Unleash Your Inner Strength: How to Maximize Workouts After Menopause
Are you ready to discover the secret to a stronger, healthier you after menopause?
When Sarah Baldassaro turned 50, she decided it was time to take charge of her health. She began working with a fitness coach, focusing on strength training, a crucial exercise type for women in midlife. As a result, she's now stronger overall than she's ever been, with a fitness level comparable to her early 30s.
Medical experts emphasize the importance of strength training in maintaining bone and muscle health after menopause. Estrogen loss during this stage accelerates bone density reduction and muscle mass loss. Strength training, which involves working against resistance, helps women maintain a healthy weight and stay on track with fitness goals.
"People underestimate how powerful it is," says Dr. Christina DeAngelis, an OB-GYN at Penn State Health.
But what should your workout look like, and how do you get started? Let's explore!
Strength Training with Weights
Physical therapist Hilary Granat explains that bone and muscle health are interconnected. When muscles pull on bones during resistance training, it stimulates bone-building cells. Resistance can come from dumbbells, free weights, or machines like rowers. One example of a strength training exercise is the chest press, which involves lying back on a bench or the ground, pressing weights up from chest level, and then lowering them.
"It's important to work close to muscle failure," says Granat, who owns Core Total Wellness in Washington, D.C. "You really have to push yourself."
This means lifting weights that are challenging, with 6 to 30 repetitions. You'll know you're working hard enough if you start slowing down in tempo or speed or can't do another repetition in good form. A good rule of thumb for an exercise like a bicep curl is to lift weights between 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms) and 20 pounds (9.1 kilograms), with novices starting at the lower end.
Baldassaro has worked her way up to 20 pounds for some exercises, incorporating techniques she learned from Granat. She says the health coach has helped her expand her workouts beyond mostly cardio.
"While I still do aerobic exercises, the strength training has really been the difference maker for me," she said.
No Weights? No Problem
Building up bones and muscles doesn't necessarily require equipment. You can also do pushups, squats, lunges, situps, crunches, or planks. Another good exercise is squatting down with your back against a wall. Even the simple act of getting into and out of a chair can be helpful, DeAngelis said.
"You have to engage your core going from sitting to standing," she said. "That also allows you to work on your coordination and balance."
Granat also emphasizes "impact training" exercises like walking, hiking, running, jumping, skipping, and climbing stairs. On the high-impact end of the spectrum is a "rebound jump," which involves jumping up and down from a step 10 to 30 times. "We're not talking about jumping hard and fast and a lot," she said, adding that three times a week is enough.
Don't Forget About Balance
Experts say middle-aged women should also perform balance exercises, which play a crucial role in preventing falls that can break or fracture bones. These include tai chi, yoga, or even standing on one leg while brushing your teeth for around 30 seconds.
"All of these exercises are great for younger people too," experts say, especially since bone mass peaks at 25 to 30 years old and slowly begins to lessen around age 40.
After seeing how strength training has improved her life, Baldassaro advises others: "Don’t wait. Get started."
What do you think? Are you ready to embrace strength training after menopause? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
