3 ways need to change your exercise up if you’re peri or post menopausal…
You’re aware of the heaps of rubbish symptoms that occur for many women during perimenopause, and likely aware of how these might affect your ability to be consistent with your training- reduced energy level, mood fluctations, reduction in lean muscle mass and the increase in abdominal fat.
But, are you aware of how your fluctuating and reducing hormones are affecting your ability to recover? I’m talking about exessive muscle soreness and fatigue after training, inability to push the intensity of your training as much, and the inability to lean down with your training as much as you have done previously.
In short and oversimplified terms, these symptoms are related to declining or fluctuating levels of estrogen (and how estrogen and progesterone balance gets out of whack)
Whilst HRT is an option for many women to support and reduce these symptoms, evidence tells us that adjusting our exercise habits can not only reduce our symptoms but also boost our physiological responses to training,
Here are my 3 recommendations for exercise as you journey through your menopause transition.
Lift heavy weights (2-3x/week): muscle mass declines at a much more rapid rate in our perimenopausal years making strength training even more important over the age of 40. Increasing your lean mass boosts your basal metabolic rate and helps prevent weight gain. Liftiung heavy weights can offset bone density reduction that also increases from this period.
Incorporate High Intensity Interval Training nto your fitness routine 2-3x/week. Benefits of interval training include increases in lean muscle mass, reduced fat mass (both abdominal fat and visceral fat – the type we worry about due to negative health outcomes), reduced cortisol levels and increased cardiovascular health to name just a few benefits.
Make sure you include rest and recovery days and vary the intensity of your training,. Every sessions should not be at full send! Think a day of max effort, then a day at 60/70% or some mobility or steady state cardio work, then a rest day. And repeat that cycle twice in your week. Add extra day of training if you wish!
For help with designing an exercise plan that suits your life stage, please get in touch. It’s what I do with my 1-1 Clients.