Reduce Menopause Symptoms With This 20-Minute Workout

Even if you haven't yet experienced night sweats, severe mood swings, irritability, brain fog, or sweating through your workout clothes before you even leave the house, those symptoms are likely to happen eventually. But even though menopause is inevitable, you're not powerless against these bothersome symptoms.

In addition to hormonal therapies, diet-related changes, and certain dietary supplements, physical activity is an excellent tool for staying fit and feeling your best through this transition.

Benefits of Exercise During Menopause

A Full-Body Workout to Manage Menopause Symptoms

All you need is a set of dumbbells or a kettlebell for this workout from the hormone-balancing fitness expert Debra Atkinson, CSCS, the creator of Flipping 50, which helps women over 50 get and stay active. It's a quick and simple way to target all the major muscle groups in under 20 minutes.

Warm-Up

Do: 5 minutes of dynamic stretches and walking or jogging in place.

The Workout

Do: 15 to 20 reps for each exercise and repeat the following circuit two times through.

1. Squat
2. Bent-over row
3. Chest press
4. Plank

As you get stronger, try increasing the weight you use and doing 2 to 3 rounds of 12 to 15 reps for each exercise.

Move 1: Squat

1. Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides.
2. Extend your arms out in front of you as you slowly bend your legs to squat down. While bending, focus on pushing your hips as if you're going to sit in a chair.
3. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. To prevent the knees from caving in or outward, keep them lined up with your toes. Your arms will still be out in front of you, and your gaze will be straight ahead.
4. Pause in this position. Exhale, and reverse the move by pressing into the mid-foot to straighten legs and stand up. As you rise, lower your arms back to your sides.

You can do squats as either a body-weight exercise (as described above) or add a set of dumbbells (held at your side throughout the move) or a kettlebell (held in front of your chest) for more resistance.

Move 2: Bent-Over Row

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge your torso forward by bending at the waist.
3. Keep your upper body still and lift the dumbbells to the sides of your chest with your elbows pointing toward the ceiling.
4. Squeeze at the top and pause.
5. Slowly lower the weights to the starting position.

Move 3: Chest Press

1. Lie on your back on the ground with a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Bend your knees and extend your elbows to 90 degrees. The backs of your arms will touch the floor.
3. Press the dumbbells up over your chest until they're almost touching. The elbows shouldn’t be locked out. Pause.
4. Lower the weights back down to the start and repeat.

Move 4: Plank

1. Start on all fours, then press up as if you were going to do a push-up — hands shoulder-width apart and directly under your shoulders. Your body should be in a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
2. Bring your belly button to your spine to engage your core muscles and squeeze your glutes.
3. Hold this position for 30 seconds. As you get stronger, increase your time by 10-second intervals, up to 60 seconds.

If you’re unable to keep your spine in a neutral position, drop to your knees.

Cooldown

Do 5 minutes of stretching for the legs, shoulders, chest, and arms.

More Tips to Keep You Moving

You’re going to experience some days during menopause — sometimes several in a row — when you don't feel like exercising. The good news, says Atkinson, is that doing less exercise with more purpose is an excellent way to get going.

In other words, you don't need to grind out hours of cardio to benefit from exercise. In fact, doing too much, especially overdoing aerobic exercise, can be counterproductive. With that in mind, try the following tips to help you stay motivated and moving.

• Time your workouts. When you do your workouts may be just as important as what you do. Atkinson recommends more intense exercise early in the day and lighter workouts at night to work with your hormones, not against them.
• Find a workout you love. "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 can also lead to weight gain, obesity, fatigue, insomnia and depression," says Sheryl “Sherry” Ross, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist and women's health expert at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Rhode Island. All these symptoms worsen the transition into menopause.
• Flow through some yoga poses. Yoga can be good for you at any age, but it's fairly effective at managing menopausal symptoms, especially those related to sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression. When your motivation is low, try moving through a yoga sequence.

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• Work on your balance and stability. The sooner you can incorporate specific exercises that target balance and stability, the easier it'll be to avoid falls and other accidents as you get older. Yoga, tai chi, Pilates, and single-leg exercises all help to improve your balance, and they're easy to fit into a busy day when you don't feel like going to the gym.

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If you’re concerned about starting exercise, have underlying health problems that could affect your ability to exercise, or don’t know how to get started, speak to a healthcare professional. They can help you tailor an exercise plan and provide guidance on easing in.

The Takeaway

• Engaging in this 20-minute workout, which includes weight-bearing and aerobic exercises, can ease menopause symptoms.
• Regular physical activity is a helpful way to support your overall well-being during the menopausal transition and prevent or delay bone and muscle loss as you age.
• Try to include yoga and other exercises that support better stability in your workout plan — but any type of movement you enjoy will help you feel better during menopause.
• If you experience any unusual pain when exercising or have underlying health concerns, get checked out by a healthcare professional before starting a new routine.