The latest research shows that both diet and exercise play a significant role in how we cope going through this period. Our clinic offers Clinical Pilates and exercise classes tailored to your needs during this sometimes difficult time.
Menopause marks the end of a woman’s reproductive era. It is indicated by the stopping of menstrual period and usually occurs around the age of 50 although this can vary considerably. It lasts between 5 to 10 years usually. Some women suffer physical and emotional symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, tiredness, depression, and loss of libido, mood changes, irritability, forgetfulness, fatigue and loss of strength. Every woman’s experience of menopause will be different and this will depend on the influences around her and her lifestyle. Exercise contributes to the quality of life in middle age and beyond. A policy of lifetime exercise is beneficial because regular exercise can have an important impact on the physical well being and also psychological. So it can help things like depression, anxiety and insomnia. Sometimes menopause will effect your sporting performance and you may need to adapt your sport in order to cope with the changes occurring in your body.
There are a few things you can do to help during the menopausal period. Keeping a diary is a good idea as well as relevant information such as full medical history, menstrual cycle history, body weight and sleep patterns which may be useful to your medical practitioner. Discuss the problem thoroughly with your doctor. Hormone replacement therapy is available and a lot of women find this helpful. Natural therapies are also available. Learn also to recognise the symptoms, which affect your performance and have the confidence to make adjustments to training until the situation improves. Develop open communication with your coach or experienced personnel to enhance the development and management of the training program. And finally, eliminate other possible causes for chronic fatigue such as inadequate diet, lack of rest and over-training. Supervised exercise is often recommended as continual guidance on how hard you should be exercising is vital.
It is now believed that males go through some form of menopause with some similarities in symptoms due to normal hormone changes as we age. Exercise is vital to assist in coping with the changes your body goes through. It needs to be structured and beneficial. Talk to our therapists and your GP for further advice and details on programs offered.
