Intro to Exercise and Movement in Perimenopause
Exercise and Movement in the Perimenopause & Post-menopause years might look very different than what you’ve been doing (or not doing) in your 20s and 30s.
For example, in my 20s and 30s, I ran long distances and eventually trained for a few marathons. I lifted some weights, but was mostly focused on sweating and getting my heart rate up for long periods of time.
I already had an active lifestyle as an outdoor educator - hiking, climbing, backpacking, etc. My scheduled “workouts” were focused on running and cardio.
I noticed definite changes in my late 30s and early 40s.
I had let go of running — it was a fun time for 10-15 years, but I was ready to move on. My exercise consisted of walking, vinyasa yoga and some weight training. I was still doing some hiking, and my bloodwork and regular checkups deemed me a generally healthy person.
I’d gained a few pounds here and there, yet nothing to be concerned about — I could use a bit more weight on me, actually.
And yet right before Covid hit, I signed up for a workout program that I “should” have been able to adapt to fairly quickly … a combo of cardio and weights … after a few weeks on the program, I found myself physically ill after a workout and gassed the rest of the day.
I thought, I’ll just work harder and adapt.
Nope.
It was like my body was betraying me. I was like, this is what I do, this is how I have always worked out, this is what has always “worked” …
… obviously, not anymore.
I felt like I’d failed. Like it was all downhill from here — muscle wasting, bone brittling, weight gain, joint pain here I come — and what if I can’t go hiking anymore? (downward spiral of the mind)
After much trial and error, after muddling through a bunch of hype and bogus information (i.e. programs claiming grand results when they rely on research done on men, or programs for 20-year-olds disguised as the answer for women who aren’t 20 and DON’T WANT TO BE 20 — we want to feel good and strong in OUR bodies) … I started to find some reliable sources of information on the WHY and the WHAT of exercise and nutrition for perimenopause and beyond.
And I experimented on myself.
I’m still experimenting.
And that’s the exciting thing — though, mind you, challenging too — that our bodies in perimenopause (symptoms can begin in your mid-30s) are TOTALLY reforming and recalibrating due to the withdrawal of estradiol (one of the three types of estrogen we produce, see previous blog post). So, while the ways we used to exercise and workout no longer serve us … THERE ARE NEW WAYS OF THINKING ABOUT AND DOING OUR EXERCISE THAT DO WORK in this stage of life.
Check out the summary of Dr. Stacy Sims’ interview with Huberman Lab for inspiration:
https://ai.hubermanlab.com/c/b3126b88-4b64-11ef-9c40-836f6e23f81e