The definition of madness is doing the same thing and expecting a different response.
Perimenopause marks a change in what works for our bodies and an opportunity to change things up, try something new.
This applies to diet and to exercise.
As we travel through perimenopause here are my guidelines for exercise
- Do what feeds you. What makes you feel good – moving to music, being outside and in nature, exercising with friends, having time out for yourself? This will keep you committed, improve sleep quality and soothe the nervous system which have been disrupted by changing hormone levels.
- Include strength training. Reduce muscle loss and keep your bones strong. Muscle is like metabolic Spanx, it holds you in and it also soaks up energy, reducing weight gain. Also, feeling strong is a great way to empower yourself in this unsettling period.
- More and harder isn’t the answer. If you are struggling with weight gain then exercising too hard more causes more stress to the body, encouraging it to hold on to and store fat.
- If time is tight then do regular, smaller exercise sessions – but do them regularly.
- Include something that relaxes you, this may be yoga, or dance or Pilates. Breathing well helps to restore the balance in your nervous system and is key in flourishing through this life stage.
Some tips for getting going,
- Engage a friend or join a class so you have accountability to turn up.
- Plan it into your diary first, then work everything else around it.
- Make sure your family know how important it is, it gives you energy to spend with them.
- Start with just one or two sessions that you can easily commit too, there is always the option to do more.
- Keep a mood journal to see if it is really feeding you and making you feel good. Notice what builds you and what depletes you and make changes.
