The benefits of exercising during menopause
401% of women don't get enough exercise, and this figure increases with age. It's even higher during menopause, a stage of life where hormonal changes lead to increased fatigue and lack of motivation. Ana Aguilera, a psychologist and Pilates instructor specializing in music therapy, explains the effects of exercise on a woman's health during this stage of life.
Exercise is key to improving menopause symptoms and avoiding the long-term side effects of estrogen deficiency (cardiovascular and metabolic risk along with weight gain).
What benefits does exercise offer during menopause?
- It helps us maintain our weight.
- It prevents the decrease of bone mass.
- It improves glucose metabolism, reducing the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes.
- It regulates cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of hypertension, and therefore has been shown to prevent cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction or stroke.
- It improves mood and reduces the risk of depression.
- It improves sleep.
- It improves stress management.
- It reduces hot flashes.
What kind of exercise should we do to be effective?
The type of exercise that has been shown to be related to these types of benefits is one that combines an active lifestyle consisting of at least 10,000 brisk steps a day, along with exercises that help maintain and increase muscle mass, such as toning and Pilates.
At beDona we have prepared a 15-day schedule with a proposal of daily exercises of about 30-40 minutes duration that includes varied and fun combinations of cardio, pilates, kick-boxing, toning, yoga and stretching.
This combination, along with guidance from our professional, ensures the correct execution of the recommended exercises. It is specifically designed for women at this stage of life who don't typically exercise, so it's suitable for all fitness levels. The goal is for you to gradually improve your fitness, without injury and without the frustration of not being able to keep up.
We suggest you do these routines independently starting from these 15 days. You can do the exercises as we recommend them or combine them when you are already in better physical shape.
