Strength Trainings impact on Perimenopause and Menopause
If you are reading this, you might immediately wonder why on earth a 46-year-old Male personal trainer is blogging about perimenopause and menopause, a subject he can’t possibly comment on, given he will never experience it.
The reason is that I can’t experience it, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t understand it and be able to provide the best quality service to my clients going through this stage of their lives.
It is well documented that no one person’s experience of (peri)menopause is the same, and the symptoms and severity can vary greatly.
What is less well documented, but the information is out there is that exercise especially resistance training can be highly beneficial to someone going through this stage in their life.
I’ve delved through numerous articles I’ve found online and listened to podcasts I could find on the subject, and this is a brief summary of some of the information out there.
I’m blogging about it as it is not a subject that appears in many mainstream health and wellbeing articles, and I feel that in my industry, the knowledge and skills needed to support women must be better.
It is also important to me as my wife is on her journey right now, and her comments about it have led me to get into the research and improve my understanding.
My information is sourced from articles and podcasts featuring Dr Mary Claire Haver, M.D., a globally recognised expert on Women’s health and (peri)menopause.
So here are five things that strength training can help anyone with and how I think they are relevant to the journey of (peri)menopause.
Before starting any new exercise regimen, consulting with a healthcare professional is recommended, especially for those with pre-existing health conditions.
Regular strength training prevents muscle loss and bone density degeneration. This happens to us all as we age. During (peri)menopause, the drop in estrogen levels contributes to this and is known as sarcopenia. Regular strength training has the opposite effect, preserving muscle strength and maintaining bone density, preventing osteoporosis.
Regular strength training has proven beneficial to your mental health. Getting a workout done even when you aren’t feeling it generally leaves you with a feeling of accomplishment, boosting self-esteem and overall wellbeing. During (peri)menopause, feelings of anxiety, stress and depression can multiply, and exercise has been shown to reduce the symptoms.
Regular strength training improves your overall body composition and metabolic rate. Strength training helps reduce fat and increases the amount of lean muscle. Lean muscle burns more calories than fat as it is metabolically active and requires more energy to maintain. During (peri)menopause, there can be a change in body composition, including an increase in abdominal fat.
Regular strength training can improve cardiovascular health by enhancing blood circulation. Women undergoing (peri)menopause can be at increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to the hormonal changes that are happening.
Regular strength training helps with weight management. When you embark on a strength training program, you will increase your muscle mass, which in turn leads to increased metabolism, and this combats the weight increase associated with the hormonal changes and decrease in metabolic rate experienced during (peri)menopause. It’s important to note that increased muscle mass is not the same as increased muscle size achieved through hypertrophy. The idea is not to bulk up but to increase the strength and density of the existing muscle fibres.
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