I am in my 40s and I started noticing some changes in my body and my mental health. I was struggling to fall asleep, I was unmotivated to work out or get chores done. I was feeling sluggish. I was struggling to hold poses, I felt like I was losing my strength. I also started to gain weight around my belly. Then came the hot flashes. It was official, I was experiencing perimenopause.
So what is Perimenopause?
As a woman's estrogen levels start to decline, she enters perimenopause, a transition period to menopause. This stage may be accompanied by physical and psychological symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, weight fluctuations, exhaustion, mood swings, brain fog, and insomnia. Perimenopause can begin as early as age 35 and last until age 55.
Don't despair! Women can manage their symptoms by prioritizing self-care practices such as maintaining a healthy diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation.
Benefits of Yoga for Perimenopause.
1. Reduces Stress
Hormone changes, life stresses, and sleep problems experienced during perimenopause or menopause may cause anxiety. Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines physical poses with controlled breathing to help reduce stress, decrease blood pressure, and lower heart rate.
2. Improved Sleep
Hot flashes are a common source of insomnia during menopause. These uncomfortable surges of heat can occur at any time of day or night, and hot flashes at night may be very disruptive to sleep. When women get hot flashes at night, they often have unexpected awakenings.
Yoga has been shown to improve sleep by increasing physical activity, promoting mindfulness, and increasing breath awareness. These benefits work together to improve overall sleep quality.
3. Improves Muscle Mass
According to research, perimenopausal women lose muscular growth and strength as their estrogen levels fall. A cross-sectional investigation (1) revealed that the perimenopausal transition is a vulnerable period for muscle mass loss.
Yoga can help increase estrogen levels. This study discovered that post-menopausal participants who practiced yoga for four months in two one-hour sessions per week had an abnormal estrogen-level increase and improved their quality of life. (2)
4. Improved Mental Clarity
Estrogen and testosterone are two key female hormones that influence cognitive function and memory. As women approach menopause, their levels of these hormones begin to decline, which can result in memory loss, difficulty concentrating, difficulty finding words, and brain fog.
Yoga practice promotes the formation of new connections between brain cells and causes changes in brain structure and function, resulting in improved cognitive abilities such as learning and memory (3)
5. Weight Loss
Due to hormonal variations, including estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones, perimenopause can induce an increase in hunger and weight gain. According to one study, perimenopausal women had much higher levels of the "hunger hormone," ghrelin, than premenopausal and postmenopausal women (4).
Yoga can help you build muscle tone and boost your metabolism. This mindfulness technique can help with behavioral changes, weight loss, stress reduction, and calorie burning. All of these variables contribute to a healthy weight.
Conclusion
This transition phase can bring about significant physical and physiological changes that may cause discomfort, confusion, and even anxiety. However, there are ways to improve your quality of life during this transition. Knowing your body is key. Yoga can help. I invite you to practice Yoga for Perimenopause (Yoga with Heidi).