Menopause...Here We Come!

Last week, I spent the days watching my kids navigate their new virtual schooling platforms, solving tech problems that made my head spin.

All I could think was, “I sure am glad they’re the ones handling this, and not me.” I’d like to think that with a little training I’d be right on track with these skills, but then I remember, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Aging. It happens to all of us, and it isn’t for sissies. As much as I may worry about the different things that happen to us during this time, I do realize that getting older is better than the alternative. Am I right?

As women enter into the years of perimenopause and then menopause, the aging process becomes ever more apparent through the many physical and hormonal changes that occur.

Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing helpful information about these menopause-related changes and the things we can do to stay healthy and strong as we age. And maybe you can teach an “old” dog some new “tricks” after all.

Keep reading my blogs to find out how! For today, let’s just start with the basics. What is perimenopause and menopause? What exactly is happening to my body?

This summer I began a course on Menopause for Athletes offered by Dr. Stacy Sims. The information I’m sharing comes from that course and is relevant to any woman interested in maintaining strength and health throughout menopause.

When a woman has missed her menstrual period for 12 consecutive months, she is said to be in menopause, and most women experience this between 45 and 55 years old.

The transition phase leading up to menopause, usually lasting between four to eight years, is called perimenopause. During this time, women’s estrogen and progesterone fluctuate, resulting in irregular periods, and often causing symptoms of hot flashes, night sweats, and a fun little thing called vaginal atrophy, when vaginal tissues become dry and thin.

Women can experience mood changes resulting from irregular sleep patterns and fluctuations in hormones. Additionally, we start to lose muscle tone and may even put on weight. An increase in belly fat is more common during this time.  (Are we super lucky or what? Insert eye roll here.)

Women should always seek out advice from a medical professional if they have concerns about these symptoms, but in addition, here is a handy guide to some “tricks” to help with alleviating some of the worst of the discomforts. 

So what does menopause have to do with being Strong, Mindful, and Feisty? Plenty! So don’t think you’re just going to “sit,” “stay,” and “rollover,” giving up on yourself and your fitness goals.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I look forward to sharing lots of specific information and guidance to help you, my Feisty Fit Females, as you navigate this time of life. #lfg