How much should I exercise during perimenopause and menopause?

Tips on exercise for a healthy menopause

Exercise has a multitude of benefits during perimenopause and menopause
But how often should you be aiming to exercise, and what type of activity is beneficial?
Tips on how to get started

If you are on a January health kick or are looking to make some meaningful changes to your life during perimenopause and menopause, then exercise is a great place to start.

Staying active is so important during perimenopause, menopause and beyond. It helps keep your bones strong, is good for your mental health, reduces risk of cardiovascular disease and when combined with a balanced diet, it helps you maintain a healthy weight.

A Newson Health survey of almost 5,800 perimenopausal and menopausal women found nearly one in five respondents (18%) exercised daily, 25% exercised two to three times a week, a third (35%) exercised once a week, and 23% said they exercised ‘rarely’ [1].

The survey also explored perceived barriers to exercise during perimenopause and menopause, with half (50%) of respondents citing a lack of motivation, 42% citing a lack of time, and a third (32%) the physical and psychological impact of their perimenopause/menopause symptoms [1].

How often should I exercise?

If you’re starting to exercise again after a break, or already exercise regularly and want to know if you’re on the right track, a good place to start is looking at how often you should be exercising.

According to UK government guidelines, adults aged 19-64 should aim for half an hour of moderate intensity exercise five times a week, or vigorous exercise for 75 minutes a week. In addition, adults should do strength exercise at least two days a week [2].

So what counts as moderate exercise?

Moderate exercise covers any activity that raises your heart rate, makes you breathe faster and feel warmer. You should still be able to hold a conversation when doing moderate exercise. Examples include:

Brisk walking
Cycling
Dancing
Gardening
Water aerobics

And what counts as vigorous exercise?

According to the NHS, vigorous intensity activity makes you breathe hard and fast – you will not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath while undertaking vigorous activity. Examples include:

Aerobics
Running
Swimming
Climbing the stairs
Team sports such as football and hockey [2].

What about strength exercise?

Strength exercise refers to any activity where your muscles work harder than usual to improve strength and endurance. Strength exercises include:

Yoga
Pilates
Using weights or resistance bands [2].

What sort of exercise should I do?

Unless you have been told by a healthcare professional to avoid a certain exercise, all exercise will be beneficial.

If you haven’t exercised for a while, don’t panic. Start small with some gentle walking, and build from there. You could try out a few different things to find something you enjoy, such as online workouts at home or group exercise activities. Swimming is a great choice if moving can be painful for you as it’s low impact on your joints. Exercising with a friend or joining a group or exercise class is a good start if you tend to struggle for motivation and these can be sociable and fun. Most importantly, find something you enjoy – you’ll be far more likely to stick to it.

Stuck for ideas on what exercise to focus on? Download the balance app to find lots more articles and tips on exercise.

References