A little bit of dusting does you good!
Well ladies, it is official! Housework is good for you! A US study of more than 50 menopausal women found that those who were the most active during the day doing housework, walking to the shops or doing chores had fewer hot flushes at night.
Surprisingly, they also had a better quality sleep than those women who did more intense but shorter bursts of activity such as going to the gym! Good news for those of us who really aren’t gym bunnies, or who struggle to get time to exercise ‘officially’ on top of keeping the home running.
So what does this really mean? It seems that ongoing light to moderate activity through out the day helps to better control the body’s thermostat, which the menopause can disrupt leading to hot flushes and night sweats.
We know from long experience that women who experience higher stress levels will also have a greater number of flushes and sweats, as well as other menopause symptoms. Stress triggers the production of adrenalin, and this creates many physical changes that make you more likely to sweat or flush. Burning off adrenalin through physical activity is an ideal solution, not only keeping flushes at bay but also keeping your circulation brisk, which then ensures that hormones are delivered around the body efficiently.
But what can you do if you sit at a desk all day?
It is important to get up regularly and have a brisk walk up a corridor, even if just for a few minutes.
Why not run up and down the stairs instead of taking the lift, or just doing a quick round of the building to get your blood flowing briskly again.
If you have a long enough lunch break go for a short walk instead of reading a magazine or shopping on the net. You can even download free exercise-at-your-desk Apps. I’ve got a great one called Office Yoga, which I try to do every day!
