As we navigate through the dynamic stages of the menopause transition, our bodies undergo a symphony of changes. These changes are not just skin-deep; they delve into the very fabric of our physiological makeup, altering the way we perceive and interact with our own bodies. In this phase of life, the focus on muscle building transcends the traditional pursuit of fitness. It becomes a crucial strategy for maintaining not only our physical health but also our metabolic vitality.
Gone are the days when weight loss and slim physiques were the epitomes of health. Today, we stand at the crossroads of a paradigm shift, where building muscle takes precedence, promising not only aesthetic satisfaction but also a robust defense against the natural tide of aging.
In this blog post, we delve into why and how muscle building becomes vital during perimenopause and postmenopause. We explore the intertwined paths of health, metabolism, and the empowering journey of strength training. It’s a narrative that goes beyond the superficial layers of fitness, touching the core of longevity and well-being.
Join me as we unravel the science, debunk the myths, and discover the profound impact of muscle building on our lives during these transformative years.
Navigating the Tides of Change: Understanding Perimenopause and Postmenopause
As women, our journey through perimenopause and into postmenopause is often marked by a sea of changes, some subtle and some quite profound. It’s a natural transition, but one that doesn’t come without its challenges. During these stages, our bodies undergo significant hormonal shifts, primarily marked by a decrease in estrogen levels. This hormonal shift is more than just a signal of ending fertility; estrogen acts on every organ and system in the female body. So perimenopause is a turning point in how our bodies function, feel, and react.
While many women may undergo the menopause transition with little to no discomfort, others may experience the full gambit of 34 known symptoms, and yet others’ experience lands somewhere along this continuum. Lifestyle choices and health behaviors graduate from a good idea to critical to our health and longevity during this phase.
Let’s look at Six Reasons Why strength training is healthy behavior priority one.
1) The Impact of the Hormonal Shift
Ask just about any woman in the menopause transition what the first and worst consequence of The Change is, and odds are that they’ll tell you fat gain. Typically, women will adjust to compensate for fat gain by eating less and moving more.
That’s entirely the wrong response.
In fact, one of the most pivotal changes we experience is the alteration in our body’s ability to maintain muscle mass, and THAT is what makes us gain fat.
Estrogen, apart from its reproductive role, plays a vital role in muscle health. As its levels dwindle, our muscles face a higher risk of weakening – a condition known as sarcopenia. While sarcopenia is a herald of frailty later in life, this isn’t just about losing muscle mass and strength; it’s about a fundamental change in body composition and metabolic efficiency.
I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty frightening to me.
The good news is that sarcopenia can be remedied and even avoided altogether with one addition or alteration to your healthy lifestyle:
Lifting Heavy Things.
AND, by working on your muscle mass, you increase your body’s ability to burn stubborn fat. That’s important because of the health outcomes correlated to increased fat mass.
2) Protect Metabolism
Often misunderstood and oversimplified, metabolism is essentially our body’s engine, dictating how we use and store energy. (Yes, this is an oversimplification as well.) With the onset of perimenopause and postmenopause, our metabolism undergoes a transformation. Muscle is an expensive tissue, metabolically speaking, to maintain. But without it, we are less able to use the food we eat as fuel, and more likely to store it as fat. So, the muscle mass we lose is often replaced by fat, leading to a slower metabolic rate. This shift can have cascading effects, from weight gain to changing lipid profiles, systemic inflammation, and increased risks of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and the leading killer of women – cardiovascular disease.
As you can see, maintaining and building lean muscle mass goes beyond aesthetics and becomes a protector and extender of your health span.
3) Build Bones and Skills
Let’s not forget about our bones. Estrogen is a guardian of bone density, and as its levels drop, our bones can become more vulnerable to thinning and osteoporosis. Skeletal muscle mass protects our bones from impact injuries. The activities that build muscle also build bone density.
And on a fundamental level, resistance training activities make us fall-proof by improving balance, agility, brain-to-body communication, and reaction speed. Falls from a standing position and the resulting bone fractures are a leading cause of hospitalization and its potential health decline, so it stands to reason that all women in perimenopause and beyond should be lifting heavy weights.
4) Manage Your Menopause Better
Understanding these changes is the first step in embracing them. While we cannot turn back the clock on aging, we can certainly influence how we age. The power lies in recognizing these physiological shifts and responding with strategies that not only mitigate their impact but also enhance our overall health and quality of life.
A vital component of that strategy is – you guessed it – strength training. Don’t believe me? Check this study that shows that muscle mass and strength is protective against all-cause mortality.
Embracing Strength: A Guide to Muscle Building for Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women
Transitioning through perimenopause and beyond brings unique challenges, but it also presents an opportunity to redefine our approach to health and fitness. One of the most empowering changes we can make is shifting our focus towards building muscle. Here’s how to embark on this transformative journey:
Starting Your Muscle Building Routine
- Heavy Lifting: Incorporate 2-3 full-body strength training workouts per week. These sessions should involve heavy lifting, which is key to building muscle. It’s not about the quantity of workouts but the quality and intensity.
- Consistency is Key: Regularity is more important than duration. Even short, focused sessions can have a significant impact.
- Variety in Exercises: Ensure that your routine includes a variety of exercises that work all muscle groups, promoting balanced muscle development.
How to Get Started:
What does this look like in practice?
Schedule at least two full-body strength workouts each week. Include mostly compound exercises like squats and overhead presses. These movements work muscles around two joints, which makes them much more effective muscle building activities than, say, bicep curls and knee extensions.
If you haven’t lifted before, hire a trainer. Not only will they teach you the exercises and supervise to keep you safe, they will also program your workouts and take the guesswork out of it for you. The frugal angel on your left shoulder will probably whisper in your ear, “You can’t afford that!” You need to remember that THIS IS FOR YOUR HEALTH FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE and that your health is the #1 best investment you could make.
What about cardio? Well, it’s still important – after all, the heart is still a muscle that needs to be exercised. But how you do cardio in midlife looks entirely different than it has at any other time of your life. We’ll discuss effective cardio strategies for midlife and how to work them into your weekly workout schedule in our next article.
Nutrition for Muscle Growth
- Protein is Crucial: Aim for a protein intake that matches your ideal body weight in grams. For example, if your ideal weight is 150 pounds, strive for 150 grams of protein daily.
- Balanced Diet: Incorporate a mix of healthy fats, adequate fiber, and carbohydrates to support your muscle-building efforts. Remember, nutrition is as vital as the workout itself.
- Hydration and Wholesome Foods: Stay hydrated and focus on whole, unprocessed foods. These provide the necessary nutrients and energy for muscle recovery and growth.
How to Get Started
How does this look like in real life?
Include protein foods at every meal. Controversial statement: Animal proteins supply the highest quality amino acid profile and are much easier to absorb than plant proteins. Aim for 30 grams of quality, lean protein at each meal, especially breakfast as it will set the tone for the rest of your day’s eating.
Make sure you get at least 25-30 grams of fiber every day. Fiber helps your body process and remove harmful hormone metabolites and ensures a healthy gut by providing prebiotic material for your microbiome. Do this by including 5-7 1/2 c servings of vegetables, 2-3 1/2 c servings of fruit, and 2 servings of complex carbohydrates like beans, wild rice, whole oats, or quinoa.
Finally, for the love of all things wonderful, drink enough water. Aim for 70% of your body weight in ounces. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 105 ounces each day. Start early, and always keep a bottle with you.
An example menu can look like this:
Breakfast: Omelet – 2 eggs, 3 ounces chicken breast, vegetables; steel cut oats with strawberries
Snack: Greek yogurt with blueberries
Lunch: grilled salmon salad with blackberries, arugula, goat cheese, and sunflower seeds
Snack: 2 ounces sugar-free jerky
Dinner: eye of round roast, wild rice, roasted cauliflower and pomegranate kale salad
5) Measure Success Beyond the Scale
Our narrow focus on weight loss – losing pounds on the scale, inches on our hips, and sizes in our wardrobes, has led us midlife women collectively to an unhealthy relationship with the scale. That leads in turn to unhealthy relationships with food, exercise, and our body image.
We are worthy of self love and true health, which begins in any self-care journey by measuring progress beyond our scale weight and size.
- Non-Scale Victories: Pay attention to how you feel. Increased energy, better sleep, and improved strength are key indicators of progress.
- Body Composition: Use body measurements and how your clothes fit as a guide. Muscle building can change your body composition, making you leaner and more toned, even if the scale doesn’t show a significant change.
- Keep a Fitness Journal: Documenting your workouts, how you feel afterwards, and changes in your strength levels can provide a clearer picture of your progress.
Embracing the Journey
Remember, this journey is about more than just physical transformation. It’s about building resilience, enhancing metabolic health, and empowering yourself through one of the most significant phases of your life. The focus isn’t solely on aesthetics but on nurturing a strong, capable body that carries you confidently into the years ahead.
Final Thoughts: Building More Than Just Muscle
As we bring our exploration of muscle building during perimenopause and postmenopause to a close, it’s important to reflect on what this journey truly represents. It’s more than a fitness routine; it’s a profound statement about how we choose to live and thrive during this transition, and for the remainder of our years.
Embracing Change with Strength
Perimenopause and postmenopause are so much more than biological phases; they are opportunities for growth, resilience, and rediscovery. By focusing on building muscle, we’re not just enhancing our physical form; we’re fortifying our health, boosting our metabolic efficiency, and embracing a proactive stance towards aging.
Oh, and I did promise you Six Reasons why you should ditch weight loss and lift weights, didn’t I?
Here you go:
6) The Holistic Impact
This journey is as much about mental and emotional health as it is about physical strength. The confidence, empowerment, and sense of achievement that come with muscle building extend far beyond the gym walls. They permeate every aspect of our lives, improving our outlook, our interactions, and our ability to face life’s challenges.
A Community of Strength
Remember, you’re not alone in this journey. There’s a global community of women sharing this path, each with their unique stories and experiences. Together, we’re redefining what it means to age, challenging stereotypes, and setting new standards for health and vitality.
Your Journey, Your Pace
Lastly, honor your journey and move at your pace. Every step forward, no matter how small, is a victory. Celebrate your progress, learn from the challenges, and always remember that the pursuit of health is a lifelong journey, not a destination.
As we conclude, I encourage you to embrace this phase of life with optimism and determination. Building muscle is just the beginning – a gateway to a healthier, stronger, and more empowered you for the rest of your days. May they be a true reflection of your genuine self – healthy, vibrant, joyful, and strong.