INCREASE THE INTENSITY
Aerobic exercise should also be a staple in your exercise routine, since middle-aged women are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Easy and moderate intensity cardio workouts still offer health benefits, but during menopause, higher-intensity exercise is even better, Dr Smith-Ryan said. It can help preserve muscle and metabolic health.
If you haven’t been exercising regularly, start with one or two higher-intensity days a week. You can walk, bike, swim or hop on the elliptical. Alternate between one minute at an effort level where it’s hard to have a conversation and one minute of recovery. Work your way up to 10 sets.
TRY JUMP TRAINING
To improve bone health, incorporate plyometrics, or jump training, into your regimen. This type of weight-bearing exercise applies stress on the bone, which stimulates new bone growth and improves bone density. Since your muscles must generate force to perform explosive movements, these exercises can also help maintain muscle power and improve muscle quality. If you’re worried that jumping will hurt your knees, studies have found that plyometrics don’t increase pain or stiffness in older women with mild knee pain, and can even improve cartilage health.
Dr Olenick recommends starting with light, quick bounces on two feet, called pogo hops. (Get a good warm-up in first.) Try two sets of 10 hops once a week, keeping the hops close to the ground, and work up to three sets, three times a week.
As you become more comfortable, you can bounce higher and add lateral hops, jumping jacks and skipping.
PRIORITISE RECOVERY
Some menopausal women may struggle to recover from workouts, because the body has a harder time repairing itself with less estrogen.
“Your body needs more TLC,” Dr DiGirolamo said, so don’t skimp on your warm-up or cool down, take rest days and fuel your body before and after exercise, especially with protein.
Managing your fitness routine during menopause can feel overwhelming, but Dr Smith-Ryan said that consistency is the most important thing. “You don’t have to exercise or lift heavy every single day,” she said. “Find small habits that you can do regularly.”
By Christine Yu © The New York Times Company
The article originally appeared in The New York Times.