Exercise During Menopause
Before getting into the depths of exercise considerations during menopause, let me first define perimenopause and menopause. This information is for ovary owners in general which includes people assigned female at birth, trans men, and non-binary people. This information may be helpful, as you will go through menopause to some degree at some point. I will use the word women throughout my work to identify people who have female reproductive organs and specific exercise considerations for them.
Perimenopause is the stage leading up to menopause that can last for several years. This phase includes the downward turn of reproductive hormones including estrogens. This downward turn can cause menstrual cycle fluctuations and other hormonal symptoms (there are too many to list here!). Anecdodially, I started having hormonal fluctuations, perimenopausal symptoms, and menstrual cycle shifts as early as 33!
Menopause is the stage at which a period has been absent for an entire calendar year. Or a surgical process of removing the ovaries through a partial or full hysterectomy. In either case the ovaries stop releasing reproductive hormones. Both perimenopause and menopause can be considered to some as a second puberty due to the hormonal, body, and lifestyle changes occurring at this time. The reproductive hormones that are released during this phase decrease the likelihood of becoming pregnant, but also impact our ability to maintain and grow bone and muscle, speed and agility, joint range of motion, and physical confidence. In fact, commonly women stop exercising altogether at this point because of joint stiffness and creepiness, new health conditions, loneliness, or feeling overwhelmed with new life responsibilities like caring for aging parents.
3 Benefits of exercise during menopause
You might be expecting me to go on about muscle, butt, I’m going to write about the brain and diversifying movement first! Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to alter or strengthen existing neural pathways and neurogenesis is the brain's ability to develop new cells. Both happen through exercise in addition to the release of growth hormone.
Now for the muscle part. A top objective in fitness training sessions is to build and maintain muscle. Here are just a few of the reasons why we love the benefits of muscle during menopause. For one, muscle mass supports joint movement through space creating ease and function. Secondly, muscle helps metabolism and in storing glucose after strength training sessions and in muscle growth. Thirdly, muscle adds weight to bones and in turn helps with maintaining and improving bone density.
Which brings me to the third benefit of exercise, supporting and maintaining bone density. If you’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia you will need a release to exercise with any exercise considerations and modifications. In general, low impact exercise and strength training with low to moderate weights can improve bone density and mitigate further bone loss.
I’m incredibly happy to help women on their menopause journey through fitness and modifications in exercise.
If you’re interested in learning more about exercise options with me, head over to my menopause page to learn more.
