Many women don’t need treatment for menopausal symptoms during perimenopause, when a woman’s body slowly shifts from hormone-supported ovulation cycles to permanent infertility. Exercise and good nutrition may be all that’s needed to gracefully make this major life transition. According to the Women’s Sports Medicine Center of New York, aging female bodies benefit from aerobic exercise, strength training and stretching for flexibility and balance.
Stress Reduction
MayoClinic.com recommends that women making the menopausal transition get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week. Regular physical activity including brisk walking or running helps reduce overall stress to manageable levels. Incorporating and regularly practicing stress reduction through programs such as yoga or meditation can reduce stress still more and promote relaxation.
Mood Elevation
Depression, general irritability and mood swings can be part of perimenopause, sometimes due to lack of sleep caused by hot flashes. Mood changes may also be directly connected to hormonal changes. Regular exercise typically has a positive effect on mood, and can help treat mild to moderate depression.
Better Sleep
Up to 75 percent of women get hot flashes and night sweats, often most intensely toward the end of perimenopause. Hot flashes can cause sleep disruption that leads to sleepless hours — and nights. But sometimes sleep patterns can become erratic even without hot flashes. The good news is that exercise can help improve sleep, no matter why it went bad. According to the Women’s Sports Medicine Center, morning exercise can greatly improve sleep. Exercising in the evening, however, may increase sleep problems.
Weight Loss
Gaining weight during or after menopause is often a concern. But weight gain is more likely only for women who are sedentary, says the Women’s Sports Medicine Center. In addition, the Center reports exercise may have more of a positive effect on a woman's body fat, including abdominal fat, during early menopause than hormone replacement therapy. Postmenopausal weight gain is more likely to be deposited as stomach or waistline fat, visceral fat storage associated with increased heart disease and diabetes. But with exercise, women can slim down even during perimenopause.
Health Protection
During perimenopause estrogen levels drop and women start to lose the so-called protective effect estrogen provides for women when it comes to heart disease and osteoporosis. But as it turns out exercise has its own protective effect. Weight-bearing exercise — walking and running — and strength training can help women keep the bone they have. Regular vigorous exercise has powerful cardiovascular benefits: reducing risks of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, lowering blood pressure, improving cholesterol and triglyceride profiles and increasing insulin sensitivity.
