Ahh menopause – so many delightful symptoms to experience.  The heat of a hot flash, a burst of incandescent rage brought on by something insignificant, insomnia, night sweats that leave your pjs and your sheets soaking wet, weight gain, thinning hair, waning libido…the list goes on.  Of course, we all know about HRT but what about other ways of supporting ourselves through this challenging time? 

As a personal trainer, I delight in finding ways that exercise can improve health.  Not just in terms of being fit but how it has positive impacts on things like mental health, sleep, recovery from injury or surgery – another list that goes on.  Naturally enough, there’s evidence to support the idea that regular exercise can help you both reduce and manage the symptoms of menopause.

1.       Reduces hot flashes: Hot flashes are one of the most common symptoms of menopause, affecting up to 75% of women causing a sudden feeling of warmth, often accompanied by sweating and flushing.  Do you need a fan just from reading that?  Anyone who has experienced a hot flash knows how awful it feels and how you often need to factor in these bursts of heat into what you choose to wear.  It may well be cold outside but you know hot flashes are coming and you need to be able to whip off a couple of layers and feel the cool air in an instant! 

Luckily, regular exercise has been shown to help regulate body temperature and reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flashes. In one study, women who exercised regularly experienced fewer hot flashes than those who did not exercise.  If that’s not enough to get you moving, then read on for more reasons.

2.       Improves mood: Have you caught yourself going off tap at someone you love and realising mid rant that the issue is actually quite insignificant but the red hot rage you feel has overwhelmed you and you can’t stop now?  Yeah, me too. 

Mood swings, particularly anger, are common during menopause thanks to the hormonal changes. I’ve talked previously about the benefits of exercise released endorphins that act to improve our mood and help us feel good when we are stressed or feeling low.  Well, it has the same impact on mood swings due to menopause.  Keep up the exercise and you will be better able to manage your stress, anxiety and use those endorphins to counter the hormone highs and lows of menopause

3.       Supports weight management:  Weight gain is a really common symptom of menopause, and can be caused by hormonal changes combined with a slowing metabolism.  Most of us will notice as we age that weight is harder to shift than when we were in our twenties and menopause adds a whole new level to this challenge.  What you eat and how much you move can have a significant impact on managing your weight as you go through perimenopause and shift into menopause.

Exercise becomes even more important as it can help combat that sneaky weight gain by boosting metabolism and burning calories.  It’s really important as we age to maintain a healthy weight as it can reduce the risk of other health problems.

4.       Boosts bone density: As if the above isn’t enough, as women age, their bone density decreases putting them at risk for osteoporosis. Oestrogen, a hormone that declines during menopause, plays a crucial role in maintaining bone density. As oestrogen levels decrease, women become more susceptible to osteoporosis and fractures.

This is where weight-bearing exercise becomes really important as it can help improve bone density and reduce the risk of fractures. Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, running, and strength training, stimulate the bones to become denser and stronger. 

Maintaining our bone health is vital when it comes to being able to maintain an active life as we age helping reduce the risk of falls caused by breaking or fracturing bones.  Anyone who has seen a loved one endure such an injury knows the debilitating effect it has and how tough recovery can be to get through.  So, exercise and lower the risk!

5.       Improves sleep: Sweet, sweet sleep – how good we feel when we are able to sleep well.  Sleep disturbances are common during menopause thanks to hormonal changes and are exacerbated by other symptoms such as the hot flashes and night sweats.   Worse, poor sleep is going to have an impact on your weight but not in a good way! 

Studies have shown that exercise aids sleep quality for adults as it reduces the time it takes to fall asleep which means we are not lying awake waiting for sleep.  We also know the positive effect sleep has on helping us manage stress which in turn allows for a better night’s sleep.   Most important thought is that physical activity helps regulate the body's internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm, promoting deeper and more restful sleep. Weaving exercise into your routine can result in a rejuvenated and well-rested feeling, boosting energy levels during the day.

Without doubt, exercise is a powerful tool that can help reduce the impact of menopause symptoms.   It doesn’t matter what you do but make sure you find something you enjoy and try to include some form of weight bearing exercise. 

** Make sure you check in with your doctor if you are worried about any of your symptoms or if you need further relief.   Exercise is there to support any required medical intervention or program you need to follow.