Exercises to help ease menopause - Feeling Young Naturally

In recent years, scientific evidence has shown that exercise helps prevent osteoporosis, relieves menopausal symptoms, reduces the risk of heart disease, and promotes longevity. As the first wave of the baby boomer generation begins its journey into menopause, we are realizing that exercise serves an important, positive role during menopause and into our golden years.

Some of the physical and psychological symptoms of menopause, hot flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness, vaginitis, insomnia, osteoporosis, heart disease, and anxiety, can be lessened with regular exercise, enhancing the quality of your life and helping you feel younger.

Regular aerobic exercise promotes and stimulates blood circulation to the pelvic area, which may help relieve vaginal changes. In addition, low-impact aerobic exercise combined with yoga or t'ai chi and deep breathing, serves to calm body, mind, and spirit. This relieves tension and relaxes the body, and can assist in the treatment of insomnia, hot flashes, mood swings, and anxiety.

Health practitioners and physiologists both recommend regular exercise to help postmenopausal women slow bone loss. Recent studies have shown weight-bearing, low-impact exercise (i.e. walking and bicycling) helps increase bone and muscle mass, thereby preventing the chance of injuries later in life when bones can become brittle.

Regular aerobic exercise lowers cholesterol levels and improves heart and lung fitness, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease in women. Dean Ornish, M.D., well-known researcher and developer of a lifestyle program proven to reverse heart disease, advocates yoga, meditation, and a low-fat, low-cholesterol vegetarian diet. He recommends daily yoga postures and breathing techniques, in addition to walking 30 minutes a day, or an hour three times a week.

Weight-Bearing, Low-Impact Aerobic Exercise

Most researchers recommend 30 to 60 minutes of weight-bearing, low-impact aerobic exercise at least three times a week. This exercise can be in the form of walking, bicycling, low-impact aerobic dance, or t'ai chi. Walking is generally the preferred aerobic activity for women at risk for osteoporosis.

"Mall-walking" programs have become increasingly popular, especially during very hot or cold weather. If your mall doesn't have a walking program, then start your own walking group. This can give you the opportunity to window-shop and socialize while exercising.

T'ai chi, an ancient Chinese exercise, merges slow, methodical movement with meditation, conscious relaxation, and breathing. T'ai chi is a weight-bearing exercise that can lower the risk of bone fracture by improving balance and leg strength. It also offers the additional benefits of reducing stress and promoting a sense of well-being.

Strength Training Program

The latest studies suggest that some form of strength training (weight-lifting) is important to include in your exercise program. An effective strength training program ideally should be developed with an exercise professional.

However, there are some good exercise videotapes presently available that safely illustrate these principals and their programs (see Resources).

Yoga exercise can be an effective way to gain strength, stability, balance, and coordination, in addition to promoting inner peacefulness and a youthful appearance. Yoga postures are gentle, stretching positions done with proper breathing, which tone the inner organs and muscles, as well as increase joint flexibility and circulation.

Ideally, it is best to participate in a class with a certified yoga instructor, but there are some good instructional yoga videotapes available (see Resources) for you to try at home.

Consult with your health professional about how to incorporate exercise into your health regime. Menopause doesn't have to be a time of discomfort, instead it can be a time of renewal for your body, mind, and spirit. So get out and walk, bicycle, try t'ai chi or yoga, and lift weights. Your body will thank you for it.