Benefits of Exercise for Older Women

Exercise for older women

Exercise for older women

Lack of regular exercise for women after menopause can significantly contribute to numerous health complications that include chronic illnesses like osteoporosis and arthritis, just to mention a few. There are plenty of benefits in exercising as long as you have the energy to get moving. While not all strenuous exercises can be healthy after menopause, weight-bearing workouts that place weight on your bones, such as the hips, knees, spine and legs, can be helpful in preventing conditions like osteoporosis.

If you are a postmenopausal woman, you should learn the following benefits of living an active lifestyle rather than spending too much time in bed or on the couch:

  • Prevent Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a medical condition that makes your bones weak and brittle. It is a common problem among the elderly where slight stresses like coughing, bending or falling can cause a fracture. Most fractures associated with this condition occur in the spine, hip or wrist. Although it can affect anyone irrespective of gender or age, postmenopausal women are at an increased risk for osteoporosis than men of the same age. Weight-bearing exercises, healthy diet, and medication can help in preventing osteoporosis in women after menopause.

  • Lower the Risk of Heart Disease

Your chances of getting heart disease increase as you age, but in women, the symptoms become more evident after menopause. While menopause doesn’t cause heart disease, there are certain risk factors that make women more prone to the condition after they reach menopause. These include smoking, high-fat diet and other unhealthy habits, according to Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a cardiologist and a volunteer at the American Heart Association. Dr. Goldberg says that drop in estrogen levels may also play a role. Regular exercises increase the flexibility of arteries and lower HDL cholesterol, reducing the risks of blood clots, according to Dr. Goldberg.


  • Stronger Joints

About Dr. Lisa Kaye, the orthopedic surgeon and an associate professor at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri, menopause accelerates bone loss, and as you age, the amount of bone turnover is higher than the amount of new bone production. A decline in estrogen production during menopause triggers the breakdown of your bone cells, putting you at an increased risk of arthritis, which manifest as bone joint pain.  Dr. Kaye advocates for weight-bearing exercises like weight lifting and tasks performed when standing up – jogging, walking, running, step aerobics. These should start at an early age and continue past menopause to help build bone density.

  • Maintain Regular Bowel Function

Irregular bowel function is a common problem among the elderly, including postmenopausal women. It occurs mainly due to digestive complications that cause diarrhea or constipation. These can also be triggered by the sedentary lifestyle, particularly among the postmenopausal women who are trying to adapt to new physical and emotional changes in life. Luckily, you can maintain a regular bowel function by engaging in regular physical activities and exercises, which promote digestion and movement of food in the digestive system. Exercising also promotes absorption of minerals and essential nutrients into the bloodstream.

  • Overall Fitness and Health Improvement

Irrespective of your age, it is common sense that exercising regularly comes with many benefits for your overall fitness and health. It’s a great way to improve the quality of your life and longevity. Besides, exercises stimulate production “feel good” hormones while suppressing the release of the stress hormone, cortisol. This means your mood improves every time you exercise, and can be helpful in addressing psychiatric issues that commonly affect postmenopausal women, such as stress, anxiety, nervousness and mild depression. Getting a workout buddy can help in alleviating feelings of isolation that is common among the elderly.

Coping With Postmenopausal Symptoms

Apart from engaging in a regular workout routine, there are several strategies through which you can cope with postmenopausal symptoms while lowering the risks of chronic illnesses. These include:

  • Healthy diet: Consumption of a healthy and well-balanced diet will ensure that your body receives all the essential nutrients and minerals necessary to maintain normal body functions. Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables to boost your immune system. Limit fat and cholesterol intake to lower the risks of cardiovascular disease. Consume foods that are rich in calcium to strengthen your bones.
  • Make lifestyle changes: Adopt habits that are deemed beneficial to your health. Drop habits like smoking and excessive use of alcohol.
  • Maintain healthy weight: This can only be achieved with proper diet and exercises.

Supplementation

Supplementation is very crucial for women after menopause. About PM Phytogen Complex reviews, common postmenopausal symptoms can be addressed through supplements. PM Pytogen Complex is a product that is specially formulated to help alleviate common menopausal and postmenopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, weight gain and increased irritability. The supplement is all natural and inexpensive, yet very effective in treating several conditions that arise during and after menopause. Active ingredients in PM Phytogen Complex include Puerana Mirifica, vitamin B12, folic acid and biotin.

Conclusion

If you are a woman past menopause, you should never miss a day without ensuring that you engage in physical activity for the sake of improving your overall health. You can avert many health complications with regular exercises as long as you have time and energy. It’s a great way to thank your body and mind. Get up and start moving!

References

https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/menopause-center/tips-to-maintain-your-health-during-menopause.html

https://www.thebeautyinsiders.com/why-is-it-hard-to-lose-weight-during-menopause.html

Author Bio

Meighan Sembrano is an author at Consumer Health Information. She has a keen interest in writing. She has contributed many beauty related articles in many popular websites. She has done her Mass Communication degree. She now lives in Washington DC. She is a social worker who spends her free time searching about life, healthy, beauty and lifestyles fitness related articles. She is fond of travelling and trekking. To know more about her, follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

7 Superfoods That Improve Heart Health – a guest post by Meighan Sembrano


Superfoods have been around throughout the history, but it was only recently when scientists
Superfoods

Superfoods

realized their true power and beneficial effects on our health. They have the ability to improve our brain power, prevent cancer, and boost our heart health. In this article, we will discuss heart-healthy superfoods that you should introduce into your everyday menu.

  • Blueberries

Blueberries and berries, in general, belong to the group of the healthiest foods you can eat. Blueberries are both extremely delicious and rich in antioxidants that reduce the buildup of LDL (bad) cholesterol in artery walls. Otherwise, LDL cholesterol would keep building up and cause various cardiovascular diseases. The reason blueberries are included in first place of our list is because, studies that were conducted at the USDA Human Nutrition Center revealed that blueberries rank as #1 in best antioxidant activity when compared to other fresh fruits and vegetables.

Also, the recent study revealed that women who ate more than three servings of blueberries per week had a 32% lower risk of getting the heart attack. It is recommended to eat one cup of blueberries a day.

  • Beans

Beans are one of the most underrated superfoods. However, black, kidney, and pinto beans have a high level of soluble fibers that are beneficial for our heart health. Also, beans aid in lowering high cholesterol levels and they don’t contain saturated fats. After all, high cholesterol is the leading cause of heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, another great benefit of beans for your heart health is the face it acts as an appetite suppressor. When you eat beans you feel full for a longer period, you don’t eat as much and manage to maintain your weight. Gaining weight and even obesity are a great threat to your heart health.

  • Spinach

Spinach and other green leafy vegetables are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that protect your body from cardiovascular diseases. Most people don’t know that spinach is a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids too, which is another reason you should include it into your diet after all Popeye ate all that spinach for nothing. Moreover, Spinach is rich in folate that helps reduce the blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine. High level of this amino acid is an emerging risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease.

  • Salmon

Meighan Sembrano

Meighan Sembrano

When we’re talking about heart health, it is impossible to leave out glorious salmon. This fish is the best source of Omega 3 fatty acids that are essential for our body. Omega 3 fatty acids reduce the risk of developing various cardiovascular diseases by lowering levels of triglycerides (blood fats that are associated with diabetes and heart diseases). Additionally, some researchers showed that Omega 3 fatty acids prevent blood clots by making preventing platelets clump together and stick to artery walls.

American Heart Association recommends eating two 3 to 6 or servings of salmon at least two times a week.

Video: Also Watch: Benefits of omega 3 fatty acids.

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  • Dark chocolate

This is great news for all chocoholics out there. Naturally, this doesn’t mean you should buy a regular chocolate bar you eat every day. Instead, you should opt for a dark alternative. Various studies showed that dark chocolate can, indeed, benefit our heart health due to its flavonoids that reduce inflammation and improve blood circulation. British Medical Journal published findings of the study that showed that consumption of dark chocolate reduces heart attack (and even stroke) for people that are high at risk of getting cardiovascular disease.

Dark chocolate is defined as chocolate that contains at least 60 to 70% of cocoa. It is recommended to eat a square or two a day.

  • Nuts

Walnuts, pecans, cashews and other nuts are good sources of Omega 3 fatty acids. Also, nuts prevent dangerous heart rhythms, reduce the risk of blood clots, lower LDL cholesterol in the blood and prevent various cardiovascular diseases. To improve your heart health and avoid gaining weight in the abdominal area, you should an ounce of nuts a day as a replacement to usual sugary snacks.

  • Oatmeal

A half-cup of oatmeal a day contains about 130 calories while providing our body with 5 grams of heart-healthy fiber that lowers cholesterol and keeps our maintains our healthy body weight. Also, oatmeal makes you feel full which means you won’t be tempted to eat unhealthy foods or snacks. Moreover, oatmeal and whole grains lower the risk of diabetes that is, actually, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It’s important to eat whole grains, instead of refined ones if you want to get all these healthy benefits from the food.

Conclusion

With the introduction of superfoods from this article into your diet, you will lower the risk of getting various cardiovascular diseases. The best thing of all, these foods are just as delicious as they are healthy.

References

 

 

 

 

Author bio:

 

Meighan Sembrano is an author at Consumer Health Digest. She has a keen interest in writing. She has contributed many beauty related articles in many popular websites. She has done her Mass Communication degree. She now lives in Washington DC. She is a social worker who spends her free time searching about life, healthy, beauty and lifestyle fitness related articles. She is fond of travelling and trekking. To know more about her, follow her on Facebook and Twitter.