This article is all about exercise.
There has been a lot of noise in social media and the media recently, especially after Joe Wicks launched his “Menopause Workouts” on his app.
Now, I think Joe Wicks is great. BUT, launching something called a “Menopause Workout which involves ‘no jumping’ and ‘low impact’ strength exercises caused a bit of a storm. And rightly so!!
Why shouldn’t women in menopause jump? Why shouldn’t we do any high impact?
In my opinion, we do need more specific information, awareness and guidance because many of us are totally relearning how and why we need to move our bodies. But how you choose to move depends on YOU, on your goals, on your symptoms, on your recovery…..
I believe we need to learn to train SMARTER, not necessarily harder. Here are some things to consider before you get started.
☑️ Your Goals: Consider what you want to achieve and whether your exercise choice with help you achieve those goals. For example, if you want to gain muscle and bone density, swimming will not do this, but it might help you to feel amazing after!
☑️ Your Symptoms: Do you have pain in your joints, low energy, low mood? These factors will all influence your decision.
☑️ Your Recovery: Women need more time to recover as they age and oestrogen declines. This needs to be factored into your exercise plan.
The best way to get started is to do something you love. At least this way you are more likely to do it, and do it CONSISTENTLY. Moving your body in a way that you love will help with your mood, energy, sleep and overall well-being.
If you are concerned about weight gain, you need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. This is the FIRST thing you need to focus on. Lifting weights and gaining muscle will help you to increase your basal metabolic rate (calories burned at rest) but it also helps with joint pain, insulin resistance, posture, body composition. brain connections, central nervous system, bone health and much more. Start with twice a week but aim for three if possible.
Doing ANYTHING to get your heart rate up is great for the cardiovascular system. This could be dancing, cycling, swimming, rowing, walking, running, skipping……anything!!
Consider your timing of exercise……….high intensity too late in the evening could affect your sleep.
Consider adding ‘recovery’ sessions into your routine. Some mobility work, stretching, Pilates, breathing, slow walking, tai chi……
These are things to consider.
BUT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A MENOPAUSE WORKOUT!
You can still jump, skip, run marathons, play sport, do gymnastics, tough mudder, triathlons, bike ride, abseil, sky dive, roller skate…….ANYTHING! And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
YOU ARE A BADASS WOMAN 💪
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