Suddenly, you’ve noticed a 15-20 pound weight gain. You swear it happened overnight. So you start increasing your cardio hoping to burn some of that fat fast. You start incorporating high intensity interval training (HIIT) a few times a week. You heard that resistance training helps with weight so you add that and now you’re tired, hungry, and your weight hasn’t moved.
Don’t worry, many women going through perimenopause have experienced this. That might not be of much comfort, though. It might be time to slow things down to make a difference in your weight loss efforts.
One way to do that is through walking. Walking offers numerous benefits for women going through menopause. Here are just a few:
Reduces Menopausal Symptoms
– Regular walking can help reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes and night sweats, according to some studies.
– Walking may help regulate hormonal imbalances during menopause by lowering excess circulating estrogen in perimenopausal women and increasing lower estrogen levels in post-menopausal women.
Improves Mental Health
– Walking releases endorphins that can improve mood, reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. This is especially true if you are able to get outside and walk.
– Menopausal women sometimes experience poor quality sleep–either, getting to sleep, staying asleep or just overall deep sleep. Walking can improve sleep quality.
Promotes Weight Management
– It’s true, just because you aren’t exhausting yourself on the stair stepper, doesn’t mean walking can help you lose weight. You’re increasing your energy expenditure, which can help you manage your weight.
-Unlike extreme workouts, which increase your stress hormone, cortisol, as well as inflammation, walking is a low-stress activity that lowers cortisol and inflammation.
Reduces Health Risks
– Walking improves cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing the increased risk of heart disease during menopause.
-It’s also easier on your joints that high impact cardio.
Try sneaking in 10 minute walks during your work breaks and lunch. A short walk right after dinner is a great way to increase movement while helping with digestion. Incorporating a regular walking routine, even just 10-30 minutes per day, can offer so many health benefits, in addition to helping with weight management during perimenopause. Before you add more cardio to your routine, try to dial things down a little bit and add some walking to see if it benefits you.
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