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Woman Doing Stretching Exercises In Gym With Trainer

Physical Activity and Menopause

Menopause is bad.

Exercise is good. 

More exercise is the solution!

Is that it?

It’s not quite that simple, although most things you will read will tell you that any form of physical activity is helpful. There is a lot of truth to it. Physical activity at any age is beneficial and for women during mid-life exercising carries additional substantial health benefits. The menopausal transition is associated with many health risk factors such as increased risk for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, decreased bone mineral density, metabolic syndrome, and musculoskeletal symptoms. Exercise prescriptions for those health risks are the same as for non-menopausal women.

However, according to my research, not all forms of physical activity are of equal benefit in helping with menopause symptoms. In fact, some forms of exercise can exacerbate certain types of symptoms such as hot flashes and insomnia.

I believe that it is important to pick the type of exercise depending on your symptoms rather than just exercise to exercise.

So how do you know which exercise is best for you? You start by reading this article! 🙂 To help you find your way through the labyrinth of research that is out there, I’ve consolidated the findings of the last 20 years of research on this topic so you don’t have to.

First I want to highlight the overall benefits of exercising regardless of symptoms…

Exercise Increases:

  • Benefits brain function and functional capacity
  • Increases beta endorphins
  • Quality of Life
  • Strength and balance
  • Increased Bone Mineral Density
  • Increase in quality and length of sleep
  • Maintenance of healthy BMI
  • Self-perceived physical condition
  • Sport competence
  • Body image & physical self-worth

Exercise Decreases:

  • Vasomotor Symptoms
  • Somatic & psychological symptoms
  • Depression (1 exercise session/week = 22% reduction)
  • Osteoporosis
  • Body Mass Index
  • Musculoskeletal symptoms
  • Cardiovascular Disease (50% reduction)
  • Overall mortality (20% reduction)

Exercise has many benefits but can also be stressful on the body.

Too much exercise and/or intensity can:

  • Decrease sleep quality and length, which in turn is correlated with adverse physiological and psychological outcomes
  • Increase circulating cortisol levels, which can lead to increased abdominal fat (read last week’s post for more info on this)
  • Have negative effects on thermoregulation as it causes substantial increases in metabolic heat production and core temperature (during exercise, metabolic heat production can increase by ten to twenty-fold and recent studies suggest that hot flashes are triggered by small elevations in core body temperature)

Moderate intensity appears to have the most benefits…

  • Highest menopause-specific quality of life
  • Lowest number of symptoms
  • Increased sleep, energy, confidence, mood

The following exercise guidelines are specific to helping you with menopause symptoms as well as increased quality of life throughout the menopausal transition. These recommendations do not apply to overall physical health.

Type of Exercise 

  • Endurance/aerobic training best for increased sleep
  • Strength training for body image, strength, body aches
  • Yoga for vasomotor (VMS) symptoms and overall menopause-specific quality of life (Hatha yoga for cognitive function (memory, concentration)
  • Walking at ~3-3.5 mph for anxiety and depression

Duration & Intensity

  • Moderate Intensity (60-70% Target HR)
  • Min. 3 x week (more days = decreased severity of symptoms)
  • Programs lasting at least 12 weeks

Special Considerations

  • Keep body core temperature at comfort level to avoid increases in VMS
  • Focus on activities that are enjoyable to you. Forcing yourself through workout regimens that you dislike can have negative effects on quality of life. I hear too many people say: “I think I should run more” and my question to them is “Why? Do you like running?”. “No, but it’s good for you”. Really? Is it? I don’t believe in doing things just because someone said they’re good, especially in regards to exercise. If you don’t like it, you won’t stick to it. It’s as simple as that. And when it comes to working out, consistency is the key. So find activities that you truly enjoy. Not only will you continue doing them and reap the physical and mental benefits but doing things you love will help you reduce stress and keep off that unwanted meno-pod (if you don’t know what a meno-pod is, you have to read last week’s post).

All information is based on peer-reviewed research. I usually add a reference list of all the articles I read to put together an article but this one would be way too long. If you’re interested in finding out more about specific research articles used for this blog, contact me.

Article reprinted with permission from Dr. Maria Luque.

 


Dr. Maria Luque is a health educator and fitness expert that specializes in helping women take charge of their own wellness. A native of Germany, she pursued a career driven by a passion for health and fitness. Dr. Luque currently teaches at the College of Health Sciences at Trident University International, in addition to conducting workshops, group/personal training, and writing. She’s an IDEA Fitness Expert and has been published in the IDEA Fitness Journal as well as appeared as a guest at local news channel to talk about quality of life and menopause. Visit her website, doctorluque.com

High intensity interval training workout

How Much High Intensity Exercise is Too Much?

Are you doing too much high intensity exercise? High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been the holy grail of fitness trends for the past several years. Is it the Holy Grail for YOU? Here’s what a recent study says and how to interpret that if you’re a woman flipping (or wanting to) her second half with flare.

Exercise is stress. High intensity exercise is greater stress. Stress causes cortisol.

Cortisol plays two roles in our lives. It’s both the stress hormone and the energy hormone. The perfect amount of stress makes you feel alive and thrive. Too little or too much cortisol each causes problems.

When you’re exercising with the right amount of “overload” or stress you create a positive, not negative, stress response. That’s not to say (because I hear you saying that’s how you negate stress) that exercise doesn’t relieve stress. It can. But we sometimes don’t give ourselves the right dose, frequency or intensity to optimally relieve stress without having it come back to bite us you-know-where.

Better Stress

The key is to find your personal optimal exercise. I’m an advocate for the right exercise for you right now. Women in midlife are more susceptible to the negative effects of stress as they go through other major hormone changes. What worked once – even as recently as months ago or last week – may not be your ideal exercise this week.

That doesn’t mean you’re going to suffer, gain weight, get moody or any of the above. If you adjust your exercise according to what’s going on, respond to it even if you can’t predict what changes will be, you’ll sail through those years from peri-menopause to beyond menopause better. That sets you up for a full Flipping 50 (49-99) feeling as young as your habits will allow you. It’s habits that determine how your genetics express or suppress (epigenetics).

What’s the best exercise?  The answer is not the same for you and for every other woman over 50. We’ve got common denominators but your details are unique to you. If you’re deconditioned, conditioned, or an athlete it changes your exercise prescription. If you’re in adrenal fatigue, you’re estrogen dominant, or have low testosterone will change what I suggest you do. If you have osteoporosis, are trying to prevent it, or you have 20 or more pounds to lose, each of these (and more) will change the exercise plan that’s best for you.

A recent study of weight training performed as high intensity interval training (HIIT) was created to determine if HIIT weight training was better than traditional weight training. Researchers asked, is heavy weight training better than the moderate-to-light weight training recommended for decades?

A side note here: the fear of “bulk” from strength training is legit. The three sets of 10-to-12 repetitions taught for decades, as some kind of gold standard actually IS a bulk-building protocol. Ten or fewer repetitions is the optimal strength, bone building, and fat reducing/lean increasing protocol while higher repetition ranges are best for performance enhancement and influencing smaller muscle activation.

Your personal exercise protocol is also influenced by whether you’re a mesomorph, endomorph, or ectomorph. Each body type can respond differently to a protocol.

ACE Research

According to the study performed by the American Council on Exercise, a leading authority in fitness, moderate or average exercise should occur between 70 to 80 percent heart rate intensity, HIIT training requires at least 85 percent heart rate intensity, the study says. Les Mills’ researchers (creators of Body Pump) wanted to determine how to best achieve a healthy balance between one’s HIIT volume (minutes of HIIT per week) and one’s positive stress response. Their hypothesis was that more than 30 or 40 minutes of weekly HIIT volume would prompt a reduced positive stress response.

“A positive stress response to exercise is a critical part of creating the bio-chemical changes in the body that help build new muscle and improve fitness,” the study says. “The stress response can be measured effectively by examining cortisol and testosterone concentrations in saliva.”

Not to repeat myself but as mentioned earlier, this is really what we refer to as the principle of overload in fitness. The stimulus of exercise must be adequate to provide overload such that the body responds after (when between sessions fitness occurs IF you have adequate rest, food, and sleep).

Remember Your Hormones

It’s key for YOU to remember, Flipping 50 friend, that you have another thing to consider. The status of your hormones, not just of your mind’s desire to lose fat, or get in shape needs to be considered when designing your exercise program. Pushing through … following lame social media memes suggesting that “sweat is fat crying” can backfire on you and increase fat storage when stress goes the wrong way. When you read “move more” interpret it as walking down the hall to deliver a message as opposed to going to boot camp 6 days a week or doing two-a-days.

Let me take a step back here and describe what it feels like to lift at a level defined as HIIT. There’s a lot of confusion about HIIT. Anything that gets you breathing slightly harder is NOT HIIT. Lifting with a weight that causes fatigue at 10 repetitions correlates with 80% intensity. So in order to lift and a HIIT level of 90% as per the study, you’d be lifting a weight closer to 5 repetitions.

Don’t panic. You definitely progress to this point. You also can reduce the weight slightly and use power, increasing speed on the lift but always controlling the lowering (eccentric) phase of exercise to achieve this overload without a heavy weight. You do this in daily life… the wind grabs the car door, the door to a store is heavy, or you heft the garbage bag out to the curb… so if you’re worried about injury (valid) do consider whether your daily activity warrants the work so you’re prepared.

Fatigue vs Tired

Moving fast to get breathless is not necessarily overloading the muscles in a way that muscle changes and creates lean muscle tissue that assists in fat burning.

THIS is a key distinction most program creators and attendees fail to make. Going to a boot camp where you’re moving fast from a strength exercise to a cardio exercise to a core exercise will likely tire you. Tired is not muscle fatigue. Muscle fatigue must be reached so your body changes.

Will it burn calories right now? Yes. Will it change your body, your body composition, and set you up for years of a stronger leaner body? No.

The study used strength training as the mode of high intensity exercise. Researchers compared one set of 5 repetitions for each of 10 exercises to 1 or 2 sets of 10 repetitions for 10-12 exercises. The subjects were both male and female and ages up to 59.

The results showed body fat decreased significantly for both groups. Blood pressure and LDL (bad) cholesterol decreased only for the HIIT group.

“When it comes to HIIT, adding volume doesn’t deliver better results,” the report says.

“It actually hinders. To get the full benefits of HIIT and prevent overreaching, our recommendation is to…

Do a maximum weekly HIIT sessions that are above 90 percent maximum heart rate for 30-40 minutes…

…and balance them with other less demanding workouts.”

“It’s also imperative that you let your body recover properly after a HIIT session. This way, you’re likely to perform better when you do your HIIT workouts and benefit from the positive results,” researchers added.

The key exercise flips:

  1. More is not better when it comes to High Intensity exercise
  2. An understanding of what constitutes high intensity interval training is key if you’re to reap benefits
  3. The more health markers (blood pressure and cholesterol) you’re trying to target with your exercise, the more HIIT could benefit you done with adequate progression
  4. A low volume of HIIT (no more than 40 minutes a week) is far better for results (and reduction of injury) than more volume (frequency, or duration)
  5. If you’re doing high intensity exercise that is also high impact cardio or high intensity strength training every day you may be inhibiting your recovery and results.

This distinction of when to work hard and when to recovery is so important. It’s not intuitive for a generation that witnessed the work harder, get better results discipline of our parents.

Article reprinted with permission from Debra Atkinson. Originally printed on flippingfifty.com.


Debra Atkinson is the #youstillgotitgirl who is flipping 50 and changing the way thousands of women think about their second half. She’s the host of the Flipping 50 TV Show and the Flipping 50 podcast. As a master personal trainer, strength and wellness coach with over 30 years fitness industry experience, she works with women who are pro-aging with vitality and energy. She is an international fitness presenter, author of hundreds of articles and multiple books. Visit her website, flippingfifty.com

menopause

The “M” Word – Let’s Talk Menopause

We’ve all heard about menopause, but what really is it? When does it start? How long does it last? How will I know if I’m in menopause? What are the symptoms? Does everyone have the same symptoms? These are just a few of the many common questions that I’m asked on a regular basis. This natural phase in every woman’s life is still a big mystery surrounded by misinformation, confusion, and yes, quite a bit of secrecy. In the next few installments of this series, I will address hormone replacement therapy, alternative therapies, the role of nutrition & physical activity, and any questions you may have. Let’s blow the top off this taboo topic – let’s talk menopause!

Menopause has morphed from an experience that only a small percentage of women lived through to a natural part of every woman’s life today. At the turn of the 20th century, women were not expected to live past 50. Now life expectancy for women is 78 years of age.  If you’re a woman in your 20’s or 30’s, you might ask yourself: why should I care? I’m way to young for this. Well, I hate to be the bearer of truth but the reality is that you will eventually go through it; so you might as well be educated.

The fact is that 75% of all women will experience hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, weight gain, and irritability. Menopause symptoms can be debilitating for many women, often appearing before they realize hormonal changes have begun to take place. Women don’t expect to experience these symptoms in their mid-thirties, but it happens all the time. Yet an alarming number of women still think they don’t have to “worry” about menopause until their 50s. Don’t wait! Educate yourself early on. So let’s start with the basics: what is menopause?

The Menopausal Transition Defined

Menopause is not a singular event but rather a transition lasting on average 3.8 years. It is often described in three phases: premenopause, which is the time when menstruation is normal, to perimenopause, which is the time when menstruation becomes more infrequent and also includes the one year after the final period, after which postmenopause begins, which is defined as the time in a women’s life when the ovaries stop functioning and menstruation has ceased for at least 12 consecutive months.  You’re also considered postmenopausal if the ovaries were surgically removed or were damaged during chemotherapy. (Note: a hysterectomy, where only your uterus is removed, does not affect your ovaries or menopause). For a more detailed breakdown of the adult female reproductive life, the most recent Stages of Reproductive Ages Workshop (STRAW) is a great resource (Harlow, et al., 2012). It provides guidance on the different stages, their lengths, characteristics, and signs. Although there is no exact test to determine perimenopause,  STRAW also provides guidelines for hormone levels that play a role in determining the stages in the menopausal transition. The most common hormone used for determination of perimenopause is the Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), with levels greater than 25 IU/L indicating decline in ovarian function and beginning of perimenopause. As estrogen drops, FSH climbs to kickstart the follicle cycle and make up for the lack in estrogen.

Symptoms – oh no!

Menopausal symptoms are often summed up to hot flashes and night sweats although that couldn’t be further from the truth. Both hot flashes and night sweats are symptoms of menopause but there are many more, often subtle symptoms, that are not commonly attributed to the menopausal transition but are indeed symptoms linked to declines in ovarian function.

Menopausal symptoms fall into four categories to include vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual.

Vasomotor symptoms (VMS)

About 75% of women experience VMS
Hot flushes, night sweats, sweating

Psychosocial

Anxiety, impatience, poor memory, depression (prior depression is the highest risk factor for subsequent depression)

Physical

Body aches, fatigue, insomnia, weight gain, changes in skin appearance, migraines

Sexual

Vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, avoiding intimacy, lack of sexual desire

In addition, reduced levels of neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin) can  cause changes in brain function and behavior, and declines in cognitive function, mood, and memory.

I know, I know, this all sounds very scary and depressing but this article is not designed to scare you into expecting the worst. Its purpose is to inform you of changes that will happen and that can come in all forms and intensities. Every woman is different; some women experience all symptoms to the extreme but there are also women that don’t experience any symptoms at all. It is impossible to predict what your experience will be. My goal is to equip you with the knowledge to be able to identify changes that are attributable to the menopausal transition and how to successfully and hopefully happily transition through this time in your life.  Let’s start this conversation.

Have a comment or question? Tweet me @doctorluque

Republished with permission from doctorluque.com


Dr. Maria Luque is a health educator and fitness expert that specializes in helping women take charge of their own wellness. A native of Germany, she pursued a career driven by a passion for health and fitness. Dr. Luque currently teaches at the College of Health Sciences at Trident University International, in addition to conducting workshops, group/personal training, and writing. She’s an IDEA Fitness Expert and has been published in the IDEA Fitness Journal as well as appeared as a guest at local news channel to talk about quality of life and menopause. Visit her website, doctorluque.com

Sports pregnant young woman. Fitness.

Exercise & Pregnancy

Beautiful pregnant woman gym fitness exerciseThe understandable fear (due to things like decreased oxygen supply to the baby) that existed with pregnancy & exercise years ago is no longer warranted.  Because of substantial research, it is now safe for women to continue or start exercising while pregnant.  As long as she gets approval from her doctor & seeks out a qualified and certified fitness professional, she should be confident in knowing that the recommendations below will help her.

Considerations & Exercise Suggestions

1. Posture Change from the Growth of the Baby: As a result of the baby growing in the wound, the mother to be’s posture will change. This causes certain muscles to become weak, particularly her core. In the 1st and 2nd trimester, a mother to be should focus on strengthening her core through exercises such as planks, bridges, and birddogs. Once the 3rd trimester hits, it would be wise for the mother to be to avoid supine or prone core exercises. She can still work her core by doing standing exercises such as medicine ball chops, reverse chops & rotations. All of these exercises can be performed 2-3 days/week, 1-2 sets of 12-15 reps with appropriate rest time (45-90 seconds) between sets.

2. Cardiovascular Exercise: With the growth of the fetus, also comes more stress to the mother to be’s heart and lungs. As a result, her ability to work harder and longer is decreased. However, a mother to be can still perform low impact or step aerobics that do not involve jarring motions. Walking on the treadmill, stationary cycling and water aerobics done 3-5 days/week for 15-30 minutes is suggested.

3. Flexibility Exercise: Because the mother to be’s body posture has changed, this may cause certain muscles to overwork or become tight. As a result, she may feel the need to stretch certain muscles. This is ok to do so. Static and active stretches are advised along with foam rolling that can be tolerated. However, foam rolling on varicose veins or swollen muscles should not be done. I would advise stretching muscles that appear to be overworking such as her calves and lower back. This can be done everyday for 1-2 sets, holding each stretch for 30-60 seconds.

Pregnant woman holding dumbbells4. Weight Training Exercise: Circuiting training has shown to be very effective for mother’s to be throughout their entire pregnancy. These include exercises that work the entire body and can be performed back to back with little rest in between.  I recommend exercises that work the following muscles: legs, chest, back, shoulders and arms. They can be done 2-3 days/week, 1-2 sets of 12-15 reps. The rest period can be in between 45-75 seconds.

5. Cautions: Mothers to be should stop or avoid exercises that cause nausea, dizziness, stomach pain, prolonged shortness of breath, bleeding and fainting.

Conclusion

By taking the appropriate precautions, mothers to be can safely exercise during pregnancy. As a result, the pregnancy can be smoother and the recovery can be quicker.

Helpful links for exercises

http://blog.nasm.org/fitness/exercise-pregnancy-physiological-changes-exercise-programming/
http://www.fitpregnancy.com/exercise/prenatal-workouts/weight-training-pregnancy


Maurice D. Williams is a personal trainer and owner of Move Well Fitness in Bethesda, MD.

Source
Clark, Sutton, Lucett. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, 4th Ed. Revised. 2014

 

 

Pregnant woman using exercise bike at the gym

Prenatal Exercise Program Design: Exercise Type

Choosing the type of exercise that is best tolerated during pregnancy depends on the following considerations:

  • Which activities the client enjoys or is skilled at performing
  • Whether the activity poses any risk to the mother or fetus
  • Is she is able to do the activity without being compromised by balance and center of gravity changes
  • Can the activity be easily modified as pregnancy progresses

Weight-bearing exercise such as walking, dancing, and running help maintain bone mass and some studies suggest they are more effective for keeping pregnancy weight gain within normal limits. As pregnancy progresses some women may not be able to continue weight-bearing exercise because of back or round ligament pain. If modifications such as wearing a belly support don’t relieve discomfort, switching to non-weight-bearing activities such as swimming, stationary biking, or other types of stationary exercise equipment is recommended.

Absolute and relative contraindicated activities for pregnant women are listed below. Pregnant women should always consult with their healthcare provider before taking part in any exercise program and assess the risk/benefit ratio whenever there is a question about the safety of any activity during pregnancy. Keep in mind that activities such as downhill skiing must be assessed for risks that are not controllable, such as the effect of high altitude on oxygen delivery to the fetus.

Contraindicated Activities for Pregnant Women

  • High-altitude sports
  • Water-skiing
  • Hockey
  • Gymnastics
  • Horseback riding
  • Absolute
  • Downhill skiing
  • Scuba diving

You can also view Catherine’s previous articles on exercise intensity and duration.

For more information on prenatal and postpartum exercise and our CE correspondence course, “Prenatal and Postpartum Exercise Design” please visit, www.ppfconsulting.com

Article reprinted from Catherine’s Maternal Fitness blog with permission.


Catherine Cram, MS, is the owner of Comprehensive Fitness Consulting, a company that provides pre- and postnatal fitness certifications and information to hospitals, health & wellness organizations and the military.

Pregnant woman doing yoga with a personal trainer

Prenatal Exercise Program Design: Exercise Duration

Exercise duration during pregnancy should reflect a woman’s current level of fitness and the type of activity she is doing. If you’re working with someone who’s just starting a prenatal exercise program the duration will be shorter (15-20 minutes) and progress slowly over time to 30-60 minutes. A pregnant woman who is already taking part in a fitness routine can continue with her current duration level, but exercise duration should be modified as needed to enable her to achieve a moderate to somewhat hard level of intensity without discomfort or undue fatigue.

Some exercise activities, such as swimming, may require a longer duration in order to achieve a moderate to somewhat hard intensity, so close monitoring of exercise intensity will help determine whether a longer bout is needed. As pregnancy progresses, pregnant women may find that they are able to tolerate a longer duration, lower intensity exercise bout better than a higher intensity, shorter bout, but avoid taking the intensity below the targeted zone of 12 to 14 on the 20-point scale or 3 to 4 on the 10-point scale.

In the case where a pregnant woman is having difficulty maintaining her normal exercise duration, try dividing the workout into two shorter sessions during the day. This is a helpful tool for enabling women to continue to exercise when she’s experiencing more fatigue in later pregnancy.

Want to learn more about how to develop a safe and effective maternal fitness program? The CE correspondence course “Prenatal and Postpartum Exercise Design” is available ppfconsulting.com


Catherine Cram, MS, is the owner of Comprehensive Fitness Consulting, a company that provides pre- and postnatal fitness certifications and information to hospitals, health & wellness organizations and the military.

Article reprinted from her blog with permission.

caruso1

The Complete Guide for Exercising During Menopause

“Grab those hand weights and  get ready to go into a squat position,” a popular exercise guru cheerily calls out in her exercise video.  So a group of women, ages 16 to 52, dutifully get their weights and huff and puff their way through the routine  for 20 minutes three times a week.  The oldest of them, Maria, has been doing aerobics for a year. She firmly believes that the workouts have helped her avoid the hot flashes, headaches, mood swings, sleeplessness and depression that is commonly experienced by women as they go into their pre-menopause stage — and she may be right.

Why Exercise is Good

Numerous studies have shown that exercise can be an effective antidote to the rough days caused by  the hormonal changes when women hit their late forties or early fifties.

The most common symptoms, like hot flashes and sleeplessness, are associated with weight gain.  Exercising also helps prevent weight gain and loss of muscle mass that goes with menopause.

The many benefits of regular exercise may also include boosting your mood, strengthening your heart, and even promoting bone density.

While many women  opt for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a way to cope with the oftentimes debilitating physical and mental challenges of menopause,  HRT often puts women at risk for  blood clots, heart disease, breast cancer, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, loss of muscle strength and dementia.   Those push-ups and crunches are looking better by the minute, aren’t they?

So, it’s on with the sweat pants and off to the gym we go!

What are the Best Exercises?

Dr. Alexis Abrahams, a gerontologist (a doctor specializing in the elderly), advises that exercising consistently is the key to getting the best out the exercises rather than the kind of exercise. Women in their 40s, 50s and 60s should aim to do any of these three forms of exercises:

  1. Aerobic/cardiovascular – these exercises strengthen the heart and lungs and can burn calories to help with weight management.  If you’re a beginner, start with 10 minutes a day and gradually increase as you get stronger.
  • Walking
  • Jogging
  • Tennis
  • Cycling
  • Working out on the elliptical machine, StairMaster
  • Dancing – ballroom, zumba, salsa
  1. Strengthening – When menopause hits, estrogen levels go down along with muscle mass. Working out on machines can help strengthen muscles and bones, burn body fat and rev up your metabolism. Choose a weight or resistance level  that will tire your muscles after 12 repetitions.
  • Hand weights
  • Dumbbells
  • Resistance bands
  • Exercise machines that strengthen muscles and bones and help manage weight
  1. Flexibility/stretching/range of motion – exercises that keep our aging bodies more flexible and helpful for improving (and maintaining) joint function if you have  arthritis.
  • Stretching exercises
  • Yoga, taichi
  • Pilates

Before You Start

Always check with your doctor before you consider any strenuous activity.  Ask what kind of exercises are safe and how much you can do without causing additional harm to your body.  If you have bad knees, avoid running or jogging or jumping which will put additional stress on the knees.  For women with osteoporosis, don’t do activities like biking or any sport that would put you at risk of impact that could break a bone.  Better scratch those  judo  classes from your list!

Whatever the activity, choose exercises that you enjoy and chances are you’ll continue doing them regularly.

How Much Should You Do?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women younger than 65 should spend at least 150 minutes a week on moderate-intensity aerobic exercises, like walking or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercises. This can be broken down into 30 minutes, five times a week or smaller increments such as 15 minutes daily.

Do strength training at least twice a week, making sure to rest for at least one day between these sessions.  Do balance and stability exercises for 5 minutes every day, along with 1 to 3 minutes of stretching twice a day. If you choose to include yoga and meditation in your exercise regimen, do them on an as-desired basis, especially when you’re stressed and need something to keep you from throwing a brick at your loud next-door neighbor. Or your boss.

Here’s a sample workout schedule from the excellent book “The Ultimate Guide to Taking Control of Your Health and Beauty During Menopause” by Staness Jonekos.

  • Monday: Warm-up/Stretch, strength training, cardio
  • Tuesday: Warm-up/Stretch, cardio
  • Wednesday: Warm-up/Stretch, strength training, cardio
  • Thursday: Warm-up/Stretch, cardio
  • Friday: Warm-up/Stretch, strength training, cardio
  • Saturday: Warm-up/Stretch, cardio
  • Sunday: Rest

Doing your exercises right

Getting on the exercise bike or walking everyday just doesn’t cut it.  To reduce injury and to make the most of exercising, make sure you steer clear of these 6 common mistakes.

  1.  You only do cardio

Sure, you’re sweating after a thirty-minute power walk, but as menopause kicks in, you also need strength training to maintain your muscles and burn the calories.  Edna Levitt of 50+ Fitness recommends master squats and lunges to keep the big leg muscles strong and help people stay independent and active longer.

  1. Focusing on low-impact exercises like swimming to walking or running

Yes, your muscles might be moving but your bones get left behind.  Keeping your skeleton strong and healthy requires bone-jarring exercises like running and weightlifting to help ward off osteoporosis.  For postmenopausal women, brisk walking four times a week may be enough to lower the risk of hip fractures compared to women who didn’t walk as much.

  1. You take it easy

You can still do the exercises you did when you were in your 40s, says a JAMA Oncology study.  Postmenopausal women who did 5 hours of vigorous aerobic exercises per week lost more body fat in a year than women who exercised less.

  1. You eat the same

You were already eating healthy before, but when your metabolism slows down during menopause, you need to eat 200 calories less than you did during your 30s and 40s.  Choose protein sources from fish, chicken, and turkey and lots and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.

  1. You forget to warm-up

Skipping the warm-up leads to injuries.   A 10-minute warm-up like arm circles, high knees or neck rotations can get the old bones and muscles ready.

  1. You think you can do it on your own

As always, check with your doctor about any of the intensive exercises you plan to do.  Get a therapist or a personal trainer for proper guidance especially with the strength training and vigorous exercises.

To keep yourself motivated, get your pals and family to exercise with you.  The more the merrier!


M is a happily married Filipino mother to three wonderful little daughters, ages: 8 years, 5 years, and 4 months old. Her daily life is a struggle between being the Executive Content Director for Project Female and deciding who gets to watch television next. She specializes in creating and editing content for female empowerment, parenting, beauty, health/nutrition, and lifestyle. As the daughter of two very hardworking people, she was brought up with strict traditional Asian values and yet embraces modern trends like Facebook, vegan cupcakes, and the occasional singing cat video.

mother-with-stroller

Postnatal Exercises

Exercise is recommended to keep the body strong and in proper working order. Exercise also builds and maintains healthy joints, bones and muscles. Postnatal exercises help a woman get back into shape after giving birth, and they also help combat postpartum depression. There are several basic exercises you can do within a few weeks after giving birth. However, if you’ve had a Caesarean section, you may want to wait at least six weeks before doing any abdominal exercises. If you experience pain while exercising, stop immediately and call your doctor for advice.

Walking

Walking is the most basic of exercises, and it’s a good way to begin a new workout regime. Begin by walking at a leisurely pace, and increase your pace and distance over time. Once you’re comfortable in your movements, take advantage of all those great baby registry gifts you’ve received. Put the baby in the baby carrier and push the child in front of you as you walk.

Some women enjoy walking with a friend, as it gives them time to socialize, an activity you may be neglecting while caring for your new baby. If you are a runner, avoid an intense running workout until you have spoken with your physician. Some women are discouraged from exercising strenuously in the first few weeks after giving birth, especially if they are waiting for the wound from a C-section to heal. A doctor can answer questions about your limitations.

Pelvic Tilt Exercise

The tummy is a major problem area for many women after giving birth. Thus, pelvic exercises are often helpful. The pelvic tilt exercise is easy to do and can tighten up your stomach and strengthen your back. Begin on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat against the floor. Then, flatten your back against the floor as you tighten your abs and lift your pelvis slightly off the floor. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Repeat the exercise by doing three sets of ten seconds each. Pelvic tilt exercises can be done anywhere. After you’ve finished breastfeeding and put the baby down for a nap, take a few minutes to do your exercises.

Kegel Exercises

Some people worry about finding the time to exercise. However, both pelvic tilts and Kegels can be done in a short time frame. The purpose of Kegel exercises is to strengthen the muscles in your pelvic floor. During pregnancy, the muscles of a woman’s pelvis are often weakened. This is why some women experience incontinence after childbirth. If you notice that coughing, sneezing or laughing causes you to leak small amounts of urine, then you could probably benefit from Kegel exercises.

Kegels are simple. First you must identify your pelvic floor muscles. These muscles are the ones you use when you stop yourself from urinating mid-stream. Practice stopping and starting urination while in the bathroom, but only do this once or twice to identify the proper muscles. Do not make a regular habit of contracting your muscles during urination, as this can cause bladder problems.

Once you’ve identified your pelvic floor muscles, you are prepared to do Kegels. Lie on your back and contract your muscles for five seconds, and then relax for five seconds. Do this until you can contract for ten seconds at a time. Do three sets of ten seconds 2-3 times each day. You can even do Kegels while standing up and walking around. Kegels can help those who leak a small amount of urine but probably won’t be helpful to women with a serious incontinence problem.

Forearm Planks

Planks are good exercises that target and tone your abs, thighs and butt. Planks are also a great way to strengthen your abs without straining your back and neck. Begin by lying on your stomach on the floor. Put your forearms on the floor beneath your shoulders and keep your back straight with your legs extended so that your toes touch the floor.

Then, lift your tummy from the floor so that it is parallel to the floor. Using your forearms and toes to hold your body weight, tighten your tummy and hold your abs off the floor for 30-60 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds, and then repeat the exercise 4-5 times. You can also do planks with your palms flat against the floor and your arms straight rather than placing your weight on your forearms.

Finding time to exercise after giving birth can be a challenge. Try to schedule a brisk walk several times weekly at a local park, or simply walk around your neighborhood. Any exercise is better than none at all. Kegels, pelvic tilts and planks can be done inside your home. Take a few minutes several times a day while your baby sleeps to do your exercises. It’s also a good idea to have your doctor recommend stretches and workout routines. Remember to start light, then increase your exercise intensity over time.


I’m the woman next door, with all of the problems and joys of everyday life. I know that the more I give, the more I’ll receive–so my blog is intended to help people, and hopefully, it will do good things for me too. As a working mother, I’m often faced with many practical, everyday situations that make life harder, but that shouldn’t be the case. Visit my website at thebabbleout.com

Sources
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/kegel-exercises/art-20045283
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/6-exercises-for-new-moms#2
http://kemh.health.wa.gov.au/brochures/consumers/postnatal_exercise.pdf