Menopause marks a significant transition in a woman’s life.
This natural biological process typically occurs around the age of 50, though it can vary widely from one woman to another. During this phase, hormonal shifts, particularly a decline in estrogen levels, can lead to various physical and emotional changes, which can cause any of 34 recognised symptoms many years before and after your periods stop.
In your 40s, when most women become “peri-menopausal”, some of the most common symptoms are weight gain, joint & muscle aches and pains, not sleeping as well as you used to and feeling anxious. These symptoms are often dismissed or related to other potential causes, especially as your 40s is a time when you may have a lot of work and family responsibilities.
Whether you have menopausal symptoms or not, declining estrogen levels is also linked to higher risk for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and dementia. If you have risk factors for any of these diseases, it may be better for you to consider preventative hormone therapy even if you don’t have any menopause symptoms which are bothering you. Unfortunately, not many GPs or gynaecologists have been trained in Menopause Hormone Therapy “MHT” – commonly known by it’s old name HRT – hormone replacement therapy.
MHT can be started in perimenopause or post menopause. If your health history is relatively simple, you may find a GP at your GP Practice who is up to date & can advise you. See if you can get an appointment with them OR consider one of the new menopause specialised clinics such as Menodoctor, which offers longer, in person consultations in Tauranga, New Zealand or nationally via videocall.
There are also lots of great menopause health resources here:
Australasian Menopause Society
Helpful Lifestyle Changes During Peri and Post Menopause
Now is a great time to review what’s working and what’s not for your changing body. By adopting a holistic approach that integrates dietary adjustments, regular physical activity, stress management techniques, and adequate sleep, women can navigate this transition with greater ease and resilience.
If you missed the recent THRIVE workshop in Tauranga where we focussed on these non-medical, lifestyle changes, contact me to arrange a private consultation to work out a personal program covering an exercise program, diet and stress management, because there’s no “one size fits all” solution. But we can get you started, monitor what works and what doesn’t and make changes from there.
If you want to track your progress using numbers (as opposed to how you feel and look), we recommend you start with a Body Composition & Postural Assessment.
We use the latest, medical quality bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) technology to give you a true indication of your inner health. When monitored over time, you will be able to see the true impact of your nutrition, health and fitness programme.
Measuring just total body weight can be so misleading…. as you get stronger, you build muscle, which is heavier than fat.
In your Body Composition Assessment you will learn your:
Visceral fat (kg) – a benchmarked measure of how much (dangerous) fat you have around your internal organs
Muscle Mass (kg)
Muscle Quality (Index) – indicates the “quality (state) of muscle” which changes according to factors such as age and fitness.
Physique Rating – how much muscle you have relative to your fat and height
Bone Mineral Mass (kg) – As we age, bone mineral levels decline in both men and women. Pilates and other weight bearing exercise helps maintain your bone mineral levels.
Total Body Water (%) Are you dehydrated? The total amount of fluid in your body as percentage of your total weight. A benchmarked measure.
Base Metabolic Rate (kcal/day) – the number of calories your body needs at rest. The more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate.
Your Metabolic Age – How old are you really? A summary assessment that takes everything into consideration. There are many reasons why your metabolic age might be higher than your actual age, such as too much body fat, not enough muscle, under used muscles & low levels of bone mineral.
Total Body Weight (kg)
Body Mass Index (BMI) A popular health measure that relates your height and weight, but which can be misleading for some people…e.g. a lean, but weak person can have a BMI in the healthy range but a muscular person can have a BMI that is too high
You will receive a 1 page report which provides all this information about your own body and our recommendations for any changes you could be making to improve your health & fitness.
During the same session, we can also assess your Posture. If your posture is not what it could be, perhaps because you spend so much time sitting down, you may be experiencing aches and pains in your body OR you may be experiencing a range of symptoms that can lead to chronic health conditions. This is because your spinal cord – which controls all the messages from your brain- and should be protected by your spine, is starting to be restricted by your spine being out of ideal shape.
Ask Sally how she can work with you personally or in a group to improve your Health & Wellness.