90% of my clients are women over 40, including myself. All women will go through this transition so I am here to help you to support your body through menopause.
I realised I may be potentially peri menopausal when I started adding the dots together. Lower motivation, night sweats, increased anxiety and……oh yes the brain fog. As I did my research to help my clients I realised that actually I already have some of the symptoms myself.
There are a lot of generic nutrition & exercise plans out there. Don’t fall for them. What you need is a personalised plan for you as I strongly believe you can you make this transition easier on you if you look after you diet, exercise and mindfulness.
Here are some facts first:
From the age of 35 you start losing muscle.
From the age of 45 you start losing bone density which puts you at a risk of osteoporosis – which will affect your daily functions.
The hormonal imbalance may affect how you feel.
The most common symptoms are the hot flushes & night sweats. But here are some of the symptoms that are not talked about as much that could be a sign, that you are in this transition already: sore joints, headaches, anxiety, stressed, misunderstood, low on energy, lack of sleep or rapid change of moods. And these could start appearing from the age of 40.
You are peri menopausal until you lose your period for 12 months. And this could potentially last 10-15 years – it’s different for everyone. But the reality is that every woman will be peri menopausal at some point.
Do if you are 35 and you think it’s too early to educate yourself, then stop. It’s not. The earlier you have your habits in check the better this part of your life will be.
If you are 45 and or older and you are already experiencing some of these symptoms, it’s time to look at your diet, nutrition routine to ensure your habits help you lead healthier lifestyle which will lead to better quality of life in peri menopause and beyond.
Listen to my Podcast with Dr Heidi Kerr about Menopause & weight gain and more.
Healthy and Active lifestyle remains super underrated when it comes to preparing your body for this transition.
Nutrition and activity levels program I provide for my clients are specifically tailored to help them overcome the barriers they are facing.
And it’s my job as their coach to meet them where they are to help them overcome those barriers.
There is not one plan that fits all my clients.
Everyone has different lifestyle, and everyone has different symptoms.
But there are few things you can be focusing on:
Here are 5 habits to implement to improve your peri menopause
Strength Training & Exercise
I encourage all my clients to include this training into their weekly routine as our joint and bones are at risk during this stage so strengthening them is beneficial. We have been conditioned to do cardio mainly, but it’s the weights that will help build lean muscle tissue, improve strength and bone density and therefore your quality of life.
Find something you enjoy
While strength training will help you with the health benefits, find something you enjoy doing as a form of exercising – swimming, hiking with family and friends or anything else you enjoy and can maintain too. Staying active is really important. Looking after your cardio fitness is important to keep your heart healthy.
Eat in accordance with your energy expenditure
Maintaining your body fat within the healthy range by eat well balanced diet is important. You also need to understand that your body works differently now and it may need different dieting approach. Your metabolic rate is lower and therefore if you don’t amend your activity levels and your diet you will start noticing increase in your body fat. Eat plenty of protein, with fruit and vegetables and minimize processed foods. I encourage my clients to aim for 3-5 meals per day to keep fuller for longer and also support their workout routine to help to build lean muscle mass.
Include some mindfulness into your weekly or daily routine
Recognise your external stressors and manage them so your mind can focus on what you can control. I have noticed I am more irritable if I don’t look after my mental health. There are few ways to help you do this – yoga, meditation, read a book, bath our outdoors walk. I attended Sound Bath session last Sunday and it was like I was in different world. Just amazing! Find something that works for you that will help you block our the external noise.
Prioritise your sleep
Yes I know! This is something harder said then done. But if we come back to the habits, creating evening and morning routine will help improve the quality of your sleep. Having a really good bedtime and morning routine will ensure you are getting quality sleep – aim for 7 – 8 hours. This can be harder if you have younger children but it will get easier. The sleep is very important to allow your body and mind to rest.
Here are some top benefits of exercising:
Weight Management
Strengthen your bones and muscles
Lower Risk of Cardio Vascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes as well as some types of cancer
Better mood
Improved Sleep
Improved Quality of life
CHECK NHS WEBSITE FOR NATIONAL HEALTH RECOMMEDATIONS AND GUIDELINES FOR STRENGHT TRAINING. AND IF YOU NEED HELP CREATING A PLAN FOR YOU CONTACT ME NOW.
I have worked with women who didn’t think they could lose weight anymore or feel better anymore. But after making small changes to their routines, they started feeling better in their clothes, they could see changes in their bodies, the mood is better and the life becomes more enjoyable again.
You can totally turn things around for yourself. Yes it can feel harder because right now it feels like the whole world is against you.
Recognising your symptoms is a key. Start writing them down and watch out for any trends.
They shouldn’t be ignored, and if you feel they are affecting your day to day life you should be speaking to a specialist about it to help with the hormone imbalance.
Life is not over.
Starting today with your healthy lifestyle will help you get through this transition and will lower your symptoms too.
And sometimes you just need someone on your side who will meet you where you are, reassure and support you.
Someone like me 😊
Get in touch today and let’s chat CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ME NOW
You know what to do.
Have a great week
Petra