Fitness and Menopause

Fitness is crucial to having a fabulous menopause. There are numerous opinions on how best to deal with menopause and aging, and while some of the advice is excellent, some of it is horribly biased or erroneous. One guarantee is that exercising is absolutely essential to staying as healthy as possible and feeling and looking great; I cannot emphasize this enough.

Answer Yes or No to the Following:

o Do you want to lessen your chance of getting breast cancer?

o Do you want to maintain your bones so they do not fracture when you are older?

o Do you want to look great?

o Do you want to lose weight, or maintain your current size?

o Do you want to lessen your chances of getting diabetes?

o Do you want your periods to be lighter?

o To you want to lessen your chance of getting heart disease?

o Would you like to have fewer and milder menopausal symptoms?

If you answered yes to one or more of the above, then I recommend that you put energy into your fitness. The Canadian Menopausal Society recommends thirty minutes of moderate aerobic exercise on most days.

MOTIVATION FOR FITNESS

If we really understand that fitness, both cardiovascular and muscle conditioning, are so important to help us through the premenopausal years and beyond, why in the world is 60% of the population sedentary?

If we really get it that exercise will prevent horrific diseases with life-altering consequences (even premature death) such as cancer, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, obesity, strokes and heart disease, why are we neglecting our exercise regimes for another episode of "Bachelor?"

Some of you may be offended by what I just said and reply, "Why does she think I have time to watch TV when I am holding down a full-time job, have childcare issues, and I am taking care of my aging parents?" Well, setting boundaries in midlife is another topic. For now, my reasoning is that you will be a better caregiver if you are strong and healthy.

REASONS WHY WE DO NOT EXERCISE

I decided to call the following excuses reasons because I know they are very real for you (and me). However, whenever I hear one or more of these justifications for my laziness creep up in my brain, I talk myself out of them with the following rationale:

REASON #1 -- I do not have enough time.

This is simply a matter of mathematics. Count the number of extra years you will live (and feel and look great) and deduct the hours you spend exercising and you will come up with a positive answer. In other words, you will be adding time by exercising.

If you tell me, "But that is in the future, and my weekly schedule is too busy," my response is, trust me you will sleep better when you exercise, so you will be spending less time in bed. Also, you may have to delegate some of your work, or set appropriate boundaries on requests from others.

REASON #2 -- I cannot afford it

I do not know what your financial situation is like, but there are many low cost ways to exercise. If you tend to eat take-out, then cook at home (it is healthier and cheaper) and spend the savings on a fitness DVD. Garage sales are a great place to buy DVD's for a dollar or two. Or, you can watch any one of the regularly scheduled exercise shows. You can work out in the comfort of your home, and you will not need fancy clothes or a gym membership.

Or, if you prefer, you can always go for a walk. Slowly but surely increase your speed and duration. Memberships at your local gym are fairly reasonably priced. These fitness centers are subsidized, so they have good enough equipment, and fully trained fitness instructors. The washrooms are not always fabulous, and they typically do not have saunas and hot tubs that the more expensive gyms have, but you can still enjoy and benefit from the fitness activity.

REASON #3 -- I do not enjoy exercising

There are so many different types of exercise like walking, dancing(salsa, ballroom, highland, tap, hip hop etc) tai chi, horse back riding, running, yoga, pilates, circuit training, weight training, step classes, spinning, biking, hiking, sports teams (tennis, soccer, baseball, badminton, volleyball etc) swimming, acqua fit classes and the list goes on. Find something that interests you.

You may have to adjust your routine once you discover that it is no longer working for you, or you are starting to feel boredom creeping in. If your muscles and heart are accustomed to a certain activity, your level will plateau and you will no longer fully benefit from that activity. So, mix it up!

REASON #4 -- I am too sore

It really depends on why you are sore. If you have serious physical limitations or injuries you may need to have an adjusted routine. A family physician, physiotherapist, and/or chiropractor may give you some advice.

If you are sore because you are not exercising, then I suggest you start and progress slowly. Remember, if you do not use it, you will lose it because the body does not bother putting energy where it is not needed.

Conclusion

If you do not want to bother with all the recommendations on how to have a fabulous menopause, you do not even want to moisturize your skin or remove unwanted facial hair, fine, go for it-but do not neglect your exercise routine.

Glenda de Vries is the author and editor of nursingmenopause.com nursingmenopause.com/ a website dedicated to guiding women to have a fabulous menopause and beyond.