Addressing bone health during perimenopause is a critical step to ensure healthy aging. I don’t know about you, but I am keen to prevent any risk of weak bones as I get older. 

As estrogen levels naturally decline during perimenopause, bone density can decrease, increasing the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis.

Osteo what? Don’t know what I am talking about, read on….

Estrogen helps with calcium absorption and prevents bone breakdown, so as it naturally declines we want to ensure your protecting your bones with proper nutrition and lifestyle.

What is Osteopenia?

• Osteopenia is a condition with lower-than-normal bone mineral density, not yet osteoporosis.
• Prevalence: 50% of postmenopausal women in Australia are diagnosed with osteopenia.

Risk Factors: 

• Menopause ( the natural decline in estrogen) 
• Inadequate calcium in diet.
• Lack of exercise – especially weights.
• Smoking
• Family history of osteoporosis

SLEEP can be a real challenge for women during perimenopause. It often makes other symptoms worse and impacts on quality of life.

When sleep is bad everything can feel bad!

When sleep is good everything can feel good!

Let’s explore a few ways you can support you body with simple lifestyle medicine to improve sleep!

Food is one of the most power tools you have to influence your metabolic and overall health in perimenopause, but it must to go hand in hand with solid digestive function and a healthy microbiome.

We want to ensure we are breaking down and absorbing the nutrients from our food, we want to make sure we do everything to support the immune system (reducing inflammation) and optimising the synthesis and regulation of hormones and neurotransmitters.

We often assume that digestion is on auto pilot but like a lot of things in perimenopause, what you previously got away with, you no longer can. For example, I feel like I used to get away with eating at my desk or even in the car but now I suffer digestively.

If you are a woman somewhere on your journey to menopause there may come a time when you see a change in your cholesterol levels increasing!? 

How can this be you may ask? 
You haven’t made any changes to your diet, to your exercise or your lifestyle!!
What is going on?
 
This is something I am seeing in my perimenopause/post menopause clients lab results quite often.
 
Why is this happening?
 
When estrogen start’s to decline and go away we often see it impact on lipids.

Endogenous estrogen is a powerful antioxidant and for all those years it’s presence promoted good cholesterol over bad cholesterol.
 
So, what can we do to prevent this onset?
 
There’s are some important nutritional interventions to consider:

Click here to learn the 4 things you can do!

Have you ever been to the health professional to discuss cyclical  symptoms like anxiety, fatigue or depression to either have your concerns disregarded as “in your head” or been offered the pill or an anti-depressant despite you telling them that not what you’re looking for?

I hear these stories every day from my clients.

It is so common for women to be told their hormonal symptoms are “all in your mind” or because they can’t cope with current lifestyle pressures and stress.

I hate to imagine a woman walking away from the clinic feeling confused or second guessing her sense of understanding her body and trusting her ability to tune in to what may be going on.

Why is it that women need to speak to healthcare professionals about their health (often hormonal symptom’s) multiple times before they are taken seriously? Many jumping from practitioner to practitioner, being misdiagnosed or prescribed an unwanted medication.

The problem may lie in the fact that GP’s and other health professionals only have so many tools, training and treatments to draw on and it might not be the right fit for you on this occasion?

Today I thought it might be helpful to shine a light on  some of the most common symptoms and causes of hormone related issues.

When I talk about Lifestyle medicine for women in mid life there is almost nothing better than exercise (well, maybe……. food!).

There are no shortage of reasons to be physically active!

If your approaching menopause, maybe in the early or late stages of perimenopause, there are even more reasons!

Physical activity can trigger positive hormonal changes and plays a huge role (along side of diet) in keeping us strong and supporting our metabolism.

It is proven to reduce the presentation and severity of symptoms associated with peri/menopause. 

• Improved mood
• Reduced stress
• Enhanced sleep
• Reduced hot flashes 
• Improved cognitive function 
• Boosting stamina and enhancing quality of life.
• And so many more benefits.

Most women don’t realise that muscle mass has been shown to decrease by 3-8% per decade after the age of 30 and 5-10% after the age of 50.

The loss of muscle mass includes reduction in both muscular strength and power. This is what can leave us weak, frail and prone to falls, breaks and sprains as we age (if we don’t do anything to prevent this).

These changes in muscle are known has sarcopenia (osteopenia for bones) and affect our ability to live independently. We now know that the loss of estradiol accelerates the decline in muscle mass and bone density..

For this reason, movement in midlife needs to be thoughtfully directed at protecting muscle along with bone.

But how often and what type of exercise is best at this life stage?

How often?

• Perimenopause  approx. 5 x sessions a week

Keep in mind this is always going to be adapted to meet where each women is at in terms of fitness, symptoms, age and overall health. Never a one rule fit’s all approach here. 

Type???

For maximum benefits we talk about a combination of:

• Strengthening (weight bearing exercises). This is the most important type of exercise for midlife women. Helping with building muscle, supporting bone health, improving metabolic function and supporting mood. You want to lift weight that challenge you at the end of each set. Increase the weight/resistance as you get stronger. The old 12 reps per exercise regime needs to be revisited in this life stage. Lifting heavier but for less reps is beneficial. Aim to do it minimum 2 x sessions a week.
• Sprint interval training. If your adrenals are healthy it would be beneficial to find any type of movement you enjoy (running, swimming, rowing machine, bike, dynamic movements like squat jumps or curtsi lunges etc. ) and do it all out in intervals. One example is work 30 seconds and rest for 2-3 minutes, repeat 4-8 times.  I personally like to do the dynamic movement option or run sprints.  I imagine the he lunges and squat jumps keeping me fit for aging, so if I was ever to fall I will be quicker to respond, more agile and I know my bone density  love the impact loading.
• Aerobic (walking, hiking, cross training, dance class, fitness classes, bike riding, swimming, tennis).  Just choose what you enjoy and do this whenever you feel like it. Avoid being sedentary.
• There is a lot of messaging around walking and getting 10,000 steps each day, unfortunately studies have shown walking is not enough to keep us operating independently as we age. Walking is less about muscle and bone and more about mood and stress mitigation.
• Restorative movement (dance, tai chi, stretching and gentle yoga). Great for coordination, flexibility and balance. Reducing stiffness and often have a stress reduction quality that promotes relaxation and hormonal balance.

Just 12 weeks and you will start reaping the benefits from this holistic approach to exercise. 

If you don’t know where to start and feel a little overwhelmed. You could look at the amazing offering at eve studio in Brunswick and Preston, Melbourne.
They have the perfect blend of classes (fitness, pilates, yoga etc) and the most awesome teachers ( I am 100% biased as the studio is founded by my sister Annie. I teach fitness and yoga there and my consulting room is based out of the Preston studio).

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If your curious to know if you are in the early stages of perimenopause, check out the 10 most common symptoms women notice at the start of perimenopause. Check it out here.

If you want some simple tips on how to use food as medicine to support you into perimenopause then check out my top 5 foods for perimenopause here.

Let’s keep talking about this life stage openly and honestly. It can be a really hard time for some women! With knowledge and understanding, you can be your own health advocate and use holistic medicine and hormonal support to help manage the perimenopause and menopause journey.

Learn more about my Perimenopause pathway 1 on 1 naturopathic support. Maybe you can join my next intake of women. I would love that!