The Pounds Are Finding Me, I Don't Move Enough!

Photo source: http://www.dangerouslyfit.com.au/exercise/exercise-during-menopause/

Although I consider myself as an active woman, I have to admit that I have not been consistent with my workout routines over the last 3-4 years. Consequently, I have gained at least 15 pounds, with most of this extra weight going to the abdominal area. I used to fit in size 4 (or less) clothes, now I wear size 8 ... and it is frustrating!

Of course, I can say that I am a busy mother who works full-time, thus I don't really have time to workout for 1 hour daily. But, if I want to be honest with myself, I have to admit that the reality is that I don't always prioritize my workout time.  We don't always need 1 hour for workouts ... a very intense 30-min workout such as those offered by Shaun T Fitness, or Jillian Michaels can make you sweat profusely. 

But, there is also another factor that I should mention here which I have found particularly challenging this year: my age. I am 50 years old and my body is experiencing all the changes typical of the perimenopausal transition. One of these changes is to gain extra pounds, particularly in the abdominal area.

Of course, not all women going through perimenopause gain weight; but many do, why?

Recently, a study published by the North American Menopause Society suggests it’s more important than ever for perimenopause women (ages: 45 to 55 years old) to commit to keeping the pounds off. The new study, done at Yonsei University in Seoul and Hallym University in Chuncheon (Korea) examined 4 years of data from the Korean Genetic Epidemiologic Survey. It looked at 1,200 healthy women not on hormones who were at risk to put on fat around the waist and develop high blood pressure and higher cholesterol. This is also known as metabolic syndrome, a dangerous combination of conditions that can lead to diabetes and heart disease.

The key result from this study that I want to point out here is that women going through perimenopause didn’t have a higher chance of getting the entire syndrome, but if they started out overweight, sedentary, undereducated or disadvantaged, they were at higher risk.

So, the take-home message is that if you are in your 40s or early 50s and you tend to live a sedentary life or are a little bit overweight, you need to start moving! 

I don't think that I live a sedentary life, but I do recognize that I can be more active. Perhaps, this may be something that I should put in my list of New Year's resolution - a real act of self-improvement, in my case!