There’s no bad time to spark an interest in exercise, health and fitness – but, ideally, the sooner you embrace a healthy lifestyle the better it is for your future.
Interestingly, new research from Vitality Life has just revealed that, while younger women in their 20s are reporting significant barriers to staying active, those in their 40s and 50s are now paving the way as leaders in fitness, enjoying more frequent exercise than their younger counterparts, ITN Business reports.
The survey found that 27 per cent of women aged between 40 and 59 are now exercising at least five times a week, compared to 19 per cent of those in their 20s, with the menopause seemingly prompting them to focus on staying healthy as they get older, with the focus moving from weight management to cardiovascular fitness and muscle mass retention.
Commenting on the findings, Vitality CEO Neville Koopowitz said: “What is interesting about this age group is that we start to see a shift in how women think about exercise: women start to prioritise their broader health and longevity benefits.
“It’s clear that we need a broader shift in how women perceive exercise to move the focus away from weight to health.”
How can physio help with menopause?
If you’re concerned about how the menopause will affect you, with symptoms including joint stiffness, aches and pains, weight gain, slow metabolism, hot flashes and night sweats (among many others), you may find that seeing a physiotherapist could help address some of your concerns.
Massage therapy and targeted physio techniques can help to reduce some of your physical symptoms and help improve your strength and fitness levels. Pelvic floor muscles can also weaken at this time, which can lead to prolapse and incontinence, but you can prevent this through specific pelvic floor strengthening exercises, which your physio can also help with.
If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with the Clear Physio team today to see how we can help.
