Importance of Movement Through Menopause with Vail Healthspan
These insights are based on Ashley Hogoboom and Vicki Kenney’s presentation at the July 15 Women’s Wellness Event: Optimizing Nutrition & Movement To Thrive in the Menopause Transition. During the session, they shared evidence-based strategies for using movement and strength training to navigate menopause, reduce health risks, and support healthy aging.
The hormonal changes of menopause have far-reaching effects on a woman’s body, impacting bone health, muscle strength, joint health, inflammation, and body composition. As estrogen declines through this phase of life, prioritize warm-ups, mobility, strength training, and impact exercises to support muscles, joints, and bone health. Your body remains highly adaptable, and consistent movement is one of the most powerful investments you can make in your long-term strength, independence, and quality of life.
- As women age, we lose estrogen, which causes our cartilage to become more sensitive to rapidly progressing arthritis
- Around the perimenopause phase, we lose 20% of our bone density, due to acute estrogen drop, resulting in a significant amount of strength/power loss
- With the decline in estrogen, our bodies have an increase in inflammation
- 80% of women will experience a diagnosis relating to the musculoskeletal system
- During this phase, our fat will move to our belly
- You lose up to 8% of muscle mass each decade after the age of 30
- Osteoporosis, which is the weakening of the bone, increases the risk of fractures, as women age, and estrogen drops, it no longer helps in bone growth
Mobility Band, Foam Rolling and Warm Up
Benefits of Mobility/Warm Ups
- Loss of joint range of motion as we age
- Dynamic warmups are critical to maintaining ROM
- Balance training
- Estrogen is an anti-inflammatory, which can cause frozen shoulder
Example of Mobility/Warm Up Exercises
- Tube Walks: Activates glute Medius
- PVC pass through/figure 8: targets shoulder stabilizers and chest muscles
- Seated straight leg lifts: improves hip mobility
- Cat/cow: works on flexion/extension movement of spine
- Core activation: bird dog/dead bug
Benefits of Foam Rolling
- As we age, we become more fibrotic and less flexible
- Pressure from foam roller will stimulate nervous system
- Response to pressure: inhibit overactive muscle, and has global response
- Mechanical response: breaks up myofascial adhesions (get tissue to move)
- Helps with flexibility, mobility and overall move better
- Foam rolling before workout- improve ROM, reduce injury, improve movement patterns
- Foam rolling after workout- flush out metabolic waste/tissue from muscles worked, reduce soreness
Foam Rolling Technique
- Roll slowly through muscle, identify tender spot, hold pressure (breathe, relax, allow
nervous system to react) - No pain! Harder does not mean better. Slight discomfort, ranging in difficulty 4-6
- Breathe deeply and try to relax, trying to engage the parasympathetic response. Stop rolling in areas if you feel nerve/shooting pain (avoid L spine)
Lifting Heavy Weights
Muscle loss accelerates during menopause because estrogen declines. Because of this we lose muscle, strength and bone density. Strength training protects against these!
Benefits of Lifting
- Stimulates bone growth
- Reduces the risk of falling
- Improves insulin sensitivity; supports
metabolic health - Strength training changes not just your body
but how you feel in your body
Strength Exercises
- Squat
- Deadlift
- Overhead press
- Back activation
- Push-ups and Chest Press
- Dumbbell row
- Grip strength
Train Smarter, Not Harder
- Recovery matters
- Sleep and Stress Management
- Build muscle, which is Active Tissue (better than cardio)
- Consistency over Intensity
Jumping
- Helps reduce falling
- Bones are master communicators
- Incorporate balance every. Single. day.
- Bash your bones- jump 20 times every day!
