3 Ways to help minimize the negative effects of menopause
As you’re getting older are you finding it hard to maintain your weight?
Do you feel like the things that worked before don’t anymore?
The truth is that menopause is no small thing the body goes though.
Aside from a change in where your body stores fat, there’s also a higher risk for health conditions such as heart disease, osteoporosis, and muscle loss.
It can also take a toll on your mental health as your body adapts to the decreases in hormones.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to feel better and minimize these side effects.
𝟏.) 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟐+ 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤
Strength training is the most important type of training through and after menopause because it is the only kind of training that promotes muscle growth AND increased bone density.
If you want to maintain your activity level and independence as long as possible, you need to have strength training on your schedule.
𝟐.) 𝐂𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐥
I will be honest, this is the one I get the most grief about. I’m not telling you that you can’t have wine now and then… I’m saying that if you want to decrease the negative side effects of menopause (specifically weight gain in the belly), cutting down on alcohol is essential.
Alcohol is a hormone disruptor and your hormone levels (specifically estrogen & progesterone) are already dropping at this time. You know how you feel like your body doesn’t recover from alcohol like when you were in your 20’s?.... Well there’s a reason for that.
𝟑.) 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬
You’re likely going through menopause while you’re still working. And chances are, you’re in a high level position that you’ve worked up to. Stress in your life isn’t disappearing anytime soon.
Couple that with fluctuating hormone levels and you find yourself more irritable, less motivated, more anxious and/or depressed, and constantly at a high stress level.
When stress and cortisol (the main stress hormone) are constantly high, it makes it really difficult for your body to prioritize anything having to do with fat loss, recovery, immunity, etc. In fact, chronically high stress will make all of those areas worse.
I can’t stress enough how utilizing stress relieving strategies can change your life. And I’m not talking about taking an entire day off to spend at a spa.
𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝟻 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘨𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝟷𝟶 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴. 𝘖𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬, 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘹!
These destressors work on bringing down the cortisol levels that are exacerbating your menopause symptoms.
Menopause is something all of us women are going to experience in our lives.
But you don’t have to navigate it alone or feel completely hopeless as you move into this new phase of your life.