Menopause is defined as the end of a woman’s fertile life after loss of ovarian follicular function, which usually occurs in the late 40s or early 50s.
The transition is not sudden or abrupt and there is usually a stretch of time between 5 and 8 years.
As the world’s population increases, along with an increase in life expectancy, many millions of women will spend a third or more of their lives after menopause.
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menopausal symptoms
Symptoms may occur, including vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes, palpitations), psychological symptoms (mood swings, depression, irritability, anxiety, sleep disorders), cognitive symptoms (memory problems, concentration) and atrophic effects (atrophic, vaginitis, irritability of the bladder).
Women also report symptoms such as night sweats, headaches, fatigue, decreased libido, itching, and muscle and back pain.
these symptoms can significantly alter daily activities and quality of life of the woman. Furthermore, during menopause and aging, with changing hormone levelswomen experience a greater shift from chronic diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, autoimmunity, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease.
menopause is commonly associated with a variety of problems including hot flashes, urinary disorders, joint pain, and psychological distress. Women who report menopausal symptoms are generally in poorer health and serious chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, are more likely to occur.
Benefits of exercise in women during menopause
In this sense, physical activity has a positive impact on bone density in menopausal women. For example, greater physical activity was associated with greater maximal femoral neck strength. In addition, physical activity has a positive effect on the tibial cartilage of the knee during menopause, etc.
It is clear that there are many benefits of exercise on bones, cardiovascular, metabolic, diabetes, cancer, longevity, psychological well-being and quality of life in general. Therefore, It is appropriate for women to be physically active during the menopausal transition and beyond.
vasomotor benefits
In the years leading up to menopause, during menopause, and early postmenopause, women experience vasomotor-related symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep disturbances.
Physical activity has positive associations in the reduction of cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose levels, being associated with the reduction of hot flash symptoms.
Finally, it has also been found that sleep quality is better in menopausal women who are physically active. For example, physically active women have favorable sleep characteristics with fewer nighttime awakenings and better sleep quality.
psychological benefits
In the years leading up to and during menopause, many women report symptoms of depression (unhappiness, irritability, crying, lack of energy) or anxiety (mood swings, insomnia, heart palpitations, panic attacks, forgetfulness, or trouble concentrating and concentrating).
Studies have found that participation in exercise results in a lower perception of symptom severity. This suggests that exercise moderates psychological symptoms associated with menopause.
Benefits at the somatic level
Somatic symptoms are those related to the body, including muscle and joint pain, numbness or tingling in the extremities or elsewhere, dizziness, headaches, and shortness of breath. The 2000 Health Study in Finnish Women reported that physically active women reported fewer somatic symptoms and pain compared to women who were not physically active.
Eight years later, those who remained physically active exhibited a better quality of life compared to those who did not.
Sexual benefits
As a result of estrogen deprivation during the menopausal transition, a woman’s sexual drive and function decline.
symptoms of vaginal dryness or thinning of the wall, sexual dysfunction or discomfort are common. In a study of 42 postmenopausal women, divided into 2 groups of aerobic or resistance exercise programs 3 days a week for 8 weeks, no effects were observed for urogenital complaints and sexual symptoms. However, in another study of 151 physically active women, they did report an improvement in sexual symptoms.
Three keys to keep in mind before you start training
It is important to realize that the body is not the same at 18 as it is at 50. Even so, this would not be an excuse to be able to do strength training or any other type of physical activity. We leave you below three keys that should be taken into account before starting to exercise.
training intensity
In menopause it is normal to have more pain, osteopenia (without reaching osteoporosis), etc., so at this stage it would be more likely to have some type of injury if we are not careful.
It is important to start little by little, testing the different weights or the different sports activities that they want to do. In this case, hiring a personal trainer could be very helpful.
Encourage cross training
Women who exercise for life in one area can actually put their long-term health at risk. Cross training can help women touch all aspects of fitness and provide them with an alternative exercise to do in case of injuries that are sometimes unavoidable.
Work according to the woman’s preferences
Some women are able to maintain a daily exercise routine and not feel ill, and these women are unlikely to pose a problem for the trainer.
Others do not like to experience sweating, for example, so the woman must be helped directing her towards activities that are compatible with her preferences.
A more meditative woman may select a yoga workout over an aerobic workout and be able to follow a regimen that gives her less overall aerobic benefit but great improvements in flexibility, muscle strength and balance.
In Vitónica | Benefits of strength training in women after menopause
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