All bodies change and age throughout life. These are unbinding rules that apply to everyone. As women, we go through perimenopause, the transitional time before menopause, to menopause. Unfortunately, this time can seem like your body is a runaway train headed for a chasm. Nonetheless, I have listed 5 key fitness goals for perimenopausal women below.
During this transition, you may feel that spending an hour on your favorite cardio machine or group ex class that worked in your earlier decades no longer achieves the results you seek. This is frustrating, but all is not lost! You can still create changes in your body that will improve your current state of mind and body and set the stage for you to maintain these transformations during menopause and beyond. These changes will improve your quality of life and prioritize what is most important to you. They will allow you to maximize your time living independently, toss your luggage in the overhead compartment as you leave for vacation, hike up and down mountains, play pickleball with friends, and run around with your grandchildren. And the best part? These changes begin with an organ that YOU have complete control over: your skeletal muscles. (Pedersen BK. Muscle as a secretory organ. Compr Physiol. 2013 Jul;3(3):1337-62. doi: 10.1002/cphy.c120033. PMID: 23897689.)
So, how do you create the changes you want to see in your body as a perimenopausal woman? I’ve laid out five key fitness goals to begin to focus on and implement into your life. Before we dive in, I want to stress that there are no quick fixes in these areas. They take time to explore and see change. I urge you to be curious. You are a complex unique being who deserves to have a great quality of life while on this Earth. Change is possible no matter where your starting point is! Take the time to unlearn what you knew and relearn your body as it is now.
1. Resistance Exercise Training for women in perimenopause
Goal: 2-3 sessions per week. Why? The goal of resistance strength training is to increase muscle mass and strength through regular high-tension muscle contraction against a heavy external load. Let me dispel a myth: you will NOT get bulky by lifting heavy weights. What will happen is you will increase your metabolic rate because you are waking up more muscle fibers. Muscle is an active tissue, and you will find improved posture and stability, stronger bones, better blood pressure control, and a boosted immune system.
Another perk of resistance training is that it is FAR superior in promoting fat loss than dieting without working out or focusing solely on cardio, but you need to commit to a well-designed plan that includes these movement patterns:
- Squat (variations of bodyweight squats, goblet squats, front or back),
- Hinge (deadlifts, kettlebell swings),
- Lunge (forward, backward, walking, lateral),
- Push (push-us, bench press, overhead press),
- Pull (pull-ups, rows (barbell or dumbbell),
- Core Stabilization (planks, russian twists, wood chops), and
- Carry (Farmer’s walks, suitcase carry, overhead carries).
If you currently strength train to be “toned,” then chances are you are lifting with lighter weights and higher reps, otherwise known as endurance strength training. This means you are training your muscles to fatigue less over time, but you are not building strength. While this is worthwhile, you will not see the same fat loss or metabolic benefits. Additionally, tossing a suitcase in the overhead compartment, moving boxes or a piece of furniture will remain challenging because you are not increasing the weight used and not using a weight that is not stimulating muscle growth or recruitment.
2. HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)
Goal: 1 HIIT session per week of approximately 20-25 minutes. HIIT workouts movements may include but are not limited to, plyometric movement such as squat jumps, mountain climbers, high-knees, bodyweight movements such as planks with shoulder taps, push ups, and squats. Plyometric movements during perimenopause are vital. They help you generate power and quickness in your body, safeguarding yourself against joint injuries by increasing the ability to load your body.
Incorporating HIIT into your fitness routine assists with insulin sensitivity, lowers fasting blood sugar levels (helps your metabolism and cardiovascular health), and boosts your energy-producing mitochondria, which functionally decrease during the years of perimenopause to menopause (Mazzeo, Robert S. Ph.D., FACSM (Chair); Cavanagh, Peter Ph.D., FACSM; Evans, William J. Ph.D., FACSM; Fiatarone, Maria Ph.D.; Hagberg, James Ph.D., FACSM; McAuley, Edward Ph.D.; Startzell, Jill Ph.D.. ACSM Position Stand: Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 30(6):p 992-1008, June 1998.).
3. Cardio Training for Women in Perimenopause
Goal: 1-2 sessions per week 20- 30 minutes. Examples of cardio training are dancing, walking, hiking, biking (spin, recumbent, or outdoor cycling), pickleball, tennis, cardio equipment, swimming, etc. I do recommend cardio activities that take place outside in nature because they have a greater stress reduction and mental boosting effect.
4. Restorative practices for Perimenopausal Women
are great to help mitigate stress and lower your cortisol levels. These practices can include yoga, pilates, mobility sessions, body work (massage, acupuncture, etc), meditation, or other hobbies. These practices should be included in your fitness routine. The frequency of engaging in these activities can be daily to a couple times a week.
5. Protein and Fiber prioritization
As a woman in perimenopause, you need to fuel your body to support the movements described above and maintain muscles. Protein is the primary energy source for muscle building and repair. Most women do not consume enough protein. Protein is the only macronutrient that cannot be stored in the body; therefore each day you start at “zero.” Undereating protein will undermine your strength gains. Protein should be consumed at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Both animal-based and plant-based proteins work great to meet this requirement! About 1.8 to 2 grams per pound of body weight is a recommended daily protein requirement. Here’s a tip: include a palm- size to palm-and-a-half-size of protein at each meal (Nickols-Richardson, Sharon M., et al. “Perceived hunger is lower and weight loss is greater in overweight premenopausal women consuming a low-carbohydrate/high-protein vs high-carbohydrate/low-fat diet.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association 105.9 (2005): 1433-1437.). Action tip, before you do the calculations and stress about how you will be able to consume that much protein, understand your starting point. Fiber is my second favorite “F” word. It is your friend. It helps move things along in your GI tract and clears what mainstream media refers to as that “meno” belly. Recommended daily fiber intake is 25 grams. Personally, I like to see clients have closer to 30 grams. Again, know your starting point and go from there.
Now what? How do you implement these five goals into your everyday life? If you’ve never strength-trained before, then I highly recommend working with a qualified personal trainer who will not only be able to teach you how to lift but also be able to create the mind-body connection to truly change your body from the inside out. If you choose to work with a trainer, then be sure their knowledge and expertise aligns with your goals. For example, are you training to become a bodybuilder? If not, then don’t hire a trainer who only knows how to support these individuals. Clearly define what your goals are and what you want in a personal trainer.
Finally, building a healthier, stronger body takes time and is not seen right away via weight loss. Having a healthier body composition will permit a faster metabolism and reduction in the risk of chronic diseases, and most importantly, it will allow you to gain the freedom to remain active and feel youthful.
References:
1. Pedersen BK. Muscle as a secretory organ. Compr Physiol. 2013 Jul;3(3):1337-62. doi: 10.1002/cphy.c120033. PMID: 23897689.
2. Mazzeo, Robert S. Ph.D., FACSM (Chair); Cavanagh, Peter Ph.D., FACSM; Evans, William J. Ph.D., FACSM; Fiatarone, Maria Ph.D.; Hagberg, James Ph.D., FACSM; McAuley, Edward Ph.D.; Startzell, Jill Ph.D.. ACSM Position Stand: Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 30(6):p 992-1008, June 1998.
3. Nickols-Richardson, Sharon M., et al. “Perceived hunger is lower and weight loss is greater in overweight premenopausal women consuming a low-carbohydrate/high-protein vs high-carbohydrate/low-fat diet.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association 105.9 (2005): 1433-1437.
Other Resrouces Used:
1. Sims, S. T., Sims, S. T., Yeager, S. (2022). Next Level: Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals Through Menopause and Beyond. United States: Harmony/Rodale.
2. Thebe, A. (2020). Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too. Canada: Greystone Books.
3. Clark, M. A., Lucett, S., Corn, R. J. (2007). NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training. United Kingdom: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
4. Cosgrove, A., Rasmussen, C. (2020). Secrets of Successful Program Design: A How-To Guide for Busy Fitness Professionals. United States: Human Kinetics.
About the Author: Kathrine Bright, MA MEd (Coaching Principles & Sports Psychology, Boston University), NASM-CPT, Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach, Pre & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Coach, 3rd Age: Perimenopause to Menopause Transition Fitness Coach (Burrell Education)
Website: https://www.kat.fit/
Kat is an award-winning certified personal trainer and has been transforming lives both in-person and online for over a decade. With a focus on women’s fitness, she excels in guiding clients through the various stages of life, from pregnancy to perimenopause. Kat’s unique philosophy challenges the notion that the body is broken; instead, she believes in its incredible capability to gain strength at any age. Her expertise and passion create a supportive environment, empowering individuals to excel in their fitness journeys. She designs personalized programs from her extensive online database of workouts and exercises and delivers them to her clients using her customized app.