How to work out in perimenopause and beyond
Active or sedentary, many women will experience unwelcome changes in their body around menopause. Body fat may collect in new places, your joints may start to ache, and you may feel weaker in your muscles overall. Even if you don't have these symptoms, without your knowledge, you are losing muscle and bone mass, and your risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease increases. Declining estrogen is to blame. This hormone has been circulating through your body your whole life and has impacts reaching far beyond reproductive health. Beyond the pelvis, estrogen works to maintain muscle mass, the cardiovascular system, metabolic function, and bone strength.
We have tools to counteract these changes. One crucial element in maintaining health and ability is exercise.
Anyone on social media is well aware of the everchanging information on various supplements, foods, specific movements, and other minor changes that promise big results. While there may be truth to some of these, the female body in menopause has not been well researched, so we are focusing on the big truths in this article. These are the researched-backed fitness suggestions to master before peppering in any new, small, trendy habits.
For your Muscles:
Muscle has often been referred to as the organ of longevity, and for good reason. Muscles support every movement in your life, from fitness pursuits to lifting your head from your pillow. Muscles are also one of the most calorie-demanding tissues in the body. By consuming high glucose levels, the muscles play a significant role in regulating blood sugar levels, insulin sensitivity, and low body fat percentages.
With estrogen present, there are many ways to build and maintain muscle mass, but without it, we have to stimulate muscle development by calling on the central nervous system. That means to build and maintain muscle through menopause, we must lift heavy.
This doesn't mean going to the gym and picking up a barbell racked with weights you can't handle. It means learning to effectively tax your system with low reps and high effort. As women, we are often frightened away from heavy weights and instead encouraged to lift 3 lb dumbells 50 times. Here, we're going for the inverse.
Start with a fundamental movement pattern:
Squat, deadlift, glute bridge, chest press etc.
Choose a weight that you could lift a maximum of 10 times with good form.
Lift it 8 times.
Move on to another movement pattern repeating this intention.
Strength train 3-4 times per week, hitting all of your major movement patterns and muscle groups.
Finding the right weight will require some trial and error. Err on the side of too light, but be honest with yourself at the end of each set and go heavier if you can.
If you are new to weightlifting, it's crucial to seek a trainer (e.g., me) to ensure proper alignment in foundational movements. This is essential to avoid injury and to make your fitness journey safe and secure. Bonus points if they have experience working with women in menopause.
For your Heart:
For heart health, do not shy away from high intensity. Zone 2 cardio, or easy-moderate cardio for long bouts of time, is very popular right now, and the messaging promises weight loss without much effort. Ignore this messaging! It is not for you! Your demographic was explicitly excluded from all the research on the subject.
Instead, do something high-energy, like jumping jacks, jump squats, medicine ball throws, running, etc., to skyrocket your heart rate for 30 seconds. Then rest until you feel recovered enough to go full force again. This may mean scrolling Instagram for up to 3 minutes in between each set. Treat yourself.
For your Bones:
When it comes to bone health, it's important not to rule out jumping. While low-impact exercises like biking, swimming, and walking can feel lovely on the body, they specifically coddle your bones. High-impact movements like jumping, dancing, and plyometrics provide the stimulus needed to keep your bones strong and stave off osteoporosis, which is particularly important for women in menopause.
For Continued Progress:
Finally, without estrogen, you need to do things outside the gym to maintain your progress. This means eating protein and carbs before and after exercise! For the love of God, do not fast. Again, you were not in these studies.
Expect that you will need more recovery days than you did when you were younger. This is especially true for women in menopause, as their bodies may take longer to recover. Refer to my blog post, 'Strain, Repair, Recover Better: An Earthquake Analogy,' for a comprehensive explanation of the importance of recovery.
