Perimenopause can be a challenging time of a woman’s life to navigate. Investing time into your fitness and physical strength can help you feel your best and connect with your body, understanding how it has changed and feels during this new phase of life. As estrogen levels decline, women often face increased body fat, reduced muscle mass, weaker bones and a higher risk of metabolic disease. Research has shown that resistance training can dramatically improve quality of life during this transition.
Ben Lucas, personal trainer and founder of Flow Athletic has noticed an increase in specified training programs to assist women in this phase of life “I have personally noticed four major trends in fitness in the past 6 months”, explains Ben. “Pilates, Running, Peri Menopausal training programs, and specific programs and As more women in our community reach perimenopausal age, we wanted to ensure that we can assist them with the help of science.”
Ben shares his top 5 training tips to assist women in perimenopause:
1. Weights Training
Women experience a decline in estrogen during perimenopause which in turn reduces bone density and muscle mass and therefore strength training can be a great way to build your strength and help you feel strong during this time. Using weights, even light ones, can assist with your muscle mass and gradually increasing the weight as you train can keep strengthening and challenging your body.
Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva
2. Mobility Work
Perimenopause can bring a collection of hormonal changes, including muscle aches and joint stiffness. Incorporating mobility and flexibility practice into your workouts can help improve your movement, tune in with your body and even may assist with preventing any injuries. Yoga is a great way to incorporate flexibility and mobility training into your week. Assisted 1:1 stretching with a flexologist at StretchLab for example, is another great way to help your mobility and flexibility during perimenopause.
3. Don’t forget about your pelvic floor
Perimenopause can also come with a number of challenging side effects such as incontinence or a weakened core. To ensure that you are building your internal strength it is important to keep working on strengthening your pelvic floor (and core activation) during this stage. Kegels and core work are a great way to build up this internal strength.
4. Invest in recovery
Perimenopause can cause a slower recovery/repair process which means investing in recovery is a crucial part of your training. Recovery should be a priority during this time to ensure that you are taking the appropriate steps and time to heal your body, allow it to rest and reset. Prioritising sleep, mediations and restorative practices can not only have physical benefits but can also help with your mental wellness.
5. Listen to your body
Not every day or week is going to be the same. Perimenopause is a hormonal period and thus, you will have days where your energy and moods may fluctuate and ensuring you are listening to these changes is an important part of ensuring you are not over-doing it. On high energy days, opt for cardio and intense workouts however on the slower days opt for a lighter activity such as yoga or even a walk outside. It is important to tell your trainer how you are feeling and they will be able to cater your workout around your body.
Ben Lucas, co-founder of Flow Athletic, is launching 6-week resistance programs for perimenopausal women. More information here.
Perimenopause can be a challenging time of a woman’s life to navigate. Investing time into your fitness and physical strength can help you feel your best and connect with your body, understanding how it has changed and feels during this new phase of life. As estrogen levels decline, women often face increased body fat, reduced muscle mass, weaker bones and a higher risk of metabolic disease. Research has shown that resistance training can dramatically improve quality of life during this transition.
Ben Lucas, personal trainer and founder of Flow Athletic has noticed an increase in specified training programs to assist women in this phase of life “I have personally noticed four major trends in fitness in the past 6 months”, explains Ben. “Pilates, Running, Peri Menopausal training programs, and specific programs and As more women in our community reach perimenopausal age, we wanted to ensure that we can assist them with the help of science.”
Ben shares his top 5 training tips to assist women in perimenopause:
1. Weights Training
Women experience a decline in estrogen during perimenopause which in turn reduces bone density and muscle mass and therefore strength training can be a great way to build your strength and help you feel strong during this time. Using weights, even light ones, can assist with your muscle mass and gradually increasing the weight as you train can keep strengthening and challenging your body.
2. Mobility Work
Perimenopause can bring a collection of hormonal changes, including muscle aches and joint stiffness. Incorporating mobility and flexibility practice into your workouts can help improve your movement, tune in with your body and even may assist with preventing any injuries. Yoga is a great way to incorporate flexibility and mobility training into your week. Assisted 1:1 stretching with a flexologist at StretchLab for example, is another great way to help your mobility and flexibility during perimenopause.
3. Don’t forget about your pelvic floor
Perimenopause can also come with a number of challenging side effects such as incontinence or a weakened core. To ensure that you are building your internal strength it is important to keep working on strengthening your pelvic floor (and core activation) during this stage. Kegels and core work are a great way to build up this internal strength.
4. Invest in recovery
Perimenopause can cause a slower recovery/repair process which means investing in recovery is a crucial part of your training. Recovery should be a priority during this time to ensure that you are taking the appropriate steps and time to heal your body, allow it to rest and reset. Prioritising sleep, mediations and restorative practices can not only have physical benefits but can also help with your mental wellness.
5. Listen to your body
Not every day or week is going to be the same. Perimenopause is a hormonal period and thus, you will have days where your energy and moods may fluctuate and ensuring you are listening to these changes is an important part of ensuring you are not over-doing it. On high energy days, opt for cardio and intense workouts however on the slower days opt for a lighter activity such as yoga or even a walk outside. It is important to tell your trainer how you are feeling and they will be able to cater your workout around your body.
Ben Lucas, co-founder of Flow Athletic, is launching 6-week resistance programs for perimenopausal women. More information here.
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