At some point in midlife, usually between ages 45 and 55, women’s reproductive lives end and major hormonal changes occur, such as a decrease in estrogen and progesterone. During this transition, women experience a series of symptoms that can last for several years, including hot flashes, night sweats, and palpitations, all due to changes in body temperature regulation. Mood swings, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and decreased libido are also common, as well as vaginal dryness and changes to the skin and hair due to loss of collagen. Another common symptom is that exercise is more difficult than before, but this is precisely when it is most needed.
Changes in menopause
These Symptoms vary in intensity and duration among women and can affect quality of life, although there are pharmacological treatments and strategies to alleviate them. One of those that has received the most attention in recent years is physical exercise, especially strength exercises.
Menopause has a decisive effect on longevity, in part because of its impact on the muscular and skeletal system. Some studies indicate that osteosarcopenia, a combination of bone decalcification combined with loss of muscle mass, may have a much more pronounced effect on mortality than osteoporosis alone.
“Strength exercise is important throughout life, but even more so after the age of 40, for both men and women, because there is a loss of muscle mass of between 1% and 2% per year due to the aging process and the decline in anabolic hormones,” explains Dr. Ángel Durántez Prados, specialized in healthy aging medicine “But we also stop, with age we move less and less. This can be avoided by maintaining physical activity. “A man can maintain muscle mass above 60 if he exercises and eats well.”
Loss of muscle mass is not exclusively due to menopause, but other symptoms affect women in such a way that they accentuate the loss of muscle mass.
Angel Durántez Prados
— doctor specializing in healthy aging
However, in the case of women, menopause represents an additional difficulty. “Menopause occurs in few animal species, and we don’t know exactly why. The hormonal drop in women is very sudden, especially in estrogen, since progesterone and testosterone begin to decrease up to ten years earlier,” explains Dr. Durántez. “Loss of muscle mass is not exclusively due to menopause, but other symptoms affect women in such a way that they accentuate the loss of muscle mass,” he adds.
“In addition, gaining muscle mass can help at the brain level,” explains Dr. Marimer Pérez, gynecologist specializing in menopause, through her social networks, where she talks about it. “Those moments when you don’t know whether to laugh or cry, which contain emotional lability, crises of tension, everything can improve with strength exercises. It calms anxiety and helps you sleep better,” he adds.
Menopause and muscles
During menopause, the most significant physical changes occur due to the decrease in hormones, including estrogen, which affect various systems in the body. One of the main effects is observed in bone density. With the decline in estrogen, the ability of bones to absorb calcium and other minerals is reduced, leading to accelerated loss of bone mass, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures, particularly in the hips, spine. spine and wrists.
But the muscles are also affected. Menopause is associated with a decrease in muscle mass and strength, a process called sarcopenia. This loss of muscle mass is due to the reduction in anabolic hormones, notably testosterone and estrogens (which it should be remembered that they are present in both men and women, although in different quantities). The loss of muscle mass can be very rapid: “Anyone who has had a fracture knows that in a few weeks of inactivity you can lose a lot of muscle mass,” warns Dr. Durántez.
Muscle loss in turn worsens osteoporosis. The formation of new bone tissue requires mechanical stimulation provided by muscles and tendons. With small and weak muscles, the bones become weaker and, on the contrary, strength exercises serve to strengthen the bones.
In addition to affecting bones and muscles, menopause impacts metabolism, which can lead to weight gain and a redistribution of body fat, which tends to accumulate in the abdominal area. This change in body composition not only affects physical appearance, but is also linked to an increased risk of metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. “Muscle can be considered an endocrine organ, it secretes myokines, proteins that have beneficial effects on the brain and the cardiovascular system,” explains Dr. Durántez. “Strength exercise also improves markers of cardiovascular risk, such as cholesterol and reduction of visceral fat,” he adds.
Walking is not enough
“Walking is good, it’s an activity we should all do daily,” writes Dr. Pérez, “but if you’re in your 30s, 40s, 50s or older, it’s crucial to incorporate exercise by force.” For Dr. Durántez, physical exercise is something that must be practiced throughout life and in all its aspects: “The training must be complete: aerobics, strength and stretching, you have to work on everything”, specifies- he.
One of the reasons why walking fails is lack of endurance. “In strength exercises, there must be resistance to muscle contraction,” explains Dr. Durántez. “This can be done with loads, weights or machines, resistance bands, suspension straps, pulleys or exercises with your own weight like squats, glute bridges or hanging from a barbell.”
An exercise program that includes resistance and strength training, aerobic exercise, and mobility exercises, along with a diet rich in protein, calcium, and vitamin D, can help preserve bone and muscle mass. , muscle function and, therefore, health. general.
The training must be complete: aerobics, strength and stretching, you have to work on everything
Dr. Ángel Durántez Prados
What elements should a menopause training program include? Here are the fundamentals, supported by scientific studies:
- Multi-joint strength exercises: The most effective are complex movements using several muscles and joints, such as squats. “For example, you can use a pulley to imitate the mowing motion with a scythe,” says Dr. Durántez.
- High-intensity intervals: exercises in which phases of very high intensity alternate, such as sprint run or cycle, with short breaks, like the famous Tabata exercises. In the case of menopause, they can be effective in reducing body fat and increasing aerobic capacity.
- Jumps and impact exercises: Controlled impact exercises, such as box jumps or skipping rope, have a stimulating effect on bone regeneration.
- Mobility and flexibility exercises: In addition to maintaining muscles and joints, flexibility exercises have been shown to reduce symptoms of depression related to menopause.
At any age, at any level
The other key to exercising during menopause is progression. Even people who have never exercised before can start with light loads or simplified but challenging versions of the exercises. The beneficial effects of training are evident at any age, and regardless of the person’s starting level, particularly in strength exercises. “Improvements are very rapid, in exercise physiology studies are carried out in 12 weeks and spectacular advances are made. It must be taken into account that studies are carried out in nonagenarians and centenarians and that the charges are minimal,” explains Dr. Durántez.
One of the disadvantages of strength training or high-intensity intervals is that they are somewhat technically difficult and it may be necessary to have someone guide the workout to avoid injury, especially at the beginning.
*Darío Pescador is editor and director of Quo Magazine and author of the book the best of yourself Published by Oberon.
