Managing Menopause: How Hormone Changes Impact Exercise and Well-Being

During menopause, there is a significant change in hormones. These hormonal changes can cause many side effects. One of the hormones which reduced during this time is testosterone. In the female body testosterone is a growth hormone. So when stores are depleted, as in menopause, it diminishes our well-being, brings unexplained fatigue, and negatively affects bone density.

The type of exercise we do will also impact the level of testosterone in our body. For example, endurance training will deplete stores further. Any type of exercise which is endurance-based will deplete the store, running, cycling, swimming anything longer than an hour will be classed as endurance.

Conversely, excess testosterone will be highlighted by an increase in facial hair and an increase in dreaming.

The best form of exercise for women to manage the side effects during menopause of hormone change is to find an activity which you enjoy doing. Dancing, aquarobics, or a fitness class. With these kinds of activities, you will be exercising in an interval way. Such as a burst of intense exercise and then less intense to rest etc. This is the most beneficial way for older women to exercise. This high intensity for short periods enables the hormones to respond.

Get hot and sweaty during ‘high intensity and rest exercise’. For a 30-second duration, exercise as hard as they can and rest for 30 seconds. This lasts for a maximum of 30 minutes which includes warm up and cool down. This activity gives you the hormone response necessary to manage the side effects that hormone imbalance has at this time.