Many menopausal women feel tired and fatigued.  Exercise is the last thing on their mind. Weight gain is also a common complaint that limits women from wanting to exercise. Weight gain makes women feel more lethargic and less inclined to want to work out. Other symptoms including poor concentration, feeling depressed and anxious affects women’s motivation to work out.

All the symptoms of menopause can impede a women’s ability to workout.  Irregular periods make it hard to know when the best time of day to work out is.  Hot flashes and night sweats make the thought of working out and breaking a sweat less desirable.  Emotional upheaval including depression and anxiety also prevents trips to the gym or putting on your tennis shoes.  Heart palpitations also scare menopausal women from doing any activity that increases the heart rate.

A menopausal woman should only avoid exercises that she is not fit enough or prepared to participate doing. Any type of exercise is worth doing since being inactive not only puts you at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and other chronic health problems but it also leads to weight gain, obesity, fatigue, insomnia and depression.  All these symptoms worsen the transition into menopause.

If you have any type of bone loss associated with aging  and menopause, I would avoid exercises that may increase the risk of falling or create instability.

In Good Hormonal Health-

Dr. Sherry, Co-Founder She-ology