Move Your Way Through Menopause

Exercise relieves symptoms and protects your future health

Aerobics—Revving up their heart rate in an Age-Proof Workout class are (l-r) Winnie Knight, 69, of Center Valley and Linda Epstein, 51, and Ilene Wood, 52, of Allentown.

Strength-training—Building muscle (and strong bones), Linda Epstein makes her lunge more challenging with hand weights.

Yoga—Improving her balance, flexibility and mental attitude through a “warrior” pose is Pat Mattes, 70, of Emmaus.

For many women, menopause brings a new sense of freedom—no more menstrual discomforts or pregnancy concerns. But menopause also carries some baggage, says gynecologist Helene Leonetti, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “First, there are the immediate symptoms many women experience, such as hot flashes, insomnia and mood swings,” she says. “Then come the long-term health risks caused by reduced hormone levels: weight gain, heart disease and osteoporosis.”

The good news is that all of these can be improved through exercise. A recent study of women over age 55 who took part in a year-long exercise program (cardiovascular, stretching, strengthening and relaxation) showed big improvements in both their mental and physical health.

“From depression to insomnia, high blood pressure to bone loss, exercise is like a wonder drug,” says exercise specialist Connie Fehr of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. Inspired by the book Moving Through Menopause by Kathy Smith, Fehr designed a program she calls the Age-Proof Workout.

The program has three components: aerobic activity, strength-training and yoga. Whether you take a formal class or not, you can create your own age-proof workout using these elements:

Aerobic activity—Release those feel good endorphins by getting out for at least a half-hour of walking, dancing, biking, swimming, or using a treadmill or stairclimber. Aerobic activity (the kind that raises your heart rate) is not only helpful as a mood stabilizer and insomnia fighter, it’s also good for your cardiovascular system and keeping your weight in check. If you don’t have a half-hour at a given time, you can achieve the same results in smaller intervals—for example, three 10-minute aerobic activity sessions.

Strength-training—One reason it’s easier to gain weight after menopause is that you lose fat-burning muscle mass. Fight back with strength-training a couple of times a week. When you lift weights or create resistance with rubber tubing or your own body weight, you not only build muscle mass and strength, you also increase bone density, reducing your risk for fractures. Have a professional start you out with the correct strength-training technique.

Yoga—This ancient practice can improve your mood and your ability to cope with stress and symptoms like hot flashes. The process of slowing down and focusing on breathing initiates the “relaxation response.” And some of the postures in yoga affect the endocrine and reproductive systems, which can help balance hormonal shifts. “With just 20 minutes a day of yoga stretches and strengthening poses, you should feel not only calmer, but more flexible and energetic,” Fehr says.

By building the three components of this workout into your life, you may well be ushering in your best years yet!

Want to Know More? View LVH's full listing of fitness classes.

Published from Healthy You Magazine, September-October 2007

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