Strength training is having it’s moment, but why?
Perimenopause, the transitional phase leading up to menopause, can bring about physical and emotional changes. While it's a natural part of life, there are huge benefits to creating and maintaining healthy lifestyle habits during this time to manage the symptoms effectively and your long term health.
One key piece of the puzzle is strength training. Often associated with building muscles and improving physical fitness, strength training offers benefits specifically tailored to support women in perimenopause. In this blog, I’ll look five main advantages of incorporating strength training into your routine during this phase.
Preserving and Building Lean Muscle Mass:
During perimenopause, declining oestrogen levels contribute to a loss of muscle mass. Strength training is an excellent way to combat this natural process. Engaging in regular strength exercises helps stimulate the growth and maintenance of lean muscle tissue. This boosts overall strength and metabolism. By incorporating weight-bearing exercises such as squats, lunges, and resistance training, women in perimenopause can mitigate muscle loss and maintain a strong, healthy physique.
2. Increasing Bone Density:
As women age, their risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures increases far more than men. The hormonal changes experienced during perimenopause can further accelerate bone loss. However, strength training has been proven to be an effective strategy for improving bone density. Weight-bearing exercises place stress on the bones, prompting them to become denser and stronger over time. By regularly engaging in strength training, women in perimenopause can reduce their risk of osteoporosis and related fractures, enhancing overall bone health.
3. Managing Weight and Body Composition:
Perimenopause often brings about changes in body composition and metabolism, making it easier to gain weight and harder to lose it. Strength training can be a game-changer. Unlike cardiovascular exercises that primarily burn calories during the workout, strength training offers the benefit of increasing your resting metabolic rate. With a higher metabolic rate, you'll burn more calories throughout the day, even while at rest. Additionally, by building lean muscle mass, strength training helps improve body composition, increasing muscle-to-fat ratio. Plus there’s a great boost to self-confidence.
4. Reducing Hot Flashes and Night Sweats:
Hot flashes and night sweats are common symptoms experienced during perimenopause. Engaging in strength training has been found to alleviate these symptoms. Regular exercise helps regulate hormonal levels, reduces stress, and promotes better sleep patterns, leading to a reduction in the frequency and severity of hot flashes and night sweats. Strength training also improves blood circulation, which can help alleviate the discomfort associated with these symptoms.
5. Boosting Mental Health and Emotional Well-being:
You may well have found that your perimenopause experience is not just a physical journey but an emotional one as well. Fluctuating hormones can lead to mood swings, anxiety, and feelings of depression. The good news is that strength training has a profound impact on mental health. Exercise, including strength training, stimulates the release of endorphins, often referred to as "feel-good" hormones. This leads to an improved mood, reduced stress levels, and increased overall emotional well-being. Strength training also provides a sense of accomplishment, boosts self-confidence, and offers a healthy outlet for managing emotional stress.
So, is it worth strength training?
Strength training is an empowering tool for women navigating perimenopause. From preserving muscle mass and improving bone density to managing weight, reducing menopausal symptoms, and enhancing mental health, the benefits are numerous. By incorporating strength exercises into their routine, women in perimenopause can maintain their physical strength, increase resilience, and embrace this new phase of life with confidence and vitality.
Start small, you don’t have to slog it out in the gym for hours and it doesn’t need to be complicated. Squats, lunges and even a kitchen counter press up are all great places to start.
If you’re local to Long Ashton check out my classes here…or book a 1:1 session online to help you create an at home workout plan to get you started.