Weight Lifting to Combat Impacts of Aging
Growing older doesn’t mean days of grinding hard in the gym are over! As a matter of fact, STRENGTH TRAINING can combat the impacts of aging and the side effects of menopause. So, instead of letting your age discourage you, focus on understanding your hormones and incorporating the right mix of diet and exercise into your day for better results. You'll be surprised how amazing you feel!
How Your Hormones Impact Your Body
Getting to know more about how your hormones impact your body is key to meeting your fitness goals. They control a variety of physiological reactions in the body including:
metabolism
reproductive processes
tissue growth
hydration levels
degradation of muscle protein
mood
Hormones are also responsible for building new muscle and helping to burn fat, so it's important to take them into consideration when planning your workouts and goals. As your body goes through changes, remember to be patient with yourself and work out in a way that makes you feel best.
How Strength Training Can Help
Any changes to your body can present challenges to your regular approach to wellness, and menopause can often be an uncomfortable chapter in a woman’s life. Your body is changing in new ways, and the effects that come with that often present lots of new and different “experiences” we aren’t used to.
For many women that can look like hot flashes, weight gain, muscle/bone loss, sleep disturbances, and feelings of anxiety or depression. Thankfully, there are ways to make this phase a bit more endurable. Strength training is a great tool to help fight the side effects of menopause. It can:
Stimulate muscle-building stem cells: Exercising builds "satellite cells" that help you maintain your muscle.
Increase your metabolic rate: During menopause, your metabolism tends to slow down. Strength training fuels your metabolic engine, giving you more energy to burn fat.
Build stronger bones: Combat bone loss during menopause by strengthening your bone density.
Boost your mood: Women that exercise during menopause have a lower risk of depression and cognitive decline.
Optimize carbohydrate utilization by your muscle cells (increase insulin sensitivity).
While the side effects of menopause can feel unpleasant at times, regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight, relieve stress, and improve your quality of life.
Balance Your Cortisol Levels
During menopause, your estrogen levels begin to decline. This allows the stress hormone, cortisol, to rise. This can increase feelings of anxiety, slow healing, and favor weight redistribution around the midsection. The most powerful behaviors for mitigating negative side effects of menopause are STRENGTH TRAINING, sleep hygiene, eating a nutrient dense diet, prioritizing lean protein and minimizing foods that come in a box or bag, and managing stress levels!
Exercise promotes the production of “feel good” neurotransmitters, acting as a natural mood elevator. With the correct nourishment and the right amount of physical activity, you will be able to combat the mental and physical effects of a hormone imbalance.
Using Fitness to Fight the Effects of Menopause
Had to skip your workout? Don’t worry! There are simple steps you can take outside the gym to help fight some of the side effects of menopause:
Eat foods rich in calcium and vitamin D for bone health.
Drink water to help your body’s natural detoxification process
Try to get sufficient amounts of sleep for your mood and energy levels, as well as manage appetite-regulating hormones
Focus on stress reduction by participating in breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, or walking
Although exercise is extremely important for easing your body's reaction to menopause, it's not the only remedy. Adding a mix of these efforts to your daily routine can make a big difference in the way that you feel from day to day.
How CORE57 Can Help
For many of our clients, combating the effects of changing hormones is one of their biggest hurdles when it comes to getting the results they are looking for, which is why we place so much emphasis on building a balanced approach to health and wellness using our 7 Fitness Foundations.
If you're going through menopause or feel like you’re fighting an uphill battle when it comes to combating the effects changing hormones can have on your body, you are not alone!
There is no one-size-fits-all solution and every body is different, so we take the time to complete an assessment and really help you dig into your goals and challenges to create a customized wellness plan for you with the right mix of nutrition coaching and training.
Hormone changes and menopause occur at different times for all women, but we are here to help you through the process, no matter what side effects you are experiencing.
CORE57 offers a judgment-free zone with a supportive community where you can focus on feeling better INSIDE AND OUT. We'll help you find workouts that cater to your personal needs so you can see improvements that are in line with your body and fitness goals.
Interested? Reach out today to learn more about our membership process!