with banging your head against the wall when it comes to your health and fitness? Learn how to work with your changing body and needs as you head into and beyond your late 30s. Exercise, rest, and recover 'like a woman' so that you can get the best out of the effort you are putting in. Don't put it off any longer! Maintaining a strong and capable body leads to better bone health, heart health, brain health, and mental health. What are you waiting for?
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