Menopause, Weight Gain and Fitness: How Exercise Can Help You Through the Change [Ep 19]

In this episode of Midlife Mojo - Menopause Mini-Series, Part 2, host Lisa DuPree discusses the importance of staying active during your peri-menopause and menopause years, highlighting the physical toll aging takes on the body including weight gain, muscle loss, decreasing bone density, and metabolic rate decline. She shares the best and most effective ways to combat these changes to improve body composition, confidence and overall well-being.

Segment 1: Why strength training is essential for women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond
Segment 2: What is the importance of aerobic exercise during menopause?
Segment 3: Stretching - the most overlooked aspect of fitness, especially as women age

Join my FREE virtual 5-day “Lose Your Menopause Belly" event that includes daily emails during the challenge with more in-depth strategies, inspiration for taking action, healthy recipes, and access to the event Facebook group where you can get expert guidance and personalized support.  The challenge runs May 30th-June 3rd.  Busy that week?  Sign up anyway so you’ll get access to all the information, resources and recordings delivered right to your inbox. 

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Follow the show for the final episode in the series about mindset and motivation in menopause.

Articles mentioned in this episode: 

1. Volpi E, Nazemi R, Fujita S. Muscle tissue changes with aging. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2004 Jul;7(4):405-10. doi: 10.1097/01.mco.0000134362.76653.b2. PMID: 15192443; PMCID: PMC2804956.
2. Dupuit M, Maillard F, Pereira B, Marquezi ML, Lancha AH Jr, Boisseau N. Effect of high intensity interval training on body composition in women before and after menopause: a meta-analysis. Exp Physiol. 2020 Sep;105(9):1470-1490. doi: 10.1113/EP088654. Epub 2020 Jul 21. PMID: 32613697.

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Chapters

• 0:21 The Physical Toll of Aging
• 1:49 Strength Training - Your Midlife BFF
• 3:55 Interval Training for the Win!
• 6:09 Don't Skip Stretching
• 7:44 Your Invite to my FREE Lose Your Menopause Belly 5 Day Challenge

Transcript

Hello! Hello! Welcome to the Midlife Mojo - Menopause Mini-Series, Part 2.  I’m your host, Lisa DuPree and today’s topic is staying active during menopause. 

As an exercise physiologist and health coach, I am a huge proponent of staying active throughout the lifespan for all genders and ages.  In particular, it is vitally important for women as we age, getting into the peri-menopause and menopause years to stay active.  Getting older for sure has it’s benefits - more life experience, more wisdom, and a better ability to see things from different perspectives, just to name a few.  Physically, mother nature charges a heavy toll with a decline in muscle mass, bone density, and metabolic rate. That’s like a trifecta of crappiness because it can lead to increased levels of fatigue and weight gain.  This weight gain tends to show up particularly in the midsection area and that brings along with it increased risk for developing osteoporosis and diabetes.

One of the best and most effective ways to combat these changes is by staying active, doing a combination of strength training and aerobic exercise, along with stretching and just sitting less in general.  

Let's take a closer look at each of these types of activity along with the benefits.

I’m going to start with the heavy hitter of the group - Strength Training!  I’d go so far as to say that strength training is essential for women in their 40s, 50s and beyond. The good news is it doesn’t have to only be lifting weights but you do need to be working against a force of some kind, like gravity for instance. Different forms of resistance include using free weights, weight machines, resistance bands and your own body weight. 

The reason it is so important is that strength training maintains and even increases muscle mass.  This supports a healthy metabolism and counters that age-related muscle loss. 

An article published in the scientific journal “Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care” noted that muscle mass decreases approximately 3–8% per decade after the age of 30 and the rate of muscle loss after age 60 is even higher than that. 3-8% per decade of muscle loss. This decrease in muscle mass is accompanied by an increase in fat mass and is associated with an increased insulin resistance. And, as if that isn’t enough - bone density decreases and joint stiffness tends to increase. By incorporating strength training, you can improve or maintain bone density and reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis. Along with  improving balance and coordination, which can reduce risk of falls and injuries.

And that brings us to aerobic exercise also known as “cardio”.  Cardio is crucial for women during menopause but it’s not the whole sha-bang. I am of the age that I remember when cardio was king. When it seemed like everyone and her sister were sporting neon spandex leotards and leg warmers, doing step aerobics or marathon sessions on the treadmill and stairmaster.  I admit, I taught many a group exercise class in shiny spandex back in the day and I still enjoy that format but there are so many different activities that are great for aerobic exercise like walking, hiking, jogging, cycling, swimming and my personal favorite - dancing. All those modes of activity help to improve overall cardiovascular health and increase endurance. They also help to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and improve sleep quality, which is a big bonus during peri-menopause and menopause. 

Aerobic exercise is also an effective way to burn calories aiding in fat loss. A meta-analysis published in the journal Experimental Physiology looked at the efficacy of interval training - high intensity interval training (HIIT specifically on reducing weight, total fat and intra-abdominal fat which is the fat stored in the belly area. It looked at both normal-weight and overweight women before and after menopause. The results indicated that high intensity interval training programs significantly decreased body weight as well as total fat and abdominal fat mass. Interval training for the win!!

And last but not least is stretching. This component of physical activity is underutilized and it’s the most neglected. Stretching is important for maintaining flexibility and mobility as you age. As we approach menopause, we may experience more joint stiffness and muscle tightness, which can lead to discomfort and reduced range of motion. I know this has been the case for me - I have noticed more stiffness when getting up in the morning and my back and shoulders being tight and uncomfortable more often whether I’m working out or not working out. It’s just more. Regular stretching can really help alleviate these symptoms and improve overall flexibility, making it easier to perform everyday activities with less aches and pains so it’s easier to maintain your active lifestyle. Definitely a win - win for stretching!

By incorporating strength training, aerobic exercise, and stretching into your routine, you can maintain muscle while reducing fat, improve bone density, increase cardiovascular health, reduce stress, and improve flexibility and I’m going to go as far as to say it improves overall well-being, happiness and confidence. The best news is that no matter your age, it's never too late to start or get back to it! 

I invite you to join me in the free “lose your menopause belly” challenge I have put together to help you jumpstart midlife weight loss using science-backed strategies so you can get back to being fit and feeling fabulous this summer. This free virtual 5 day event is happening Tuesday, May 30th through Saturday, June 3.  When you sign up, you’ll get a daily email during the challenge that goes more in depth with key science backed strategies, healthy recipes, and access to the event facebook group where you can get expert guidance and personalized support directly from me on how to put these strategies in play for you. 

To sign up for this free challenge, go to https://tinyurl.com/LYMB5 or use the link in the shownotes to sign up. 

And keep a look out for part three of the mini-series next week about mindset and menopause.  Follow the show so you don’t miss it and I hope to see you during the free five day challenge. Take care and bye for now!