The fitness industry is not the same as it was 20 years ago. Long gone are the days where the gym is a space full of big men grunting and sweating while women stay in the 'cardio' area. It fills my heart to see so many women in our gym (or the fitness space in general) lifting weights and getting strong. This is such a positive shift in the right direction but unfortunately, most of the research and health recommendations are based off of men or young female athletes and have not caught up (yet) to be based off the aging female so there are a lot of myths and misconceptions for these women to navigate.
With the average gym goer being women 40+ many are entering into perimenopause, and with that comes a whole host of symptoms and considerations. Some experience hot flashes, night sweats, increased anxiety/depression, heavy menstrual bleeding, joint pain, increased muscle loss, and belly fat gain...to name a few.
Training can be hugely beneficial during this time and beyond.
Tips to navigate through this time
Lift heavy weights 3-4 days/week. - Not light weights/high reps
Jump, sprint, do short intense intervals a few days/week
Eat enough protein and other quality food to support activity and recovery
Rest!
Why are these important?
Lifting weights can help to maintain and even build muscle during this time where most women feel like they lose strength almost over night.
Jumping helps preserve bone density and connective tissue health.
Sprints and short intense interval training can help decrease things like cortisol levels and the inflammatory response which means burn that stubborn belly fat and help can with joint pain.
You need to be eating protein to help support your lean mass and have enough food to recover so that you can keep training.
Eating less not only adds to your muscle and bone loss but also increases your cortisol levels.
It can be easy to fall into the trap of - I just need to eat less and do more cardio- to deal with this transitional time, which maybe worked in your 20s but not in your 40s and 50s.
If you need help during this transitional time of your life, book a consultation and lets help you get strong!
Comments