Exercise is a Big Girls Pants Activity

There’s no getting around it, exercising is a big girl’s pants activity.

We have all heard about exercise and why it is so important to our health and well being and we all know we ‘should’ be exercising more. Physical activity was recognised by the ancient Greeks for health and wellbeing. Hippocrates (460-370 BC) stated “Eating alone will not keep a man well; he must also take exercise. For food and exercise, while possessing opposite qualities, yet work together to produce health”. This 'exercise as medicine' idea has been around for a really long time and study after study proves that Hippocrates was right. This remains an important part of your healthcare routine during menopause.

Physical inactivity is ranked just behind cigarette smoking as a major cause of ill health, placing an enormous economic cost worldwide.

Numerous health issues, such as hot flashes, urinary problems, joint pain, and psychological discomfort are frequently linked to menopause. Women who experience severe menopausal symptoms are typically in worse physical and mental condition. Regular exercise minimises weight gain and muscle loss, the two most common adverse effects of menopause, and improves overall quality of life, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. For cardiovascular health, it is advised that at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise and 75 minutes of strenuous exercise be performed each week. Strength exercise should also be used in order to strengthen bone and muscular strength, help the body burn fat, and speed up metabolism, all of which are crucial during the menopause.

An excerpt from To exercise, or, not to exercise, during menopause and beyond says: In the longitudinal Melbourne Women’s Midlife Health Project, in which 438 women were followed over 8 years, those who exercised every day at baseline were 49% less likely to report hot flashes, and those whose exercise levels decreased were more likely to report hot flashes [45]. Moderate physical activity was associated with decreased objective and subjective hot flashes 24 hours post exercise [46], although worse reported symptoms were reported in women with lower fitness levels. And: in a group of menopausal women aged 55-72 who were involved in an exercise program, of 3 hours per week for 12 months, experienced significantly improved physical and mental health and overall quality of life compared to those who were sedentary [40]. More importantly a higher proportion of those who did not participate in the exercise regime reported menopause symptoms (58% reporting symptoms at the beginning of the study compared to 68% at the end of the study), compared to a significant lower reporting in those participating in the exercise study (50% reporting prior to the study compared to 37% at the end of the study). Exercise is therefore considered an important factor to alleviate menopause symptoms. The woman’s ability to choose their preferred physical activity increases the likelihood that they will adhere to exercise as a treatment method.

Did you know: dancing is one of the highest ranking forms of osteogenic exercise?

Many women report experiencing depression or anxiety in the years before and during menopause, including feelings of sadness, irritability, tearfulness, and lack of energy (mood swings, insomnia, heart palpitations, panic attacks, forgetfulness or problems with focus and concentration). According to studies, engaging in exercise causes people to recognise their symptoms as being less severe. These findings add to the body of research that demonstrates how exercise can lessen menopausal-related psychological problems. Numerous studies have shown that exercise can reduce psychological disorders.

Muscle and joint problems, numbness or tingling in the extremities or elsewhere, dizziness, headaches, and shortness of breath are examples of somatic symptoms, which are body-related. In the Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) study, it was shown that physically active women reported reduced physical discomfort as the menopause transition progressed throughout the course of the study's more than 7-year follow-up. Similarly, a 3-year longitudinal study by SWAN involving more than 2,400 women found that women who were more physically active at midlife suffer reduced physiological pain over time. This shows that exercise improves overall quality of life and has a good impact on menopausal women's somatic complaints.

While exercise is not a magic bullet to manage all of your menopause experiences, physical activity during the menopause transition and after the menopause has various advantages, including preventing weight gain, building stronger bones and muscles, and lowering the risk of developing other ailments (cancer, diabetes, heart disease). Exercise intervention programs have been shown to lessen menopause symptoms, such as vasomotor and somatic symptoms as well as psychosocial challenges, and to a lesser extent, sexual problems. However, physically active women during and after menopause are less stressed and have greater overall quality of life. Exercise has not been proven to alleviate all menopausal symptoms, and overall, the evidence points to exercise as a useful intervention technique for women going through or coming out of menopause to reduce symptoms. More significantly, exercise is safe and has no known negative effects.

If significantly improving your menopause health is as simple as missing one TV show a day, why are we still so movement adverse? What do you need to believe or value differently to what you believe and value today that will allow you to take more control over your menopause experience? Are your actions and statements congruent?

Have you got your big girl pants ready?