Women are essential members of any family. Apart from being a daughter, sister, and mother, she is also a determined professional as a teacher, banker, administrator, leader, etc. Above all the responsibilities she holds as a “Mother,” she’s a determined “Family Manager.”
Women are rewarded with child-bearing responsibility to keep on with the family’s generation cycle. However, it becomes stressful to manage her health when the hormonal changes navigate in completing the menstruation cycle. She needs mental, physical, and social support to cope.
In this post, we’ll guide you through understanding how to stay active in menopause and the key to staying healthy. Furthermore, we have some valuable tips for sticking to the routines.
Importance of Staying Active Through Menopause
The transitional changes that every woman experiences in approaching menopause are mood swings, hot flashes, night sweats, weaker bone density, and weight gain. This section discusses the importance of staying active in menopause, followed by managing weight, bone health, heart health, stress reduction, mood enhancement, confidence, and self-worth.
1. Weight Management
The metabolism starts decreasing with growing age. Staying active in menopause helps improve metabolic growth. Moreover, physical activity burns calories and henceforth improves weight management.
You can select a mix of exercises such as aerobic, strength training, and stretching can maintain muscle mass and keep you active throughout the menopausal journey.
2. Improves Bone Health
Due to decreasing estrogen levels, women in menopause tend to lose their bone health. In this regard, exercise helps improve bone health. You can try weight-bearing activities to enhance overall health if your body allows.
Try weight-training exercises such as lifting, squats, lunges, and push-ups. These exercises contribute to maintaining and improving your bone health.
3. Heart Health
During menopause, there is an increasing risk of cardiovascular health. Keeping up with routine exercises can reduce such risks.
Exercises like brisk walking, swimming, and cycling promote heart health, and cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and eventually enhance cardiovascular fitness.
4. Stress Reduction
Menopause is stressful for women as it significantly impacts internal and external changes. That is why following up with specific exercises helps reduce these stressful times.
Regular exercises that relieve stress include yoga, tai chi, and deep breathing. This stress-reducing practice promotes relaxation and, subsequently, better sleep, wherein women during menopause struggle.
5. Mood Enhancement
Apart from bodily changes, women in menopause often struggle with emotional imbalances due to hormonal fluctuations. Emotional changes such as mood swings, irritability, anxiety, and depression are some common symptoms that can be found. Exercise can be a natural mood enhancer releasing endorphins, the “feel-good” hormones. Hence, exercise aids in mood enhancement.
6. Confidence and Self-Worth
Women in menopause experience bodily changes, such as obesity, that can lower their confidence and self-worth. However, staying active with regular exercise can immensely boost confidence and self-esteem.
The Key to Stay Healthy
Many people experience menopause cramps indicating underlying health conditions. You should immediately take the help of a gynecologist in such a situation. The key to staying healthy is to follow suitable fitness activities. Let’s take a look at the fitness regimes.
The Right Fitness Activities
It will help if you choose activities that are enjoyable and sustainable in a long way. Here are some activities you can take a look at.
- Aerobic Exercises such as jogging, walking, swimming, and dancing are impactful.
- Strength Training like weightlifting, resistance band exercises, or body weight works well.
- Flexibility and Balance include yoga, pilates, and tai-chi, which can improve flexibility and balance and further promote better posture.
- Rest and Recovery help generate proper sleep and recovery from the body’s ailments. So they are crucial in managing overall health.
When considering suitable fitness activities during menopause, choosing the right exercises can prevent you from causing physical damage. One of the best ways is to seek the doctors’ help as they help align with individual fitness needs.
Tips to Help Keep with The Routine
When you are determined and committed to routine workouts, you are more likely to set realistic goals, keep it interesting, pay attention to your body, stay hydrated, and, in the meanwhile, stay connected, gaining social support. All these are essential in sticking with the routine. Let’s take a closer look at these.
- Set Realistic goals: You may stick with the scheduled goals essential to optimal wellness. Check your current health condition and establish your fitness goals accordingly. With continuity, you gain stamina, which further helps increase exercise duration as you gain strength.
- Keep Exercise Interesting: Keeping the hours interesting and engaging is important as you enjoy the workouts. Continuing with a specific exercise can be boring and may lose interest. Selecting different activities or a mix of exercises you can perform is best.
- Pay Attention to Your Body: Keep your eyes on how your body reacts to exercise. Paying close attention to your body can prevent unusual symptoms such as pains or discomfort. Immediately reach out to a doctor or health care professional is recommended.
- Stay Hydrated: Nothing can replace this part, i.e., stay hydrated because, during exercise, you will lose fats and release lots of sweat. It is vital to drink plenty of water two hours before the exercise; meanwhile, remember to intake small amounts of water during the active hours and drink water one hour after performing the workout.
- Social Support: Last but not least social support is vital in improving overall physical and mental health. Join memberships with family or friends can make your workout more enjoyable.
Conclusion
Menopause is a transitional phase in a woman’s life, and staying active can significantly contribute to making it a positive healthcare experience. Regular physical activity helps maintain physical health and aids emotional challenges during menopause. However, to stay healthy, keeping ourselves fit can promote overall well-being.
By incorporating suitable training activities and keeping up with routines, women can navigate menopause confidently and gracefully. You should always consult your healthcare professional before starting a new workout regimen, and remember that staying active is an investment in your long-term health and happiness.
Beth is Cloudmineinc’s senior health editor and a certified personal trainer. She has over 10 years experience as a science journalist and is the author of two books. She deadlifts over 315 lbs.