THE BEST FITNESS PROGRAM FOR MENOPAUSE
We’ve talked a lot recently about nutrition in perimenopause and postmenopause. Today, we will dive deeper into the best fitness programming for menopause and why it is important.
We first want to caveat that the best fitness program for perimenopause and menopause is the program you will follow. Fitness is highly customizable, and we never recommend jumping into some one-size-fits-all fitness programs. Every body is different, and every woman is starting from a different place, with a different goal in mind. With that said, we will dive into the recommended baseline programming.
An effective fitness program for women in the menopause transition will consist of five aspects: Strength Training, Sprint Training, Mobility Training, Balance and Power Training, and Daily Movement. We dive deeper into the importance of each below.
Strength Training:
Beginning at age 30 women lose between 3-5% of their muscle mass each decade. If unchecked, this can lead to sarcopenia (muscle loss) that can make activities of daily life, such as walking or getting out of a chair or car, difficult and even dangerous for some. Strength training helps to combat this muscle loss by maintaining or increasing muscle mass, and also increases metabolism and bone mineral density. Strength training is crucial for women in the menopause transition- not only for aesthetic reasons, but also to prepare their body for the future.
Strength training should be done 2-3 times a week. Women should use weights that feel heavy for them, and should progressively increase the repetitions and load as they get stronger.
Sprint Training:
While most people are familiar with the benefits of strength training, sprint training may be new to some. Sprint Interval Training (SIT) has been shown to be incredibly effective for women in menopause. SIT is super short, sprint style training, with a typical session consisting of 3 to 5, 20-30 second all out sprints, followed by a 2-3 minute rest period. With adequate rest, each sprint interval should be equally hard and “all out.” SIT is known to boost insulin sensitivity, increase visceral fat burning, and strengthen mitochondria, all while keeping cortisol levels low due to the short session length. The benefit of SIT for menopausal women is that sessions are relatively short (typically between 10 and 30 minutes), and “sprints” are tailored to current fitness levels. SIT is accessible to everyone and can be done outside with no equipment, or inside on any piece of cardio equipment (treadmill, bike, elliptical, rower, etc.).
Sprint Interval Training should be done 1-2 times per week.
Mobility Training:
Mobility training is often forgotten or ignored in fitness. Mobility training, sometimes referred to as flexibility training or stretching, is helpful for menopausal women who are experiencing or hoping to prevent joint and muscle stiffness (which, lets be honest, is everyone). The reduced estrogen in perimenopause and post-menopause can lead to joint and muscle stiffness, which can impact daily life. Mobility work consists of dynamic stretching (stretching through active movement) and static stretching (holding stretches for set periods of time), and can be incorporated into the beginning or end of a workout. Mobility work is also a great thing to do on rest days or days that have lower volume. Are you a fan of yoga or pilates? Great news, these two exercise styles are technically mobility training and are a great way to support your joints and stretch your muscles.
Incorporate static stretching after each workout, focusing on muscles used during the workout. Consider adding stretching, yoga, or pilates into your rest day routine to maintain supple joints and muscles.
Balance and Power Training:
Balance and power training are other often ignored training modalities that are important during menopause. As women age, maintaining balance becomes crucial to living daily life and preventing falls later in life. Unfortunately, as people age, they stop practicing balance exercises due to a fear of falling, which leads to weaker balance and a higher propensity to falling outside of a workout. Balance training can be as simple as practicing standing on one leg (with or without support) or can be practiced during unilateral strength training or power training. Power training integrates speed and strength in one movement, focusing on agility. Power training is typically associated with jumping and plyometrics, but it can also be implemented with strength or balance training. If your body is trained for it, adding some jumping exercises into your routine will be great for balance and power, and will help increase bone mineral density. We like to work with our clients to add power and balance exercises that work for them, taking into account goals, current fitness levels, and any injuries or limitations.
Balance and power training can be incorporated into strength sessions, warm ups, or 2-3 times per week as stand alone exercises.
Daily Movement:
Continuing to move throughout the day has the benefit of increasing metabolism, burning more calories than being sedentary, increasing insulin sensitivity, and even improving mood. Daily walks or hike, and low impact cardio are great ways to regularly move. To incorporate even more movement into your day, try parking further away in a parking lot, adding a an extra block or two to your normal walk, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or taking quick walking breaks throughout the day at work. You can also consider adding in exercise snacks throughout the day- these are quick, 60-second bursts of bodyweight lunges, squats, or push ups. Small movements add up!
Incorporate more movement into your day everyday.
Recap:
A great weekly exercise routine for women in the menopause transition will include:
Strength Training: 2-3 days per week
Sprint Training: 1-2 days per week
Mobility Training: Most days per week (but is especially helpful on strength training days)
Balance and Power Training: 2-3 days per week, incorporated into strength training days
Daily Movement: Every Day. Go for a walk, add in an exercise snack, take the stairs. Keep your body moving!
Here at Strong In Menopause, we work with our clients to provide personalized weekly exercise plans incorporating these principles and our clients goals, lifestyle, and habits. Schedule a call with us to learn more about the best menopause fitness program for you!