Working out can become your best friend during menopause. It can work wonders on your mood and mental well-being as well as the way you look.
The good news is that you don’t need to do anything drastic. Simply lifestyle can have a very positive impact on the changes occurring in your body.
However, to see positive changes in your health and physical appearance, you need to be consistent. Going to the gym for one hour every two weeks and then staying on the couch or behind the computer for the rest of the time clearly won’t work.
Most healthy women should aim for 150 min of moderate or 75 min of vigorous aerobic activity per week.
How to introduce more movement throughout the day
Walking
Walking is a type of aerobic exercise. Put your comfy shoes on and see where your feet take you. Whenever possible, try to park further away from your destination or get off a few bus stops earlier. Walking has been shown to improve mood and ward off depression.
Climbing the stairs
Not everyone opts in for climbing the stairs when we have lifts or escalators to save us time or effort. However, climbing stairs is one of the best exercises for losing weight and burning fat. The average person burns 60-100 calories every 15 minutes of climbing the stairs at a slow pace, and 50-90 calories every 15 minutes descending the stairs. An easy win!
Adding more intensity to your cleaning
Doing vigorous house or yard work can elevate your heart rate the same way running on a treadmill would. Depending on the type of housework you’re doing, you can utilise your quads, glutes or core muscles. Next time you’re tempted to do a lazy hoover, think again. You can squat in between the various sections of the floor you’re cleaning, and jump up and down every few minutes that you’re watering the plants.
Good exercises for women in menopause
Swimming
Swimming is excellent for those of you who have joint or bone aches. It uses many muscle groups (arms, legs, back, core) while being kind on the knees and feet.
Strength training
Every woman should have a pair of moderate or light dumbbells at home. Cardio alone isn’t enough to maintain a good physique. Especially if your upper arms, breasts or glutes are getting a bit saggy, you should remedy this by lifting some weights.
You can consider hiring a personal trainer who will push you beyond what you think it’s possible to achieve.
Tai chi
This is a popular form of martial arts developed in ancient China. It has a relaxing effect (the name also means meditation in motion). As you perform the tai chi movements slowly and smoothly, you are breathing deeply working on your focus, flexibility and strength at the same time.
Yoga
Yoga is great for slowing down and improving your flexibility and mobility. Some of its benefits include a positive effect on your libido, concentration and confidence. It improves your stress levels and your quality of breathing. If you are more hyper by nature, surrendering to a slower form of exercise such as yoga will make you feel a lot better.
Zumba
Zumba or any other type of dance class will help you unwind and forget your worries. You’ll feel sexier while doing movements inspired by salsa, meringue and bachata while sweating and enjoying some good tunes. Zumba is such a great tool for overcoming mood swings and keeping yourself in good shape.
Elliptical, StairMaster or the treadmill
If your schedule is complicated and you don’t want to commit to classes that take place at specific times, you can simply go for cardio machines. You can do a few minutes on each or select the one you like the most. 30 min is sufficient to get your heart pumping.
Set some exercise-related goals
If you expect that once you start going to the gym or cleaning more vigorously at home you’ll be losing 2 pounds per week, you’ll get disappointed. The real weight loss comes from diet, but exercise is a fantastic way to tone your muscles, decrease the amount of cellulite and feel incredible. Set specific, realistic and attainable goals – e.g.
- “I’ll walk for 30 minutes at lunch four days a week.”
- “I’ll go to a Zumba class once a week.”
- “I’ll climb the stairs and walk for two bus stops twice a week.”
Get a friend or partner involved
When you get a close friend, a colleague or your partner involved with exercise, this will help both of you get closer to your goals. You’ll be lifting each other when the other one is feeling down or tempted to skip a class or a workout session. Having an accountability buddy can truly move you forward.
Exercise and menopause: conclusion
We hope that we’ve managed to inspire you to exercise more. Check out The New Hot where we’ve dedicated a whole section to working out with a number of easy-to-do exercises.
Women can enjoy a good quality of life after menopause even without hormones with physical activity being one of the top tools for that. Research indicates that postmenopausal women who engage in the comprehensive exercise program, benefit by maintaining a healthy body, bone density levels, and good mental health.
Even increasing your physical activity slightly will positively affect your weight as it will improve your muscle mass, strength, balance, and coordination. Physical activity will also lower your stress, depression and anxiety levels. All in all, a true magical pill with no side effects!
