A.Vogel Talks Exercise During Menopause

Regardless of what age we are, exercise has countless benefits for us: it can help improve our mood,  support our circulation, keep our muscles and joints healthy and strong, regulate our sleep and keep those extra pounds at bay.

During the menopause exercise has also been shown to be extremely beneficial for helping to reduce the frequency and severity of menopause symptoms including hot flushes,  weight gain,  weak muscles and irritability to name a few. Usually the cause of these menopause symptoms occurs as a result of falling levels of oestrogen and progesterone.

• Strengthen muscles – being physically active helps to strengthen and protect our muscles as we get older, this is particularly important during the menopause as our oestrogen levels begin to drop

• Improves our mood – fluctuating hormone levels during menopause can result in low mood, mood swings, irritability, anxiety and depression. Exercise helps to alleviate these symptoms by releasing feel-good endorphins which are directly linked with improving our mood and reducing stress hormones

• Keep our joints healthy and mobile – dropping levels of oestrogen can affect bone density which can lead to joint pain over time. Keeping active helps to prevent stiffness and lack of flexibility whilst also reducing our likelihood of being injured

• Keep excess weight at bay – oestrogen can change how we distribute and store fat and as we age our rate of metabolism drops making it harder to burn through calories at the same rate we once did. Exercise helps to support our metabolic rate, helps us burn calories as well as shed extra weight

• Manage the frequency and severity of your symptoms – studies have shown that exercise can reduce the number and severity of hot flushes, and that light intensity exercise can reduce menopausal and depressive symptoms

• Improve your sleep – sometimes menopause symptoms like night sweats or anxiety can interfere with our sleep. Exercise can burn out excess energy to help us settle down for a better night’s rest.

Now let’s get honest here for a moment – when we’re feeling fatigued, experiencing hot flushes, or have joint pain (whether it’s from menopause or something else entirely) the very last thing we want to do is exercise! Here at A.Vogel we understand that it can be difficult to exercise when we're not feeling ourselves which is why all of our articles, blogs, videos and information contain easy and accessible tips and advice designed to support you at all stages of the menopause. 

For some easy, low intensity exercise our blog ‘gentle stretches to help your menopause symptoms’ is a good place to start. It contains a range of exercises with easy-to-follow videos (like the one shown below) specially tailored to helping alleviate your menopause symptoms.

During the menopause a number of hormonal and bodily changes take place and sometimes this means that we need to adjust how we exercise in response. It could be that the type or intensity of exercise that you did in your 20s and 30s doesn’t feel as good now as it did then – and this is entirely ok! 

Taking part in intense cardio exercise all the time during menopause can actually do you more harm than good as these types of exercise can hammer your musculoskeletal system too hard and contribute to joint pain. What’s more, symptoms like fatigue can mean that we don’t feel like doing these kinds of exercise to the same degree. To find out how you can adjust your exercise routine to overcome fatigue check out our blog ‘How exercise can help you overcome fatigue during menopause.’

When it comes to exercising for menopause, whether you’re looking to start or you’re looking to adjust your current way of exercising, it can be tricky to know where and how to begin. Luckily, here at A.Vogel we have a wealth of handy tips and tricks to get you started why not read our blog ‘How to keep active during menopause’ for the dos and don’ts of exercising at this time and some handy modifications that you can try too. 

If you’re a regular exerciser going through the menopause, you may not feel that you need to adjust your current exercise habits as these are what you’ve always done, in which case we have a range of articles targeted towards you too such as dietary and endurance tips. If you’re a beginner, starting out can be intimidating and you may feel like you don’t have the time. If this is the case I’d suggest checking out our blog for 10 top tips on staying fit when you’re super busy. It’s important to remember that, whatever level you’re at, even a little can go a long way – do what’s right for you!

Pre- and post-exercise nutrition is extremely important, particularly when you are going through menopause as your body needs a little bit of extra support to help recover from workouts as well as build strength in your muscles. Below are our top favourite snacks and recipes that are not only super healthy, but also super easy to make too!

Cinnamon and Chia Seed Energy Balls (Vegan & GF)

Three Super Simple Smoothies

One Pot Curried Couscous

Creamy Almond Butter Acai Bowl

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