5 WAYS MENOPAUSE EFFECTS THE AGING (ATHLETIC) FEMALE

Actually, menopause doesn’t discriminate. However, menopause can be a bit kinder on the aging female athlete as she makes her way through her transition. 

Menopause is inevitable. I think of it as the opposite end of puberty. In fact, some women even wind up getting menopausal acne! As if that is a cute thing when you are in your 5th decade of life…

My Longterm Irregular Cycle

Many women look forward to shed themselves of their monthly bleed. I, however, embrace and think of my menstrual cycle as the “fountain of youth”.  I was never ‘regular’ until I turned 42! That typical 28 day cycle? Never experienced it. Horrendous cramps were my worst enemy as a teenager. I was diagnosed with PCOS in my late 20’s and I never accidentally got pregnant. In fact, my cycle was often so ‘off’ that at numerous times, I was put on oral contraceptives to invoke a bleed.  

How I Made My Cycle Regular at Age 42

It wasn’t until I began training for triathlon in my early 40’s did I start to see a shift in my menstrual cycle. I built up my aerobic engine, I began lifting heavy weights which stripped off excess abdominal fat and improved my lean muscle. My diet was always great, but I began to look at my macronutrients more carefully to see where my fuel was coming from. I paid attention to what and how much actually went into my mouth. I viewed my body as a pristine Ferrari that went in for service every day. I’ve got one of these bodies, so I might as well treat it like a temple! 

Navigate Your Own Transition

The decline of female reproductive hormones can throw a woman’s body into turmoil both physically and mentally however by taking action to combat the physiological shifts, a woman does NOT have to sit back and watch it happen like a spectator. She can get in the drivers seat and navigate her own transition through becoming aware of how she moves her body, how she fuels her body and how she THINKS within her body. The aging female athlete is in control of menopause.

Take this Challenge

They say ‘youth is wasted on the young’. Ladies, here is my challenge to you: Make one goal dedicated to your FOOD, EXERCISE and MIND for the New Year. 

Maybe you want to pay more attention to how much sugar you ACTUALLY consume in a day. Or maybe you want to make sure you get one green vegetable into your diet each day. 

Maybe you do go out and buy that set of heavier weights that you somehow convinced yourself that “if you lift heavy you will bulk”. UM, no, the chances of you bulking after menopause is coming from FAT not LEAN MUSCLE MASS! 

Maybe you write yourself a healing sentence on January 1st and repeat it to yourself at the start of every day. What you say to yourself will always land somewhere in your body. Remember, that body of yours is a goddess, TREAT HER AS SUCH! 

LOVE YOU, MY FELLOW LADIES. LET ME HELP YOU ADJUST YOUR CROWN.