Managing menopause through movement

Posted on 3 October, 2018

CARBS.

If you were hoping for an article claiming pizza and pasta are the solution to menopause, this isn’t it (sorry). CARBS is an acronym for five different types of movement to help manage your menopause or peri-menopause.

How you manage your menopausal symptoms will always be an individual thing, as not everyone has the same treatment needs. However, here are a few different movement choices to help manage your menopause:

Cardiovascular exercise (high intensity interval training is recommended)

Avoid Fractures

Resistance training

Breathing

Sex to balance those hormones.

Hormonal changes can play a role in weight gain. For example, menopausal women have decreased testosterone levels (which reduces the amount of muscle, lowering the body’s metabolic rate, and reducing sex drive). However, there are also other factors at play, including ageing, lifestyle choices and genetic factors.

Studies demonstrate that the average reduction in activity levels after menopause is around 50%. Women therefore gain weight through a combination of less calories burned, a reduction in lean body mass (or muscle), and a failure to adjust calorie intake. Ladies, we simply need to eat less than we did before menopause, and try to move more – or at least not move less!

Here are a few ways to manage menopause through movement.

Cardiovascular fitness

High-intensity interval training is a well-known training technique involving an intense burst of exercise, followed by a short (sometimes active) recovery period. This type of training keeps your heart rate elevated and has been known to help manage menopause.

For beginners, attempt the rowing machine or assault bike at your local gym (20 seconds at 90% effort, and 30 second active easy recovery; repeat four times to if you are a beginner). Work up to two sets of 30-40 second efforts, twice a week.  If you are a runner, try six 60-metre sprints with a walk back recovery. Work up to doing two sets, twice a week.

Low-impact cardiovascular/aerobic exercise is fabulous for your heart and lungs. Walking is one of the best choices, because you can do it anywhere, anytime. Other examples of aerobic/cardio exercises include deep water running intervals/hydrotherapy/swimming (although this does not build bone density), cycling, aerobics, tennis, and dance.

The Australian physical activity recommendations are two and a half to five hours of moderate activity or an hour and fifteen minutes to two and a half hours of vigorous intensity physical activity (or an equivalent combination of both moderate and vigorous activities) every week.

Avoid fractures

Focusing on improving your balance or proprioception will assist in managing menopause symptoms. Changes in female hormones during menopause are known to affect the inner ears, which are vital to your sense of balance. Some women report changes in balance, sinuses, and hearing before menstruation (which indicates a hormonal disturbance). It’s possible that hormonal changes during menopause may also affect your ears.

It is also true that women lose a significant proportion of their bone density post-menopausally due to a drop in estrogen levels. The combination of poor balance and reduced bone density means an increased risk of falls and fractures.

The exercise you choose after menopause can make an enormous difference however. From a recent article by Jean Hailes for Women’s Health: “The ability of an exercise to build and replace bone – known as its osteogenic capacity – depends on the amount of impact and physical stress that is applied to the bone during the activity.”

Whatever you choose, it needs to be regular (at least three times per week), varied, and the difficulty should increase over time to help challenge the bones and muscle.

Image via jeanhailes.org.au

Resistance training

A specific strength training or weight-resistance movement program helps build muscle mass and improve metabolism. Resistance training also helps you maintain bone mass, which is extra important through menopause because you lose muscle mass as you age. Aim for a minimum of two or three times a week for 30 minutes every week.

Some common examples of strength training include weight machines, free weights/dumbbells, exercise therabands, yoga, and gardening (lifting and shifting).

Breathing

Hormonal changes related to menopause may potentially play a role in lung function decline. Yoga, clinical Pilates, specific breathing exercises, meditation, and mindfulness journaling all can help with stress management. Menopause can be a scary and anxious time for some women—it’s important to recognise the changes and not ignore them.

Sex

Sex makes menopause easier to handle—you sleep better, it helps your pelvic floor stay in shape, it’s fabulous for your heart, boosts immunity and can acts as an analgesic to help relieve pain.  Don’t worry girls, you don’t have to have a partner—please yourself!

Estrogen has an important role to play in maintaining the tone and moisture of the delicate genital tissues. As estrogen levels fall around menopause, women may notice that the vaginal tissues become drier and more fragile. They may not be as well-lubricated during sexual activity, or they suffer more urinary leakage. If you are experiencing these symptoms it’s a good idea to visit a pelvic floor physiotherapist or your GP to discuss the various treatment options available.

Declining testosterone levels may be part of the story for libido reduction at menopause, but there are so many other contributors (as discussed in Paradise Lost): the quality of your relationship, illness or mood disorders, stress, distractions…life, really! As a primer, we suggest reading Dr Rosie King’s book “Where Did My Libido Go?”; it’s very entertaining, and the first few chapters provide an excellent overview of the various party-pooping libido problems. Identifying the things that prevent you from living your best intimate life is a good start to overcoming them.

Well, that sums it up! No, carbs are unfortunately not the answer; however, high-intensity exercise, strengthening your muscles and bones, improving your balance and having more sex will certainly help you through your new life transition. Think of it as a new adventure—implement just one of these management options to start and find out what works for you.