Exercise & Perimenopause

Written by: Sarah Moloney

Exercise is widely recognised as an excellent tool for symptom management in perimenopause and it also has some incredible added health benefits. Even if you have never regularly exercised before, it is never too late to find a way to move your body that feels good to you.

You may come from a place where exercise was once a daily habit for you, it felt easy to get to the gym or to a class, out for a quick run or walk. Then life happened…and kept happening and it just fell away. Now you are struggling with perimenopausal symptoms, and you don’t recognise your own body. Or you may never have routinely exercised (P.E Bleep tests and judgey gym spaces could turn anyone off for life) and the idea of starting now on top of what you are going through just feels like a mountain you don’t want to climb. Its ok. We get it and we are here to help. You don’t need to have any previous experience to start, and when you realise what you can gain from it you will be itching to get moving.

The first thing to do is to learn to embrace imperfection. Set the bar low and you will never feel like you are failing, understand that something is always better than nothing and even 5 minutes of movement counts. Another important thing to remember – the health benefits of exercise far outweigh the aesthetic ones; exercise should be something that brings joy and vitality to your life. The best way to ensure that it keeps doing this is to not make changing your body the main reason you move, try your best to focus on the health benefits instead.

Let’s dive into why you would want to incorporate exercise to help you manage your perimenopause symptoms:

Improves sleep quality – research has shown that exercise can help counteract the sleep disturbance caused by hormonal shifts in perimenopause in several different ways. It improves our circadian rhythm (particularly if we get outside in the morning for our exercise), alleviates depression and anxiety allowing for more restful sleep and helps regulate our internal temperature controls.

Improves hot flashes & night sweats – regular, moderate intensity workouts (think out of breath, not on the floor!) have been shown to reduce the impact of hot flashes. With hot flashes being associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and regular aerobic exercise helping to reduce this risk – this is a win – win!

Improves bone density & muscle mass – resistance exercise is fantastic for helping us build and maintain muscle as well as reducing the risk of developing osteoporosis as we age.

Improves blood sugar regulation – both resistance (weight-bearing) and cardiovascular exercise help improve your body’s metabolic function. By adding it to your weekly routine, you can improve your blood sugar control and help prevent Type 2 diabetes.

Blood-pressure improvement – do your heart a favour and pull on those walking shoes, regular moderate intensity exercise can help lower your blood pressure, decrease your resting heart rate and keep your cardiovascular system healthy as you transition through menopause.

Mood boosting/stress relief – all forms of movement (yoga gets a special mention here) makes you feel good, improves body image, reduces anxiety, and can help you manage your stress levels.

Are you ready to get started?

Here are some tips…

1.       Start slow and build slower, you don’t want to be so sore you never want to do it again or give yourself so much to do you can’t fit it in to your schedule.

2.       While it can be easier and more fun to exercise with someone, don’t rely on their participation – that makes it too easy to get out of it.

3.       Start by moving more in your day to day life – get up from the desk at least once an hour, stretch and move around.

4.       Begin adding in 5-10 minute walks a couple of times a day. This will help you work towards the recommended 7-8000 steps per day.

5.       Put on your favourite song and dance like no one is watching!

6.       Search beginner 10 minute yoga videos online for tonnes of easy, free resources.

7.       Check out our Instagram this month where we will give you 15 minute effective work-out programs that you can get started with in the comfort of your own home!