How To Exercise In Menopause To Skyrocket Better Results

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In midlife, you do not want to exercise in a fasted state. 

That is the bottom line. 

As a woman, especially in menopause, you want to reduce any type of stress that can cause a rise in cortisol, which in turn causes a rise in insulin, which is a fat-storage hormone. Exercise, especially exercise in a fasted state, can be somewhat stressful. We want to work with cortisol levels. We want to work with our menopausal body and not work against it.

TIMING AND TYPE OF EXERCISE

So one of the things you really want to focus on is pre-workout fueling. 

Overall, it is best to exercise intensely, and that would be either some type of HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workout or a workout where you're getting your heart rate up, and you get breathless. That's intense exercise. Heavy lifting is intense exercise too. 

Exercises that are more intense are going to be best done BEFORE three o'clock in the afternoon. That is so we're working with our cortisol levels and not putting too much stress on our bodies.

If you’re doing very intense workouts in the afternoon and evening, you will interfere with your circadian rhythm, cortisol, and sleep cycle. 

Other exercises like walking, pilates, yoga, and the Trim Healthy Mama Workins are great passive exercises. They are not needle movers for women in menopause, because they’re not as intense. So, it's not a big deal if you're not fueling before passive exercises.

PRE-WORKOUT FUELING

But it is a big deal if you are in a fasted state and you are doing heavy lifting or HIIT or SPRINT training. 

When you perform these more intense exercises, you want to fuel yourself with carbohydrates & protein prior to working out. That could be thirty to forty-five minutes prior. Don’t eat a full forty-five-carb meal unless it will be a full hour until you workout. Think more of a small snack of carbs before an intense workout session.

A pulled-back E (energizing) snack is a great option. That would be around fifteen grams of carbohydrates before your HIIT workout with a little bit of protein. The body can start burning fat with a little bit of carbs. So that could be something like half of a banana with a little bit of almond butter or deli meat. It could be an apple or some berries with cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. We want to keep the fiber and fat low.

I like to have a little bit of protein before and after. The protein is going to help with blood sugar stabilization, and it's just gonna help get those muscles ready. A small amount of carbohydrates before an intense workout can give your body some glucose.

You are getting into more fat-burning before calorie-burning when you’re doing a HIIT workout. And you're going to be burning more fat throughout the day. HIIT workouts have also been proven to help reduce menopausal symptoms. It's a little bit of a stressor, but in a good way, you're working really hard for a really short period of time. I recommend no more than 40 minutes of HIIT workout time in total in a week.

On my HIIT workout days, I get up and have my thyroid meds on an empty stomach. After an hour, I drink the Perfect Aminos mix for my protein and in maybe thirty to forty-five minutes, I will have either a small piece of fruit and a little bit of an apple with almond butter, or sometimes I'll do a brown rice cake, and spread a thin bit of almond butter on it. Any time after that, I complete my workout. Then I am set until lunch. 

The other way, if you're not utilizing the Perfect Aminos, would be to have a little bit of protein and carbs prior to your workout. Make sure to complete your workout within thirty minutes while the protein and carbs are available for use.

POST-WORKOUT FUELING

So after your HIIT workout, do we need protein? 

Yes.

It's not as important as protein after Strength training, but it is still important to help with protein synthesis. It also helps lower blood sugar and decreases our catabolic state.

When we work out, we'll get into a catabolic state, which is breaking down. That's really what cortisol does it’s natural and normal but we want to stop it during that time. And so protein actually hinders the breaking down. This is why thirty to forty grams of protein after your HIIT workout is the best choice.

A Trim Healthy Mama protein smoothie is another great option after your workout. 

I like to have an E meal after my workout as well, making sure I've got adequate protein, which would be 30-40 grams. So that could be a meal with salmon or chicken in a protein bowl or salad.

You may need to add some extra protein if you don't have enough animal protein. I love the new Trim Healthy Mama Optimized plant protein powder because it has everything in there for proper muscle synthesis, muscle recovery, and everything that makes your cells open up to receive that protein. The key ingredient for muscle synthesis is Leucine. Leucine can be found in whey protein and in the optimized hemp protein powder. I love the Optimized plant protein best because it has forty-eight grams of protein. Getting protein before and after a high-intensity workout is important.

The two protein hacks I use to get enough in each day are the Perfect Aminos and the Trim Healthy Optimized plant protein. 

The Perfect Aminos is just essential amino acids, there's no hemp in there. And they go right into your bloodstream to support muscle synthesis, muscle building, and muscle recovery. I use this before my workout because it lasts for two to three hours. I don't even have to have any more protein after my workout. Or I can wait and use the Perfect Aminos after my workout. But it's best on an empty stomach.

So, I like to use both of those products because I want to make sure that I'm getting my protein needs. The Perfect Aminos, Optimized protein powder or Trim Healthy whey protein are going to have everything that your body needs to take care of protein synthesis, muscle building, and muscle recovery. 

Now let's talk a little bit about Strength training. 

The goal of Strength training is to increase lean muscle mass. You can do the protein fueling routine as with HIIT and you can also bookend your workout with protein. 

With HIIT workouts you really are looking for the glucose and protein. And with all intense workouts, protein is key for feeding your muscles. 

I keep this super simple and encourage the same for you. Choose either the Optimized Hemp protein powder with almond milk and a little bit of stevia or the Perfect Aminos drink. 

If you decide not to have the drink and you want to have a meal, just make sure that you've got thirty to forty grams of protein. 

Fueling your body well with protein before your intense workouts is key to your successful results in menopause and beyond. This will keep your blood sugar levels balanced and cortisol in check.

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I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.