There are many side effects of menopause and – unfortunately for a lot of women – this includes unwanted weight gain.
Speaking exclusively to GB News, a fitness expert shared advice on how to deal with this change.
Global fitness coach expert at Curves Joanna Dase shared her experience with weight loss during perimenopause.
She explained women need to take a look at their diets and exercise regimes as they age and it is likely their routines will need to change from when they were younger.
An expert shared advice for women struggling with their weight during menopause
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Joanna explained: “Your 20s is one thing, your 30s is another, then your 40s. And then you hit your 50s and you’re like, ‘oh my goodness this is a whole other ballgame’.
“Even for myself who has never had a problem managing fitness and weight loss, in my 50s I had to start to relearn methods all over again.”
The fitness expert suggested taking note of what you are eating and how it affects your body. This can help you to identify the types of foods that do and don’t agree with your body.
She continued: “Keeping a journal and changing the kind of exercise I did and the kind of foods I ate [made a difference].
“In fact, I found I had to eat a little bit more for my mind and for my body and change the type of exercise I was doing. Per decade, one has to change and I’m sure my 60s will be a whole other journey.”
Exercise
As well as finding the right food for your body, exercise plays a big part in weight loss as we age. In general, there are some exercise tips everyone can follow to lose weight and stay healthy in later years.
Strength training may be the most important thing, but Joanna said cardio exercises should not be discounted.
She explained: “We all know that we need movement and some kind of cardiovascular activity. That is super, super good for our heart and lungs. We mustn’t devalue that, it’s absolutely important.
“So, enjoy a good brisk walk or whatever type of activity a person feels comfortable with. But that has its limits, particularly as we get older and when it comes to weight loss and managing our weight.”
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Weighted workouts are important as we age
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The fitness expert advised older women to start weight training if they are not already doing so. This includes workouts using weights.
Joanna continued: “[Around menopause] we need to introduce some kind of weight-bearing activity for several reasons, such as our bone density and the muscles protecting the joints and the ligaments.
“It also helps prevent falls and gives us stability. All those are key things as we get older but also, it increases our metabolism. It’s what burns the energy. So the more muscle [we have] and the more dense we are with our muscles, the more calories we’re burning.”
Muscle mass is important for burning calories as it can speed up the metabolism. This means the body is using more calories even as we rest.
