Experience of going through menopause can bring noticeable shifts. The reduction in estrogen levels, a primary female hormone, could be accountable for such changes.
"Only after you pass the menopause stage do you understand that the effects of estrogen are not limited to your reproductive system", says Tina Tang, CPT, an expert personal trainer who specializes in areas related to menopause.
Apart from controlling your menstrual cycle phases, functions of estrogen also include promoting bone formation and elevating muscle mass. It works towards keeping heart tissues robust and maintaining blood pressure stability according to the information provided by Cleveland Clinic.
When your body ceases production of estrogen, several things follow: cessation of periods; risks associated with weakened muscles and bones; increased chances of developing cardiac issues; slowed metabolism rate. Also, one may undergo symptoms such as weariness or exhaustion, tenderness in muscles and sudden excessive sweating referred oftentimes as hot flashes.
A variety of these consequences are nothing more than being troublesome (waking up due to night sweats is so common). However others like poor bones & muscular health could lead potential health hazards in days ahead.
The brighter side now? Many long-term post-menopausal impacts are preventable or reducible via strength training exercises. Keep reading ahead for gaining insights on how this can be achieved.
Advantages of Engaging in Resistance Training During Menopause
1. Facilitates Muscle Formation
Estrogen is instrumental in the production of fresh muscle protein, a phenomenon called muscle protein synthesis. According to a study published in Bone in June 2019, during menopause when estrogen levels sink, it becomes increasingly difficult to form and sustain muscles which may eventually result in muscular degradation.
"In addition to this intrinsic ageing-induced muscle loss, people going through menopause face an additional hit," Tang indicates. The process of age-associated muscle depletion - or sarcopenia - sets off post the age of 30 as per Harvard Health Publishing. At this stage we witness approximately 3-5% reduction each decade in our muscular mass with things accelerating after the sixtieth year.
The drawback associated with losing muscles include strength depredation making mundane tasks more arduous. If your muscles continue diminishing continuously for several years, you'll gradually end up incapable of executing even simple actions such as getting out bed or walking.
Maintaining balance could also become a tasking exercise that enhances risk related to falling down which stands paramount among all injury causes inducing death amongst adults aged above sixty-five warns the CDC.
However use of resistance training could be adopted as preventative measure against the aforementioned concerns. Weight training emerges out as one most effective tactics to form and preserve muscular volume thereby helps curbing and some times reversing sarcopenia and hormonal-related deterioration genetically.
"It's never too late beginning strength-based workout program", recommends Paula Amato MD, OB/GYN professor at Portland based OHSU School Of Medicine (Oregon state). As per meta-analysis published in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research April 2021, it indicated resistance workout taken three time per week on a regular basis (for sixteen weeks more or less) resulted into significant increment in muscular volumes within women belonging to the age-group ranging between fifty to eighty.
2. Boosts Bone Health
The period of menopause necessitates an evaluation of your risk for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition that results in bone fragility and increased susceptibility to fractures.
Regularly, our bodies remove old bone matter and replenish it with new tissue, thanks to the assistance from estrogen. However, when levels of estrogen diminish post-menopause, our system struggles to rebuild bone fast enough which outpaces its breakdown process. Consequently, the likelihood of getting osteoporosis significantly balloons after menopause.
As per a study disseminated by the Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy around March-April 2019, approximately one-third (30%) postmenopausal individuals dwelling in North America and Europe face osteoporosis issues.
Strength training aids by applying push-pull force on bones while enabling you to resist gravity as your skeletal frame bears extra load weight. This pressure selection convinces your bones to go into 'construct' mode thereby allowing better management against equal heavy loads hence preventing likely future fractures as proposed in a review paper by the Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy.
Surprisingly though significant effects warrant minimal efforts only—as seen through results derived from an October 2017 clinical trial communicated in the Journal of Bone & Mineral Research,‐ wherein they revealed how postmenopausal patients diagnosed with osteoporosis experienced considerable improvements across two key parameters viz., bone density strength following just twin half-hour-long strength sessions every week spanning over eight months.
3. Reduces Insulin Resistance
Resistance training could potentially enhance insulin resistance, a situation where your body's cells cease to react as they should to insulin (the hormone tasked with controlling blood sugar). Failing to address this issue can result in persistent high blood sugar levels in the bloodstream, eventually paving the way for diabetes. This information was found according to CDC.
During menopause, such situations become more alarming. Estrogen has an effect on how your cells respond to insulin and dramatic changes in hormonal balance after menopause may cause unstable levels of blood sugar, is what Mayo Clinic notes about this matter. After menopause, the variation range for your blood glucose level might widen than it used to be pre-menopause stage which would put you under risker chances of being diabetic or attracting complications related diabetes.
According to research published by Journal of Diabetes Researchin May 2020 indicate that doing enough resistance exercises enhances sensitivity towards insulin and aid removal excess sugars out from your bloodstream leading them into cells where they are converted into energy.
And given that muscles utilize larger amounts of sugars contributing immensely maintaining stable ranges if healthful!blood sugar levels state authors who were involved development authoring these findings.
4. Assists in Weight Control
One significant advantage of strength training is its contribution in averting undesirable weight increase, commonly experienced during menopause.
Typically, strength training does not consume as many calories within the workout timeframe compared to cardio-driven activities like running. A comparison presented by Harvard Health Publishing suggests that a session of weightlifting for half an hour burns between 90 and 126 calories, while a run at five miles per hour during the same duration tends to burn between 240 and 336 calories.
That said, strength training can play a crucial role in maintaining your body mass index by promoting muscle growth. After all, reduction in muscle mass contributes significantly to gaining excess weight as we age -- which was brought out in a study published on August 2021 report by Science.
This report highlights that muscles are metabolically dynamic tissues requiring energy (calories) for maintenance. Therefore, engendering more muscle may aid you in burning more calories daily and halt any slowing down your metabolism might face.
5. Reduction in Hot Flashes
The journey through menopause often involves challenging discomforts and one of the most prevalent is hot flashes. As suggested by a study published in June 2023 in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, around 75 percent of individuals going through menopause deal with them.
There's probably some good news - practicing strength training could be beneficial. A study reported in May 2019 by Maturitas, revealed that postmenopausal participants who engaged in resistance exercises for forty-five minutes, three times weekly, experienced only half as many hot flashes over a fifteen-week duration when compared to inactive participants. According to this research, substances released during weight lifting might assist our brain functions to manage and stabilize body temperature more effectively which may lead to a reduction of hot flash occurrences.
Top Strength Exercises to Practice During Menopause
Strength workout can be highly beneficial throughout menopause, but not all strength exercises are made the same way.
Tang suggests that compound lifts will give you the most significant returns. These exercises engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Some examples of these include:
- Squats
- Bench presses
- Deadlifts
- Bent-over rows
- Overhead presses
Compared to isolation exercises like bicep curls, triceps extensions, lateral raises and calf raises which target only one muscle group at once, compound moves prove to be more effective in strengthening muscles and bones due to a higher level of challenge they pose.
This does not mean isolation workouts should be overlooked or do not have added benefits. Still fundamentally, Tang recommends seeing compound movements as your main course in your strength training regimen. Mix in some targeted workouts every now and then if you want specific muscle growth.
Authors of a literature review within Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy featuring evidence-based instructions on preventing osteoporosis through exercise advocate for practicing strength exercises from an upright position wherever viable. Standing provides resistance against gravity more than sitting or reclining positions hence offering greater potential for bone enhancement.
Advancing Your Strength Workout Routine During Menopause
Contrary to popular belief, the blueprint for improving your strength workouts isn't transformed just because menopause has set in. Throughout all stages of life, it's crucial to take into account your current fitness ability and weight lifting experience when figuring out progression strategies, according to Tang.
If you're a novice in the world of strength training, aim to get familiar with different exercises while ensuring regularity in your regime. In other words, keep your sessions short (between 15-20 mins) making them manageable within your daily schedule and always seem achievable as Tang suggests.
According to Dr Amato recommended weekly routine comprises two-four strength workouts targeting each primary muscle group including backside body parts like back muscles and glutes; chest area focusing on pectoral muscles; shoulders or deltoids; bicep & triceps aka arms; core areas involving hips along with lower body attacks such as leg exercises.
After getting comfortable – or if you have maintained an extensive lifting background – adjustments may be necessary continue seeing progress due to our bodies' adaptive nature explains Tang.
To figure out time intervals when changes need implying can prove difficult but Tang believes there are signs that show it is time for instance feeling capable of managing additional reps after completing sets then may suggest workout alteration is overdue.
Provided this speaks truly regarding personal state alongside being eager by pushing boundaries one can start off by packing more weights where applicable e.g., graduate from using ten pound dumbbells onto twelve or even fifteen pounds subsequently keeping same repetition counts.
Navigating smaller available alternatives could potentially lead towards adding extra load which might not suit perfectly normal rep routines leading towards reduction advice hence allowing perfect form maintenance whereas preferring sticking previously mentioned stability choice should cause higher number increments thus advancing three times eight reps into ten or perhaps twelve writes down tang whilst providing recommendations.
Tang also mentions those who dedicate exclusive training hours towards Pilates, yoga, or barre should think about weight room visits since although these workouts do cultivate strength muscular growth would demand progressive overload for foreseeable gains and advantages.
