Menopause marks a big transition in a woman’s life, bringing physical and emotional changes such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood swings, and weight gain, which can disrupt daily life. Amid these challenges, exercise acts as a stabilizing force, a nonpharmacological solution to these shifting symptoms, and promotes well-being.
You need the proper guidance of a body coach menopause specialist to manage these symptoms and enhance physical and emotional resilience. Cody is a women’s certified health coach who helps women during perimenopause, menopause, and postpartum. She provides training support and mental and physical health improvement programs with flexible online and in-person schedules.
Continue reading to explore how incorporating exercise into your routine can help alleviate the common symptoms of menopause and the types of exercise to work on with greater ease.
Why Exercise is Important During Menopause for Mental and Physical Health?
Many women who exercise during menopause have experienced significant amelioration in their physical and mental health. While struggling with the worsened symptoms of low energy, stamina, and weight gain, it can be difficult to muster the energy for the exercise [1].
Exercise, combined with a healthy and balanced diet, can help attenuate symptoms and improve physical and emotional well-being. Here are some of the numerous benefits of physical activity.
1. Weight Management
Many women experience changes in fat distribution and body composition with weight gain during the menopause period [2]. The menopause transition lowers the body’s energy and metabolism, by which women gain weight, especially around the abdominal area.
Physical activity improves metabolism and helps you relinquish muscle loss during aging. Regular exercise helps you fight weight gain and build muscles. A body coach menopause specialist can design an exercise regimen according to your menopause symptoms and body.
2. Bone Health Improvement
Menopause begins during rapid bone health decline. A loss of estrogen can negatively impact bone health and increase the risk of osteoporosis. Weightlifting and resistance exercises, including yoga, running, and brisk walking, help maintain strong bones and are key to the musculoskeletal system [3].
Regular exercise and physical activity are the primary determinants of Bone Mineral Density (BMD). Exercises that target the bone areas are typically included in a body coach menopause program to help women become strong and active during this time.
3. Cardiovascular Health
Your heart may be at risk after menopause due to the lower estrogen levels. Lack of estrogen support may lead you to the risk of hypertension, obesity, CVD, HF, and osteoporosis. The American Heart Association recommends women exercise regularly to diminish the risk of heart disease [4].
Aerobic exercises like swimming and dancing may help lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood circulation. When paired with a body coach menopause plan, can decrease cardiovascular risks.
4. Mood Enhancement and Stress Reduction
The menopause phase can cause symptoms of anxiety, depression, and mood changes. All these mood swings can be due to hormone fluctuations. Proper exercise can promote feel-good endorphins and mitigate anxiety attacks.
Physical activity can enhance mood and mental clarity and alleviate menopause symptoms. Regular exercise also provides emotional and social support and improves health.
5. Better Sleep
Sleep disturbances are common during menopause and can cause insomnia and night sweats. Athletes are the most efficient sleepers during menopause, but exercise can also help improve sleep for non-athletes [5].
Exercise can increase the regulation of circadian rhythms, improving sleep quality. Pilates, yoga, and meditation help people relax and lessen their nighttime restlessness. Physical activity is a nonpharmacological therapy that improves sleep and reduces insomnia without side effects [6].
6. Relief from Hot Flashes
Menopause causes hot flashes due to the reduction of estrogen and thermoregulatory and vascular dysfunction. These flashes may disrupt and make daily life uncomfortable. Exercise improves the body’s thermoregulation, reducing the frequency and severity of hot flashes.
Thermoregulation control of sweating, brain blood flow, and skin is reduced through the regularity of the exercise and alleviates the symptoms of hot flashes. The cardiorespiratory system is improved to enhance core temperature and vascular function in the cutaneous and cerebral circulations [7].
Types of Exercise for Menopause Symptoms
A comprehensive exercise plan by a body coach menopause specialist integrated with multiple activities instead of one movement can help you better. You will gain more long-term benefits from aerobic, strength, cardio, and balanced exercise.
1. Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercises, including running, walking, swimming, and dancing, will ameliorate heart health during the transformational phase of menopause. With the heart pumping, blood vessel and lung health will be elevated, and regular cardio workouts will quell the risk of heart disease.
2. Strength Training
Strength exercises, including weightlifting, resistance bands, push-ups, and squats, will keep you metabolically healthy. As you lose estrogen during menopause, the lifting exercises strengthen your bones. You can build muscles and reduce heart disease risk with strength training.
3. Flexibility and Balanced Training
With age, maintaining your balance becomes important. Women lose muscles during menopause and the risk of falling increases. Flexible and balanced exercises like pilates, yoga, and tai chi will mobilize and balance your body and reduce joint stiffness.
How Body Coach Menopause Specialist Will Help You Through Menopause Symptoms?
Exercise is beneficial for your overall health, especially in the menopause journey. Working with body coach menopause professionals will be better to get the exercise plan according to your body’s specific needs. Experts can understand your body’s physiological changes and address them specifically.
A professional certified and trained health coach for women, Cody will help you alleviate the common problems of menopause and improve your mental and physical well-being. She offers personalized plans, regularly monitors and tracks improvement, and equips emotional support with expert guidance and techniques.
FAQs
- Is exercise important during the menopause transitional phase?
Exercise manages all the common concerns of menopause. It helps with weight management, enhances bone strength, improves mood and reduces stress, protects against heart disease, and reduces hot flashes. Regular exercise supports physical and emotional well-being.
- Who is a body coach menopause specialist?
A body coach menopause specialist is an expert health coach for women who designs exercise plans and programs for women during menopause. They understand women’s physiological and psychological needs and consider the factors of joint health, hormone fluctuations, and energy levels to design specific plans.
- What exercise should women do in the menopause phase?
Women should do aerobic exercises to improve cardiovascular health, strength exercises for muscles and bone health, and flexible and balancing exercises to enhance balance and reduce joint stiffness.
- How can a body coach menopause program alleviate menopause symptoms?
A body coach menopause program can help you navigate the menopause phase easily with personalized guidance, regularly tracking your exercise results and improvement in weight, bone, heart, and overall health. An expert will also provide motivational support to keep you on track.
- What are the best exercises that are gentle on joints?
Pilates, walking, swimming, and meditation exercises will not impact joints and muscles but provide significant benefits.
References
[1]https://www.thebodycoach.com/blog/why-exercise-is-key-during-menopause/
[2]https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3270074/#S2
[3]https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3270074/#S3
[4]https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8029690/
