Exercise is an important component of any healthy lifestyle, but it becomes especially vital as you approach menopause. Fluctuations in your hormone levels as you age can cause changes in your bone density, cause you to see a rapid rise in weight and put you at risk for certain illnesses. By adopting a daily exercise routine, you can lower your risk for deadly disease, reduce your waistline and fortify your bones against density loss to ensure a healthy transition into the menopausal and postmenopausal stages of your life.
Bone Density
Women are especially susceptible to bone density loss, which becomes more prevalent as you age. Along with a healthy diet rich in calcium, exercise can help strengthen bones and even replace density as you age. Since bone is a living tissue, it responds to exercise in the same way that your muscles can, by becoming stronger with resistance. Activities that cause your bones to work against gravity can help build stronger, healthy bones to help protect you from the bone loss that many women experience before, during and after menopause.
Weight Management
As you approach menopause, you'll likely gain a few pounds as the result of inactivity or an unhealthy diet. As you age, you naturally lose muscle mass. Since muscle is naturally more metabolically active than fat, you may notice your metabolism slows and losing weight becomes harder. When you make exercise a part of your daily schedule, you burn calories and build muscle, which helps to avoid and control the weight gain that often seems like an inevitable precursor to menopause.
Cancer Risk
A study published in the May 2008 issue of the "British Journal of Sports Medicine" examined 62 previous studies and found that regular exercise reduces your risk of breast cancer by about 25 percent. In fact, at least half of all of the studies showed that exercise could reduce a woman's breast cancer risk. Another study, published in a 2003 issue of the "British Journal of Cancer" hypothesized that the positive correlation between premenopausal breast cancer and exercise could be attributed to an overall lower BMI and healthier lifestyle.
Reaping the Benefits
A hectic lifestyle can make squeezing in exercise a challenge. By making exercise a priority for your premenopausal health, you'll be rewarded with myriad benefits. Weight training, cardiovascular activity and flexibility training are all important components of an exercise routine. Try taking a class through your local recreation center, walk with a friend after work or join a sports team; just ensure that you fit in at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day.
References
- "British Journal of Sports Medicine"; Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Risk: Impact of Timing, Type and Dose of Activity and Population Subgroup Effects; C M Friedenreich et al.; May 2008
- "British Journal of Medicine"; Physical Activity and Risk of Breast Cancer in Premenopausal Women; G A Colditzl et al.; Sept. 2003
- MayoClinic.com; Menoapuse Weight Gain: Stop the Middle Age Spread; Sept. 2010
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: Exercise for Your Bone Health
