Adopting healthy lifestyle habits such as eating well and exercising during menopause helps improve insulin sensitivity, which is more resistant during this period, and therefore reduces cardiovascular risk, says Marta Massip Salcedo, a professor at the Department of Health Sciences at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC).
Furthermore, a lack of physical activity worsens insulin resistance, making it difficult for the body to control blood sugar levels. "This can promote the development of type 2 diabetes, an increase in 'bad' cholesterol (LDL), a loss of 'good' cholesterol (HDL), and an increase in blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke," the expert adds.
The professor also explains that, at this stage, "there is already a natural tendency to gain weight, especially in the abdominal area, and to lose muscle mass. Therefore, if you don't exercise enough, this increase in fat and loss of muscle are accentuated, causing the body to burn fewer calories, even at rest."
However, a sedentary lifestyle doesn't just affect your physical appearance; it can also affect your mood. In this regard, Salcedo points out that during menopause, some women experience anxiety, sadness, or mood swings, and exercise is a very effective tool for improving emotional well-being and combating insomnia. Therefore, the expert recommends finding time to move. "It's not necessary to do intense exercise; just moving regularly already has significant benefits."
Specifically, the instructor outlines simple exercises that can be easily incorporated into your daily routine, such as walking up and down stairs for a couple of minutes; doing several sets of squats; brisk walking around the house; doing gentle jumping jacks; doing sets of push-ups while holding onto a piece of furniture; or doing several sets of standing on your toes. She recommends performing these exercises every hour for between one and five minutes.
The exercises can be combined or performed one at a time. But performing these exercises several times a day helps activate muscles, improve circulation, keep the metabolism active, and control blood sugar, in addition to improving energy and concentration. Furthermore, "it's a simple way to combat a sedentary lifestyle, especially for those who work long hours sitting down or are going through menopause and need to take care of their metabolic and cardiovascular health without having to go to the gym or do long workouts," she concludes.
