Navigating the complexities of perimenopause and menopause can be daunting. Pamela Light, a peri/menopause expert, has over 30 years of experience as a health coach and wants to change the narrative around hormonal changes. In a conversation with Athletech News, Light advised fitness professionals on how best to help clients navigate their hormonal shifts.
Light emphasized the importance of quality over quantity when it comes to fitness.
“The days of quantity are over, and our workouts should be all about quality,” Light told ATN. “Choose exercises that work the large muscle groups all together like deadlifts, bench presses or squats and lunges. Make workouts efficient and effective, never long and complicated. This will maximize results while minimizing the time our cortisol is elevated.”
Strength training can provide enough demand for bones and muscles to get stronger without spiking cortisol, which is higher for perimenopausal women.
“It has also been found that resistance training increases cardiovascular fitness, which usually takes a hit in the menopause transition,” Light added. “Women also burn fat for fuel while resistance training, the ultimate bonus!”
All About Balance
Pamela’s approach to lifestyle changes is centered around moderation and balance.
“Women in menopause transform into Goldilocks,” Light said.
“Balance becomes the rule in all things. I work with a load of smart, disciplined women who come to me discouraged because they can’t imagine eating less or exercising more. I help them edit their workouts down to find a good balance between hard, moderate and easy, as well as teach them how to fuel with real foods throughout the day. In addition to feeling better right away, they are on a sustainable path to help avoid all of the typical menopausal health pitfalls: inflammation, bone loss, fat gain, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.”
Light also advises fitness professionals to support their clients on more than just hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and supplements to alleviate their symptoms (note: This is not within a fitness professional’s scope of practice without the proper education, training and certification. Work in concert with allied health professionals when dealing with supplements or exogenous hormones).
“While HRT/supplements can set the stage for success, they aren’t a magic bullet,” Light said. “We need to guide our clients on how to move, eat and rest to increase and maintain bone and muscle mass, and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.”
She also shared her skepticism about fasting.
“To me, fasting reads like a gimmick or shortcut to avoid the effort, and patience involved in making a lasting lifestyle change,” Light said. “Often, women walk away from their fasting experiment with decreased heart health, lost muscle and bone, a slower metabolism, and feeling very discouraged. Why not put that same level of effort into eating quality foods, balancing our nutrients, and making movement a priority?”
Most fitness professionals and medical providers overlook the complexities of perimenopause and menopause. By focusing on strength training and balance in lifestyle habits, women can better navigate this transformative phase.
