EXERCISE AND MENOPAUSEWhat Is Menopause? The medical definition of menopause is cessation of menses for 12 months, when the ovaries stop making the hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. For most women, menopause simply marks the end of their reproductive years. While the average age of menopause is about 51, some women may experience it as early as their thirties or as late as their sixties. Symptoms of menopause include: hot flashes, night sweats, bladder and reproductive tract changes, insomnia, headache, lethargy/fatigue, irritability, anxiety, depression, heart palpitations and joint pain. How Does Exercise Help? The good news is that a regular program of physical activity can help manage many of the uncomfortable symptoms of menopause as well as the related health concerns, such as heart disease and osteoporosis. The mood-elevating, tension-relieving effects of aerobic exercise help reduce the depression and anxiety that often accompanies menopause. Aerobic exercise also promotes the loss of abdominal fat—the place most women more readily gain weight during menopause. In addition, some research studies have shown that the increased estrogen levels that follow a woman's exercise session coincide with an overall decrease in the severity of hot flashes. Strength training also helps. It stimulates bones to retain the minerals that keep them dense and strong, thus preventing the onset and progression of osteoporosis. These effects of exercise, along with improved cholesterol levels and physical fitness, work together to help prevent heart disease. Keep in mind, though, that good nutrition works hand in hand with a physically active lifestyle. A low-fat, high-fiber diet and adequate calcium intake are vital to realize the full benefits of exercise. The Good News If you have been a consistent exerciser during the years leading to menopause, you already have an advantage. Aerobic activity during childbearing years reduces the risk of breast cancer, a disease that becomes more prevalent after menopause. You also will have a jump on your bone health since your strength-training exercises may have increased the density and strength of your bones. To reap the benefits of exercise, a balanced program of weight-bearing aerobic activity (walking is great), strength training (with weights, resistance bands, yoga or even gardening), and flexibility is essential. Consistency is key so strive for some moderate activity daily, or at least most days of the week, every week. Menopause And Beyond: Exercise Helps...
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The practice of yoga is an excellent way to stay fit through middle age and beyond. Even better, research from the Mayo Clinic finds that practicing yoga can reduce hot flashes by 30 to 100 percent! That's very good news, considering that 75 percent of women experience hot flashes. The key is that yoga activates the parasympathetic branch of the autonomous nervous system, the branch that governs relaxation. Most of us exist in a state of sympathetic activation — the sympathetic branch being the one that enables us to react to stresses and challenges in our environment. It's not good for our bodies (or our minds) to be in such a constant state of alert. Yoga teaches the body to relax: Breathing and heart rate slow down, circulation improves, and a feeling of relaxation sets in. It's a more conducive environment in which the body can function effectively. By tuning in to your body's responses, you can minimize hot flashes. You learn to recognize when you feel one coming on and intercept it. Though nervous system responses are considered involuntary, the practice of yoga teaches you to change your body's way of responding. It's a combination of mind- and body-control that, over time, reduces the severity and frequency of hot flashes. |