Menopause and exercise

Menopause symptoms roll out the red carpet while the extra pounds roll in. A number of women have to deal with weight gain once they hit menopause. Managing your weight is not a novel thing. You might have had to keep an eye on it for years, starting all the way back when you were a teenager. While your younger years might have seen the pounds accumulate on your hips and thighs, menopause symptoms can cause hormonal changes which leads the new found weight to end up on your abdominal region. However, hormonal imbalance is not the only reason for menopausal weight gain. Ageing, genetic factors, the diet and lifestyle you follow, all contribute to your growing waistline.

Muscle mass decreases as you age, while fat increases. Due to a fall in muscle mass, it is harder for your body to burn calories, which in turn makes it that much harder to lose weight. If a certain amount of diet and exercise has worked for you from a number of years, it might be time to revise it. The diet might get stricter and the amount of exercise after menopause might go up. You body might also imitate that of your older family members, especially the amount of fat you accumulate. Sleep is also an important component in keeping the weight at bay. If you do not get enough sleep you tend to eat more which leads to weight gain.

Cardio exercises must be alternated between a number of forms, like interval training, circuit training and speed play to get maximum benefit.

Interval training includes alternating short periods of intense activity with longer periods of moderate or low intense activity. This activity can include walking, jogging, etc. Interval training helps you burn more calories in a limited amount of time and helps improve your capacity for aerobic exercises. It helps manage boredom as there are a variety of exercises and the time differs, which avoids it from becoming monotonous. You can do these exercises anywhere as it does not need any equipment.

Circuit training helps menopause weight loss as it incorporates various forms of exercises including cycling, running and many other cardio exercises, that help work various muscles in your body. So it provides a full body workout and helps to lose weight faster. A combination of interval and continuous training forms speed play. This method is mostly employed by women who are already runners, but it can be adopted by anybody with any kind of cardio.

Your body begins to lose muscle mass as you get older. Menopause adds to this deterioration. Since muscle helps reduce the fat in your body, as the muscle mass falls, the weight gain due to fat goes up. You can bring up your muscle mass and also fend off diseases like osteoporosis with the help of strength training. Your legs, arms, and core get a major workout with basic exercises like abdominal crunches, lunges, modified push ups, squats and step-ups. The strength training needs to increase as time goes by to continue the benefit.

Focusing on exercises that build on core strength like yoga can help prevent or reduce shoulder, neck, and upper back pain, as well as improve your balance. Abdominal crunches, bridges, single-leg abdominal presses, single-leg abdominal press variations, double-leg abdominal presses, double-leg abdominal press variations, segmental rotations, quadruped, modified planks, modified plank variations, side planks, and superman, are some of the best exercises for menopause weight loss and to reduce belly fat.

Menopause exercise guidelines proclaim yoga and meditation to be immensely effective in your bid to lose weight. The various asanas and restorative yoga poses help various menopause symptoms such as hot flushes, irritability, and fatigue, by helping you calm your body and focus positively on yourself. It is one of the best exercises for burning menopause belly fat.

Dancing is one of the best exercises for dealing with some of the menopause symptoms like weight gain. The benefits of dancing as an exercise during menopause can be sustained for a longer period of time because it is fun and not monotonous like some of the other exercises. Dancing can strengthen your muscles, increase flexibility and aid in weight loss. The best part is that you can have a choice of the form of dance you enjoy the most and is the most beneficial for you body type.

Dedicating some time to the stairmaster can work as a cardio workout, if you don’t want to get your cardio workout outdoors. Menopause symptoms can be detrimental in a number of ways, so adopting a healthy lifestyle is a must to retain good health for a longer period of time. Stairmaster can help you lose weight and thereby curb the ailments associated with weight gain as you sail through menopause.

Zumba swept the world with it’s brilliant dance moves and it’s efficiency in helping people riddled with menopause symptoms to lose weight. Millions of people subscribed to this form of menopause exercise routine to find brilliant results. Zumba helps people of all age groups, but is especially beneficial for women suffering from menopause symptoms as it not only burns your calories and helps you build muscles, but it’s awesome upbeat music can help get you out of the low moods common during menopause.

Housework can also help burn those calories. It has to be vigorous though and must employ all of your muscles. It does not have to start off at an all time high, as you might not leave your bed the next day. Start off small and then increase the intensity and duration. Doing some yard work will help burn calories and being out in the sunshine will help you too.

While going through menopause your body is already put through the ringer. So this is the time to understand that your health is more important than trying to attain the body shape and size prescribed by society. The goals you set have to have parameters that help boost its health, not tax it further.

If weight loss is your goal, it is important to set specific deadlines as to how much weight you want to lose and till what date. The goals you set have to be realistic, or else you’re just going to lose motivation and end up gaining more weight while dealing with the frustration. Getting other friends involved in your exercise routine who might also be riddled with menopause symptoms can further help to keep you on track.

It is important to read the signals of your body while suffering menopause symptoms. The type of exercises that might do wonders to one persons body may cause irreparable damage to another. There is a time when you might have to lessen the intensity or the amount you work out based on the needs of your body. As you grow older, you become more prone to getting osteoporosis or a heart attack courtesy of menopause symptoms, so you must not ignore any signs that your body is overworked. You may also be prone to fractures due to bone loss, so that must also be taken into consideration. You must also make sure your diet matches and supports the type and intensity of exercise you do.