Menopause & Exercise

Benefits of Exercise and Menopause

• Exercise can provide many health benefits during menopause. According to the American Heart Association, physical activity is essential for heart health. Exercise can increase your cardiovascular health, your lung capacity and your blood circulation. Exercise will increase your energy level. Exercise during menopause can reduce risks of breast cancer. It also aids in weight management due to its calorie-burning effects. Exercise influences a menopausal woman's total body fat and abdominal fat more than traditional hormone-therapy replacement, according to the Women's Sports Medicine Clinic. Strength exercises can increase bone density and decrease your risk of osteoporosis.
  
  

Types of Exercise

• Even though an active lifestyle is important during menopause, three types of exercises especially benefit menopausal women, states the Mayo Clinic. All three types of exercises can be done in either water or on land. Aerobics such as dancing, cross country skiing, hiking, walking, bicycling and water aerobics are needed. Stretching exercises such as yoga, Pilates and fitness exercises are also needed on a daily basis. Finally, strength-training exercises are required. Strength training can be done with dumbbells, ankle weights, weight machines, exercise bands or other weighted tools.
  
  

Significance

• The role of exercise during menopausal years is particularly significant. As our bodies age, many health changes take place. Our bones lose calcium and bone density. This means that our skeletal system gets weaker and makes us susceptible to fractures. Menopausal women lose estrogen, a hormone which provides a "protective effect" against heart disease and osteoporosis. As the estrogen is lost, the chances of developing these diseases increases, states the Mayo Clinic. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases when menopause starts. All of these menopausal health-hindering factors can be decreased through exercise.
  
  

Recommendations

• Get your daily workout allotment. According to the Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association, it is recommended you get 30 minutes of moderately brisk exercises at least five times weekly. Moderately brisk activities include walking, hiking, bicycling, household chores such as mowing the lawn and house painting, skiing, dancing and swimming. You should be able to carry on a conversation while exercising. If not, you are overdoing it. Your exercise can be done in one 30-minute segment or divided into shorter spans such as three 10-minute sessions.
  
  

Caution

• Warming up prior to your exercise regime is important in preventing or reducing your chances of injury. Be aware that properly warming up also improves your performance. The Women's Sports Clinic recommends spending 10 minutes doing range-of-motion exercises such as stretching to warm up your muscles prior to beginning your exercises. Exercises should be fun. Find a variety of exercises to avoid boredom.
  
  If you have been sedentary or have a current health condition, check with your medical-care provider prior to starting any exercise program. They can recommend exercises for you to participate in.