Our Hormones, Our Health by Susanne Esche-Belke

Author:Susanne Esche-Belke
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HEA051000, HEA024000, MED027000, SEL005000, MED078000, MED075000
Publisher: Scribe Publications Pty Ltd
Published: 2021-03-02T00:00:00+00:00

Regulating hormones via exercise

As it is a well-known fact that exercise positively supports a diet and is also a ‘miracle cure’ for all other menopausal symptoms, we will now take a look at this subject. But don’t panic — we’re not expecting you to sign up for a marathon.

We would like to start this chapter with Alexandra’s story, as this ‘oh no!’ moment seemed familiar to us:

Case study: Realising that your body has changed

40-year-old saleswoman Alexandra enters the changing room area of a large clothes shop. The obligatory mirrors line the entire wall on one side. As she passes by, Alexandra reflects on how vain society has become. As if the whole selfie mania wasn’t enough. But hang on, who is that woman? She looks around but there is no one else there except her. Was it the light? She can hardly believe that the woman she sees reflected is herself. It’s a shock because the body of the woman staring at her from the mirror is nothing like the way she believes her body looks. Yes, of course she had realised that she no longer had the body of a 30-year-old. But when had her body changed so much? Her breasts have become larger, her hips wider. She can’t stop herself pinching the skin on her thighs — there was a time when she wouldn’t have been able to do that. Oh dear. Frustrated and disappointed, she turns her back on the mirror. Strange, the last time she looked at the scales, her weight hadn’t gone up that much …

Many women in their forties have so much on their plate that they lose sight of their body for several years. They then ‘suddenly’ register the changes, as if their body had transformed overnight. Of course, that’s not the case — the changes have happened gradually.

It usually starts with exercising less. Packing up your kit and getting yourself to the exercise class or gym takes time. Then you have to shower and drive home. You’d really rather save yourself that hour or two. You are already stressed enough, exhausted, you don’t have as much energy. And at some point, you ‘suddenly’ find yourself in front of a full-length mirror, which you don’t necessarily have at home, and you are shocked.

This not only affects your appearance. Abdominal fat in particular rapidly becomes a harmful hormone factory, promotes inflammations, and turns our hormone balance upside down. Weak muscles mean you tire more quickly and have fewer reserves. You get out of breath faster and are less motivated to challenge yourself. After all, everything is already exhausting as it is.

Less than half of German people aged 30 to 59 do no exercise at all. But in the case of women over 40, more than 70 per cent do no exercise — even though this is exactly the age when it would make most sense to slip back into your jogging shoes or your swimsuit. Exercise has been proven to protect against almost all symptoms that are associated with oestrogen deficiency during perimenopause.

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