Ah yes the menopause. The menopause, to refer to it scientifically, is when a woman has not had a period for 12 consecutive months, thus ending her reproductive years. More anecdotally, the menopause is a time of fluctuating hormones, bodily changes and the media stirring up abject terror.
So what if we said it didn’t have to be this way? The menopause is usually preceded by a period of perimenopause. Perimenopause can happen several years before periods cease completely, and is typically when the hormones oestrogen and progesterone start to decline. This may be when women first start experiencing menopausal symptoms. These symptoms include hot flushes, anxiety, mood fluctuations and a loss of bone density. I mean we’ve all heard the horror stories haven’t we?
What we hear less about is how to overcome these symptoms. There’s a lot to be said for HRT, and it can be life changing for so many women, but what about alternative or complimentary methods of managing the menopause? As it turns out, lifting heavy weights is scientifically shown to improve outcomes for both pre and post menopausal women? Here’s why.
Oestrogen
Oestrogen is a very powerful hormone. We could get into a lot of nitty gritty when it comes to oestrogen but the headline is that oestrogen is a big player when it comes to building lean muscle. A loss of oestrogen will result in increased belly fat, potentially leading to a risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Losing oestrogen also means losing muscle, ergo, menopausal women become weaker.
Cardio cannot make you stronger. Sure it will improve your endurance and your heart rate, but it won’t do a thing for muscle mass. In fact, over time, it can actually contribute to muscles breaking down. CrossFit, strength training and weight lifting on the other hand, actively increase muscle mass. So, incorporating weight lifting into your training roughly 3 times a week will help to shore off any loss of muscle when oestrogen levels start to drop. Similarly, taking on weight training post menopause will make you stronger and protect against weight related illnesses.
Bone density
Oestrogen is at it again. The lower levels of the hormone result in women losing bone density over time. Around 10% in the first five years in fact. The biggest risk factor here is osteoporosis. And what can improve bone mass density and combat osteoporosis? Yep, weight training. Research has shown that weight training actually restores bone mass in middle aged participants, so taking on CrossFit or a weight lifting class is a perfect way for menopausal women to stick two fingers up to any suggestions they should ‘slow down.’
Vasomotor symptoms
Vasomotor symptoms are more commonly known as things like night sweats or hot flushes. Fluctuating hormones are usually the culprit and medication sometimes the cure. Yet research has shown that weight training actually improves these symptoms without the need for medication. It may seem counterintuitive that getting hot and sweaty during a workout will decrease how often you're having hot flushes, but who are we to argue with the science?
Weight gain
As we touched on at the beginning, lower levels of oestrogen are responsible for additional belly fat that creeps on during or after the menopause. Added to that the lack of energy or fluctuating moods and it can be easy to turn to food to fill the void. Weight training significantly increases your metabolic rate and, as we said, your muscle mass. So if you are eating a little more, your metabolism should be able to cope and with the lean muscle you gain you’re more likely to stay at a weight you’re happy with and carry on feeling good.
Mindset
There’s been far more in the media of late about the mental effects of menopause and its associations with low mood, anxiety and depression. CrossFit, and weight training in general, are excellent distractions from the difficulties of daily life and create a short term improvement in overall mood. Long term, a regular exercise regime can result in long lasting improvements in anxiety levels, thanks to a reduction in both your resting heart rate and your stress hormones. The high intensity associated with weight training provides that all important short term distraction while the health and hormonal benefits from long term participation make stress much easier to deal with every day.
Sexual function and testosterone
Yes we went there. You can’t talk about the menopause without mentioning the scare stories about drops in libido and dried up sex lives. The loss of oestrogen along with testosterone is the reason for this, but it doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to an orgasm forever. Aside from the improvements to your mood and stress levels, which are libido inhibitors, exercise also increases testosterone production. Last but not least, the impact of regular workouts on your self esteem and self image will make up for any waning self confidence.
CrossFit and weight training aren’t a cure all. We aren’t trying to say you can avoid any menopausal symptoms by swinging some heavy stuff about. There’s more to it than that. What we are saying is that giving yourself the best chance at any stage of life is a no-brainer. Menopause is an important transition and one that we know women don’t take lightly. What menopause isn’t, is an excuse. So find the fire, lift the weight and say ‘not me’ to outdated notions of what the menopause means.
Find out more about managing the menopause on Manchester Menopause Hive.
And if you fancy trying out weight lifting, hit the big button below