Menopause: The 3 Stages and How To Achieve Results with Exercise and Feel Good!
How do you exercise effectively through the challenging stages of Menopause? In this blog, we will review the stages of Menopause and how to achieve results for weight management, improving metabolism, improving muscle tone, and improving bone mass.
Typically women in their mid 40s enter into the stage of perimenopause and can experience a range of uncomfortable symptoms. Due to the continued decline of estrogen, symptoms can continue into menopause and postmenopause. Without the correct exercise strategy to combat these bodily changes and symptoms, weight gain is much more likely. In addition, due to the decline of estrogen throughout the menopause stages cardiac health and bone health risks increase.
Consistent weekly exercise is an excellent way to avoid weight gain, tone muscles, and improve how you feel. Metabolism slows down beginning at the onset of perimenopause and significantly throughout postmenopause. To maintain or increase your metabolism the correct intensity and amount of cardiovascular and strength training is required. Declining estrogen levels reduce muscle tone and bone mass. Proper resistive training exercises are required to build muscle mass and strengthen bones. Cardiovascular exercise and resistive training can prevent the spiral effect of other symptoms occurring. Exercise is known to improve sleep, increase mental acuity, and reduce stress. These benefits will help avoid the domino effect of feeling unhealthy, fatigue, and pain. Consistent weekly exercise increases well being and energy throughout the day.
Keep Moving Through the Stages of Menopause!
The 3 stages of Menopause:
Stage 1: Perimenopause:
Typically onsets in a woman's mid 40s. The average onset is 47 years old. This stage is usually 7 years but can last up to 14 years. Changes in the monthly cycle are common. Hormonal production of estrogen and progesterone, made by the ovaries, varies greatly.
Stage 2: Menopause:
Menopause stage is defined as the point in time 12 months after a woman’s last period. This stage is usually occurs between 45 yrs-55 yrs old; with average age of 51yrs old. At this stage your ovaries stop releasing eggs and most of their estrogen.
Stage 3: Postmenopause:
Postmenopause is the name of the stage after menopause in which a women has not had a menstrual cycle for a year.
What are the Symptoms?
Throughout perimenopause to postmenopause women commonly experience a range of uncomfortable symptoms.
Symptoms can be a mixture of:
Weight Gain
Changes to Menstrual Cycle
Loss Muscle mass and tone
Disrupted sleep
Anxiety
Irritability
Depression
Muscle and joint aches
Urinary incontinence
Vaginal dryness
Pain with vaginal insertion
Pain with intercourse
Hot flash/flushes
Night sweats
Tender breasts
Without the correct exercise strategy to combat these bodily changes and symptoms, undesired weight gain is much more likely as well as increased cardiac and bone health risks through the stages of perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause.
Why is the Correct Exercise Strategy SO important?
Consistent weekly exercise is an excellent way to avoid weight gain, tone muscles, and improve how you feel. Due to hormonal decline, metabolism significantly slows down from perimenopause to postmenopause. To maintain or increase your metabolism the correct amount and intensity of cardiovascular (CV) training and strength training is required. Declining estrogen levels reduce muscle tone and bone mass. Proper resistive training exercises are required to build muscle mass and strengthen bones. CV aerobic exercise and resistive training can prevent the spiral effect of other symptoms occurring. Exercise is known to improve sleep, increase mental acuity, and reduce stress. These benefits will help avoid the domino effect of feeling unhealthy, fatigue, pain. Consistent weekly exercise increases wellbeing and energy throughout the day.
Why does the type of exercise matter?
6 Benefits of Correct Exercise Prescription for All 3 Menopausal stages:
Weight Management
Where did that metabolism go? Hormonal changes during menopause can sometimes mean it is easier to gain weight frequently around the abdominal region. The right exercise strategy will help prevent weight gain and tone those waning muscles and prevent fat cells from storing in those regions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends: 75 minutes of vigorous (running, jogging, swimming) cardiovascular aerobic activity per week for healthy women to help maintain a healthy weight or 150 mins of moderate aerobic exercise (brisk walking).
Restore and Maintain Muscle Mass and Tone
Muscle Mass and tone relies on estrogen and starting with perimenopause the natural decline of estrogen, muscles decrease in tone and mass.
With decrease of muscle tone and mass metabolism slows down. This increases the environment for production of fatty tissue called adipose tissue.
To help maintain metabolism to regulate adipose and weight gain, resistive strengthening exercises are required to increase muscle mass and tone.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends :
Resistive strength training 2 or more times a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, abdomen, back, chest, arms, and shoulders).
Healthy Strong Bones
Menopause exponentially causes higher risk for osteoporosis. Specific resistive strength training performed correctly and safely can help build and maintain bone density. During the first few years after menopause, women lose bone density at a rapid rate, increasing risk of osteoporosis. Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis are especially susceptible to fractures of their spine, hips and wrists. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises for those at risk for or diagnosed with osteoporosis. Strength training exercises will help to build bone and muscle strength, burn body fat, and increase metabolism.
Relief of symptoms
Exercising can help reduce the symptoms in all 3 stages of Menopause. Being sedentary can actually increase the symptoms such as irritability, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, decreased mental acuity, weight gain, and hot flashes!
Exercising produces chemicals, serotonin and dopamine, that manage mood, increase sleep, and increase alertness. These are the same chemicals that might be lacking before and during menopause when levels of estrogen decline.
One study showed that women who lived sedentary lives had more severe menopause symptoms than active women. The researchers concluded women who were sedentary, defined as they exercised fewer than three times a week, were 28% more likely to report having severe menopause symptoms than those who exercised more. Sedentary women were also 52% more likely to be obese.
Numerous studies have reported good correlation between physical activity and reduction in menopause symptoms, including one that found losing weight through diet and exercise, could ease hot flashes. The researchers concluded sedentary women were 21% more likely to experience hot flashes. They were also 17% more likely to have feelings of sadness or depressed.
Decrease Risk of Heart Disease
Decreasing estrogen levels increases risk for cardiovascular disease. Decreased estrogen can increase bad cholesterol levels.
The leading cause of death for women in the United States yearly is heart disease. Exercise and maintaining cardiovascular endurance during the stages of menopause is critical to reducing cardiac risk.
Better Sleep and Mental Acuity
Good sleep is essential to feeling good! Many women in the menopausal stages experience difficulty sleeping and fatigue.
This creates a domino effect that decreases ability to exercise, decreases focus, and increases irritability. Increased quality of sleep promotes improved energy and better mental acuity.
So how much exercise is needed for effective results?
Exercise that is effective in weight management and increasing muscular tone needs to be addressed in 2 ways:
Aerobic Exercise and Resistive Strengthening Exercise
Aerobic exercise should be performed at moderate to vigorous target heart rate 60-85% max heart rate. Most healthy women should strive for 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity or 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week according to the CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Resistive strengthening should be performed 2 or more times a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, abdomen, back, chest, arms, and shoulders).
Recommended Exercise Amounts and Intensity:
Cardiovascular Exercise
Perform aerobic exercise 20 mins or more per day, three to five days a week.
Your options for cardio workouts are plentiful! Aerobic activity that makes use of your large muscle groups while keeping up your heart rate is a good thing.
Your maximum heart rate is calculated by subtracting your age from 220.
Click here for explanation of heart rate zones to determine your rated perceived exertion during exercise.
Perform vigorous intensity of aerobic exercise 75 minutes a week or moderate intensity of aerobic exercise 150 minutes a week.
If you are new to exercising begin at low intensity and gradually increase amount and intensity.
For Example:
Vigorous Aerobic Exercise:
achieving 70-85% of maximum heart rate
rated perceived exertion: Borderline uncomfortable. Short of breath. Can speak a sentence.
jogging, running, stair climbing, and swimming at challenging pace
Moderate Aerobic Exercise:
achieving 60-70% maximum heart reate
rate of perceived exertion: Somewhat challenging and uncomfortable. Short of breath but can hold short conversation.
Elliptical, swimming, biking, and brisk walking at moderate pace.
Low Aerobic Exercise:
achieving 40-60% maximum heart rate
rate of perceived exertion: Slight challenge and easy to breathe. Able to have a conversation
Walking, biking, and elliptical at low level pace.
Strength Training Exercise
Perform resistive strength training 2 or more times a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, abdomen, back, chest, arms, and shoulders).
Weights
Resistive elastic bands
Resistive weight machines or Pilates resistive equipment
Weight Bearing exercises: push-ups, planks, pilates mat classes
Home workouts: dumbbells, resistance tubing, and on demand classes
Pilates Studio Workouts: Resistive equipment: reformer, tower, Cadillac and stability chair.
Gym equipment: Choose from weight machines or free weights. Select a level that is heavy enough to tax your muscles with good stability. Slowly progress to 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
Move through Menopause!
Movement will help you maintain your metabolism, muscle mass, bone health, and cardiac health. Menopause is a challenging time as your body adapts to many changes but the correct exercise can help you manage and maintain control. Movement is the key to augmenting your physical and mental health!
If you are interested in learning more about how to exercise during the stages of Menopause and understanding how to adjust with the changes occurring in your body contact us. In our programs we take a comprehensive and effective approach to exercising safely to enhance your strength and help you feel better.
