When we look at the recommendations for how to build strength and change body composition, there is so much conflicting evidence. First of all, a lot of the research that has been done has been conducted with men and when it comes to weight loss, women have been highly marketed towards taking supplements for weight loss as opposed to increasing muscle mass. One of the questions I get asked their most from my female clients is 'how do I lose abdominal fat?" I always take a pause before I give them my answer that it is multi faceted and very dependent on the individual's unique physique and physiology. When I mention the importance of resistance training (especially working the large muscles groups) to reduce abdominal fat (among many other factors) and its relationship to changing body composition, many respond: 'its not cardio?'. I find it shocking that most people still think cardio or only performing crunches are the way to lose abdominal fat considering the research for the past couple decades has indicated the opposite. Women are still so focused on cardio and a low fat diet as a way to lose weight even though these methods can sometimes have the exact opposite effect. It appears this way of thinking is so built into our psychology that despite research that shows otherwise, many women find it hard to shift their thinking around this topic.
This is why I love Dr. Stacey Sims! She tells it like it is and has the research to back it up. In this blog, I wanted to go over some of the information that Dr. Sims has been communicating about optimizing exercise during the Perimenopausal and Menopausal phase of life. According to Dr. Stacey Sims: "Strength training isn't just an exercise, its a way of life. You need to be able to carry groceries or grandchildren, climb stairs and get yourself out of bed everyday".. Most importantly, she says: "Are you going to be lifting when you are 80?". YES!
As women enter into Perimenopause, hormonal fluctuations occur and eventually Estrogen decreases to very low levels. Estrogen or specifically Estradial has an effect on Glucose metabolism, strong and fast muscle contractions, as well as, the building of lean muscle mass. So prior to entering into Perimenopause, Estrogen helps support the strengthening of the body when we exercise. However, when we enter into Perimenopause and especially Menopause we are not looking to do more reps to build up our muscles because we now lack the impitus from Estrogen to support muscle growth in that way. Instead, as Dr. Sim's states, what we are looking for is central nervous system activation. When we lose Estrogen, we need to find an external stress that will create the same adaptations and that is through our central nervous system. This is where lifting a very heavy load (think, 5-6 reps max) comes into play. When you lift that heavy, it communicates to the body that it needs to build more nerve connections and not only stimulate more muscle fibres but create more muscles fibres to adapt to lifting that load.
When comparing doing lower reps, higher weight workouts with working in the lower reps, higher weight (power), you don't get the same metabolic response that can leave you very tired. Staying within this power range which activates the central nervous system allows for the raising of growth hormone, testosterone and a subsequent parasympathetic response that leaves you feeling really good and relaxed - You feel worked but good because of the positive brain effect.
Getting Started:
As always, don't jump into training with heavier loads before you have the basics down. So, if you have never exercised before or are relatively new, you are going to want to work on form first. This will ensure sure you are getting proper core activation and protecting yourself from injury. Click here to look at video to help set you up for success when you move to more intensity. In the initial stages, you may need to do longer reps as your body learns the exercises and body weight resistance before picking up the heavier weights.
Mobility is also very important as we age, so this needs to also be a precursor to setting yourself up for success before you add intensity. This is where a trainer or physiotherapist can help: by identifying your movement restrictions and areas of limited range, they can provide you with exercises to bring your body into a better alignment.
Next steps:
Start simple by adding heavier weights to your Squats, Lunges, Chest Presses and Rows. Go slow and stay focused when you lift. To judge how heavy you should go, try to lift a weight that allows you to lift it 5-6 times with the possibility of pushing out a couple more. Rest as long as you feel you need to then perform another set. Active Perimenopausal women should try to do this form of workout 2-3x/week. As you get older, you may have to increase the frequency to maintain the same stimulation on your nervous system.
Final things to consider when changing your workout regime is timing of your workout. Since sleep is especially important as we age, it may not always be a good idea to get up extra early to squeeze in a workout. Instead maybe you can split the workout into smaller chunks to do later in the day when you have a break from work. You also want to make sure you are fuelling properly which means for most of us getting that protein in 30-45 minutes post workout so that the muscles and other tissues have adequate stores of the building blocks for repair and improvement. Since nutrition is very important, you may want to consider consulting with a knowleadgeable practitioner to learn how to eat when exercising.
Other Exercise Systems which are Beneficial to Peri/Menopausal Women
Two other systems of exercise that Dr. Sims suggests are Sprint Interval Training (S.I.T.) and High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.) as well as ELDOA (for mobility and the fascia). Check out my blogs that describe these methods and how you can add them into your workout routine.
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