Exercise is important for everyone, whether you are in the menopause or not! The key to starting and keeping up exercise is to find something that youactually enjoy as this makes you more likely to stick with it, whether that is yoga, a dance class, CrossFit, Pilates, running or walking, there is something for everyone. Often exercise also helps us form positive social connections with those we work out with, which is another important component of self-care during menopause. Exercise can also help with mental health releasing endorphins and reducing stress and to manage weight gain, all of which can be experienced at menopause.
Guidelines for adults are 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise per week, and 2 sessions of strength/resistance training. These can be accumulated over an entire week and every minute counts - whether that be walking to the shops or doing an exercise DVD in your living room!
Strength training, in particular has been proven to reduce loss of bone mass density which is the cause of osteoporosis. Incorporating resistance training can also help to boost natural testosterone levels which decline at menopause. Testosterone is traditionally thought of as a male hormone but females also have and need testosterone and it is linked to sexual desire and has an important function in maintaining and building muscle mass.
Exercise can also be beneficial for heart health. After the menopause (due to the decline in oestrogen), women’s risk of heart attacks and cardiac events increases.
This can include body weight resistance such as pilates, or using weights such as kettlebells, dumbbells, or barbells.
This can includes something as simple as a brisk walk where you can still hold a conversation.
Vigorous intensity exercise makes your heart rate increase and causes you to breathe faster and you may not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath – sports such as running, swimming and martial arts can be vigorous intensity exercise.
Restorative Exercise such as yoga, mindfulness and meditation and stretching have been shown to aid relaxation which in turn can help with sleep. Often the symptoms of menopause can be stressful, so taking some time to relax is very beneficial.
1. High Intensity Training and bone density information - High‐Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women With Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: The LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Trial - Watson - 2018 - Journal of Bone and Mineral Research - Wiley Online Library
2. Yoga for menopausal symptoms - Effectiveness of yoga for menopausal symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - PubMed (nih.gov)