5 BEST Exercises to Help With Menopause
By Sports/Muskuloskeletal Physiotherapist Sonam Jethwa
Every woman experiences menopause differently. For some, the symptoms are mild and pass quickly. For others, it’s an explosion of hot flushes and mood swings.
–The good news is you can adopt lifestyle changes to help cope with the changes occurring in your body-
5 EXERCISES FOR MENOPAUSE
CARDIO
Aerobic activity that makes use of your large muscle groups while keeping up your heart rate is a good thing.
- Walking
- Jogging
- Biking
- Swimming
STRENGTH TRAINING
Because osteoporosis risk increases following menopause, strength training is especially vital. Strength training exercises will help to build bone and muscle strength, burn body fat, and rev up your metabolism
Exercises with dumbbells and resistance bands are great
YOGA AND MEDITATION
Practice a relaxation technique that works for you — whether it’s deep breathing, yoga, or meditation.
Yoga poses may offer some relief by centering your mind.
They can also help alleviate symptoms such as:
- hot flushes
- irritability
- fatigue
BALANCE EXERCISES
Exercises that enhance your body’s ability to stay upright and steady are particularly important as you enter menopause. As you get older, your balance isn’t as good.
- Standing on 1 leg
- Step ups onto cushion
- Heel-Toe walking
STRETCHING AND FLEXIBILITY
Although it’s important to stretch your muscles before and after a workout session, it can also be done as part of your daily routine, simply taking a couple of minutes each morning and evening to gently elongate your muscles
Physiotherapy During Menopause
There are varied symptoms of menopause and it is not the same for all women. What a physiotherapist does is analyse the effect of these symptoms on one’s body and advises on the ways of managing them.
Urinary incontinence:
Urinary incontinence is one of the most common effect of menopause which relates to the inability to control urine flow.
At CBSTC we are equipped with real time ultrasound machine which we use to can assess your pelvic floor function and provide tailored pelvic floor exercises
Osteoporosis:
During menopause bones become weak with loss of tissue due to the hormonal changes in the body. Physiotherapy helps with exercises to increase the strength of your bones.
Obesity, insomnia and hot flushes:
We can can help provide you with strategies to manage hot flushes and relaxation techniques to help you get a better sleep!
Muscle, Joint pains and aches:
Physiotherapy offers specific exercises which aim at improving the muscle strength which helps to reduce joint pain. Sonam can provide a comprehensive assessment and prescribe specific exercises aimed at strengthening and muscle relaxation.
Book An Appointment
Come and have a chat with one of our physiotherapists to see if we can help improve your health. Book online or call the clinic on (03) 5232 2400.