Menopause & Fitness

Published: 30th January 2012
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It seems like Menopause and weight gain go hand in hand.
Many women facing menopause often struggle with different physical changes in their body, making this a very important time to step-up that fitness routine.
There are many benefits you can gain from exercising during menopause:
  • Prevention of weight gain - During menopause, a woman can lose muscle and gain abdominal fat. Just a little extra exercise during this time can help.

  • Reduce the risk of breast cancer- Physical activity during and after menopause can help maintain a healthy weight, which may offer protection from breast cancer.

  • Enhance your mood - No matter what your age is, any physical activity can boost your mood.

  • Bone Strength -Physical activity can slow bone loss after menopause, which lowers the risk of fractures and osteoporosis.

  • Help reduce the risk of many diseases - Because your body is going through many changes during menopause you can become more at risk for various chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular issues. Regular exercise can help reduce these risks.

During menopause many women will experience insomnia and hot flashes, and although exercise will not treat these particular conditions, for many women, regular physical activity during and after menopause helps to relieve stress and improve quality of life.
It is recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services that a healthy woman get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week - preferably spread throughout the week as well as strength training exercises at least twice a week.A few good exercise choices when you are ready to get started may be:
  • Aerobics - Great for your cardiovascular system

  • Strength Training - Regular strength training can help you reduce body fat, strengthen your muscles and more efficiently burn calories.

  • Stretching - Stretching increases flexibility, improves range of motion and promotes better circulation.

  • Balance - Balance exercises improve stability and can help prevent falls.

TIP: Increase your physical activity any way you can. Increasing physical activity means you will decrease your weight and reduce your vulnerability to many diseases. You will feel better!Source: 'Fitness Tips for Menopause', mayoclinic.comPosted In: Fitness http://shannonmillerlifestyle.com/category/fitness 12/22/2011

In addition to exercise, here's a few words about a good diet - not a weight loss type of diet, but the kind that prevents you from gaining weight, and keeps your body funtioning well so you don't get cravings as much.

The important thing to remember is variety, and it not only fullfills dietary needs, but also keeps meals interesting; you may even find foods delectable that you didn't even know you liked before. Make sure to eat fresh though; vegetables, fruits graines and squashes, leafy greens should always be on the grocery list - and don't just have to be in salads or boiled alone, different types of lettiuce, greens such as beet greens, or mustard can make a fancy - and inexpensive - addition to soups. Speaking of which, Chicken is much better than red meats - you can get your iron from vegetables, and if you're not allergic to soy products, tofu and soy products make an excellent suppliment to shakes, soups, even scrambled eggs!

Fish is also a wonderful source of healthy nutrients, amino acids, and oils, if you like fish, don't be afraid to have an extra serving. In general though, it's helpful to eat smaller portions at meals, and snack on fruits and raw veggies in between. Keeping your intake low can help you can prevent that 'bloated' feeling, and more importantly, help prevent irritable bowel syndrome which is common with menopause.

"Two of the hardest lifelong habits to break are sugar and salt. Try using herbs and spices in lieu of salt when you’re cooking – you may be surprised at how great your food tastes without it!" according to fiftyisthenewfourty.net "Another one is coffee... if you drink several cups a day now is the time to consider scaling back. There are so many lovely types of healthy herbal teas available, you may forget you ever liked coffee!"

Also, be sure to give the article about using "Ginger for Osteoarthritis" a read at ShannonMillerLifestyle or elsewhere on the internet: even if you don't have symptoms of osteoarthritis yet, ginger is a wonder food for many ailments, even before they happen, and it ads healthy spice to soups, chicken dishes, teas - even some slices placed in with soda water in a bottle (and then recapped) and left for a few days in the refrigerator can make your own non-fat ginger-ale type drink.

The mission of Shannon Miller Lifestyle is to inform, educate and inspire women to lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Through books, DVD's motivational speaking, a weekly call-in radio show, and website.
Shannon focuses on opening the lines of communication and reminding women that it is okay to ask questions, demand answers, support each other and have fun along the way.
Shannon Miller Lifestyle is targeted to women with a focus on pregnancy and motherhood.
Visit the website at http://shannonmillerlifestyle.com

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Source: http://shannonmiller.articlealley.com/menopause--fitness-2410349.html

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