Menopause and Exercise
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Menopausal women may find themselves lacking energy and fighting a wide variety of symptoms that make them feel like staying inside all day. However, it is incredibly important for women who are premenopausal or experiencing menopause to get plenty of exercise. As a woman ages exercise becomes even more important than it was when she was younger. Getting significant exercise on a daily basis allows women to improve their bones and heart, maintain a healthy weight, and improve their mood and well being.
Women who are not active have increased risk for many conditions and diseases including obesity, osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure to name a few. Additionally, women who are sedentary will experience higher incidents of insomnia, chronic back pain, irregularity, and stiffness. Loss of bone mass, weak muscles, poor circulation, shortness of breath, depress, and more may be a problem.
The best way to avoid many of these health problems and to improve one’s menopausal symptoms is to simply get some physical activity. This may be accomplished by dancing, biking, jogging, walking, swimming, gardening, or other aerobic activity.
Muscles and bones are similar in the fact that if you don’t use them you will lose them. Loss of bone density is a real problem for many women and something that younger women should consider so they can get active and maintain their bone density. Any weight bearing exercise is important for women who want to maintain their bone mass. Good exercises include walking or running. Women who have already lost muscle and bone mass due to inactivity shouldn’t worry too much because they can rebuild it simply by beginning a new exercise routine. Not only is exercise important for bone mass, but it can reduce the risk of fractures. This is really important as women age due to the increased risk of falls that could result in fractures.
Another benefit of exercising for menopausal women is the fact that it can increase mood. When women exercise they will experience e release of endorphins to the brain. These are known as the “feel good” hormones and can help people respond better to stress. The effect of exercise on mood can last for hours. It’s important to talk with your doctor before beginning any exercise regime, however, because there may be some other considerations that should be evaluated.
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