Exercise Helps With Menopause. Here’s How!

When going through menopause, exercise becomes more important than ever. Although you may not feel very motivated to exercise while experiencing some of the uncomfortable symptoms associated with menopause, moving your body can actually help ease some of those symptoms.

There are several reasons why it’s important to incorporate an exercise regimen when going through menopause, which we will point out here.

Keep reading to learn how you can take control of your experience with menopause.

First, going through menopause has its challenges. It can take a toll on a woman’s health in terms of weight gain, increased stress levels, increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, bone loss, and depression to name a few. This explains why

physical activity is important for women facing menopause.

Women tend to lose muscle mass and gain abdominal fat during menopause. It’s important to incorporate and maintain some level of physical activity because of this.
Exercise can help keep stress levels down and help slow down the effects of osteoporosis by slowing down bone loss. This can help lower the risk of fractures.

Weight gained during menopause can increase the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Exercise can counter those risks. It is a great mood booster as well. It can help increase one’s endorphins which help lower the risk of depression and cognitive decline.

The bottom line is exercise can help improve your quality of life.

Here are just a few suggestions of ways to incorporate movement to ease menopause symptoms:

1. Aerobic Activity

This can help you drop excess weight and maintain a healthy weight. It can

include walking, running, cycling, swimming, etc. with as little as 10 minutes a day and increase over time. The goal is to get the heart pumping.

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2. Resistance Training

A regular strength training or resistance program can help reduce body fat, strengthen muscles, improve bone health and burn calories more efficiently. The more muscle mass you have, the more fat you will burn at rest. There are numerous ways to incorporate strength training such as bodyweight training (using your own body weight, bands, free weights, machines, etc.)

3. Stretching

Another suggestion that can help with menopause is stretching. This is another major component of fitness that often gets overlooked. Stretching is important because it increases flexibility or helps relieve tight muscles which can prevent us from getting the most out of our workout.

4. Mindfulness

Taking time to meditate can be beneficial as well. Because our ovaries stop

producing estrogen when we reach menopause, our adrenal glands can become overworked. This can contribute to higher stress levels and feelings of fatigue. Meditation offers that calming effect.

These are just some of the ways that exercise can help with menopause. It’s not too late to get started. If you don’t want to do it alone then find a partner to work out with or hire a trainer to get you started.

Jaena Mebane, a graduate of Fordham University-B.A., Fitness Professional, Bodybuilder and creator of GLUTEUS FABULOUS. My motto is “Inspiring Others to Live a Healthy Lifestyle, Mind, Body, and Soul.” You can find me on Instagram @gluteus_fabulous