Why Pilates is so valuable throughout the menopause

Improving your health during the menopause is essential but it’s just as important to prepare your body for menopause as well as looking after it post menopause. Exercise is the perfect way to improve your physical and emotional wellbeing but as your body experiences the changes that come with menopause you may be unsure what is safe and effective for you. Here are some tips to help you achieve your goals and why Pilates is so valuable.

Two significant factors for women going through the menopause is health risk to our cardiovascular system and bone strength. Maintaining physical activity not only helps address but also protect against these conditions. It’s important to mention that menopause isn’t the cause of cardiovascular disease but often the lifestyle changes that commonly occur in this period of life that increase your risk. Cardiovascular activities can be tricky during the menopause if you are experiencing hot flushes. This should not put you off exercising though as 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week can improve your health risks.

The benefits of exercise are maintaining bone mass, improving strength and flexibility, and improving balance which in turn reduces the risk of falls and therefore risk of fractures.  Weight bearing (3-5 times per week) and resistance/strength exercise (2-3 times per week) help increase Bone Mineral Density by stimulating bone growth.

Pilates is a great form of exercise for bone loading due to the positions used and the action of muscles. We often don’t use our upper body sufficiently in our daily lives so four-point kneeling exercises on the mat will help you safely and effectively load your wrist bones.

During menopause the body experiences hormonal changes, loss of oestrogen has an impact on collagen which is important to maintain joint lubrication and tendon repair. You may also have noticed your muscle tone changes which can be frustrating when you have continued to exercise as normal. Softening of the muscles through hormonal changes not only means less strength but also less control over your movement. The reduction of oestrogen also leads to redistribution of body fat particularly to the abdominal area. Pilates is proven and evidence based to build core strength and muscle tone.

Women often mention brain fog this is when they lose their train of thought as they are going through menopause. Pilates focuses on the mind-body connection which means that your concentration will start to improve as well. Learning a new task has been scientifically shown to help brain health.

Menopause is inevitable so whether you are perimenopausal, menopause or post-menopausal, now is the perfect time to take a health audit, join a Pilates class and realign your future health.