Menopause
The link below is to an article titled “Strength training during menopause offers multiple benefits”. This is an excerpt from a guide by Barbara Bushman, PhD, Janice Clark Young, EdD and the America College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) entitled “Action Plan for Menopause” – 2005.
Here are (some) of the key points from the article that came from their research.
The bad news…
- “Lean body mass decreases by approximately 15 percent between the ages of 30 and 80” (*significant)
- “Almost a 30 percent decrease in overall strength between the age of 50 and 70 years”
- “Every decade as you lose muscle tissue, your metabolism also decreases by about 5 percent”
- “This slower metabolic rate contributes to middle-aged weight gain”
The good news…
- “Weight training programs for women are effective at preserving muscle”
- “Strength training can slow the metabolic decreases, muscle loss, and weight gain that normally occur in middle-aged women.”
- “Strength training is linked to high bone mineral density in adults of all ages and both sexes”
- “Improvements in bone density have been seen after training regimens of 1, 2, or 3 days per week, provided the intensity (relative load) is high”
Additional health benefits of strength training for menopausal women…
- Reduced risk of adult-onset diabetes
- Lower blood pressure
- Decreased arthritis pain
- Maintenance of or improvement in lower back health
- Increased functional independence
- Improved sleep
- Decreased depressive symptoms
- Increased overall physical activity level
- Improved static and dynamic balance
If you would like to read the article in full, or have access to the “Action Plan for Menopause” guide click the link below:
“Strength training during menopause offers multiple benefits”
If you would like to know WHAT you can do about starting a strength training program click the link below to book a complimentary consultation with one of our certified personal trainers.
We hope you took some value from this post and would love to meet with you in person to discuss your personalized action plan for health and well-being.
Thank you for reading,