Is ‘lifting heavy' the solution to perimenopausal changes? Meet the women choosing weights.
Is there any hope for those of us who perhaps don't enjoy the weights room in the gym or are we doomed to a perimenopausal fog of wasting muscle and athletic dreams crumbling alongside our bones?
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'The generalisation that we need to lift heavy to offset the changes during menopause is too simplistic,' says Dr Mandy Hagstrom, an exercise scientist at the University of NSW who specialises in women's health. 'We have so many changes that occur during menopause that are addressed by different exercise prescriptions.'
Why are perimenopausal women being told to lift heavy?
Post-menopausal women (those who have not had their period for 12 months or more) have the highest risk of osteoporosis.
Lifting heavy weights can indeed prevent that bone density loss and stimulate new bone. Why? Because the mechanical tension of the tendons and ligaments pulling on the bone when they're under a heavy load causes the bone to adapt.
'When we don't pull on the bone sufficiently, we don't adapt the bone,' says Hagstrom, a former Commonwealth powerlifting medallist.
This means that activities like cycling, walking, swimming and even resistance training using body weight or the heavy springs in a Pilates class don't benefit the bone.
One new review found that, when supervised, progressively weighted impact exercises such as deadlifts, overhead presses, back squats and jumping chin-ups with drop landings were safe and improved bone density even in women with low density.
'Through lifting challenging weights, we maintain muscle (our inner metabolic furnace), strengthen bone density – 50 per cent of women aged over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis – and improve overall health, quality of life and longevity,' says Michelle Bridges, who recently launched two new programs, the Menopause Method and the Perimenopause Method.
Lifting is important for everyone's bone health, agrees Professor Jenny Gunton, chair of medicine at Westmead Hospital in Sydney.
'Even though astronauts are super-inspringly fit people, the lack of this good bone stress is why they lose a huge amount of bone density so quickly when they are in space,' she says.
But, she adds, lifting is not the only strategy to improve bone health.
Impact-based exercise, like running, jumping, tennis and dance also strengthens our bones, in part by regulating hormone levels.
'As a good example, tennis players have substantially higher bone mineral content in their tennis arm,' Gunton says.
A metanalysis published in April found that a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise led to the greatest gains in bone health among post-menopausal women.
'Overall, I think there is less certainty about the need to lift 'heavy' than people say,' says Professor Cathie Sherrington, deputy director of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health at the University of Sydney.
'It is true that bones need to be loaded to get stronger, but it seems that weight-bearing activity (running, jumping) and moderate resistance training is sufficient for this.'
Perimenopause is more than bone health
For women in perimenopause or menopause, each facet of health is impacted by a different type of activity.
Heavy lifting is not necessarily the most efficient way to tackle all the changes that occur during this period, including the loss of lean muscle mass and accumulation of fat mass.
'To change that body composition, it's often more effective to lift lower weights with a higher volume,' says Hagstrom.
'It blows my mind that there's so much dogma around: 'you must do interval training, and you must only lift heavy'. Both of those things are good, but they're not the be-all and end-all and not everyone is going to enjoy them.'
The symptoms of perimenopause and menopause also often coincide with a time when women are in peak career, parenting and caring roles too. Throw in sleep disturbances and the answer to the best type of exercise becomes: any.
Loading
Put all the pieces together, and it is what we can fit in, what we enjoy and, if we're being finicky, what provides variety so we have the strength, stamina, flexibility and balance to move, function and feel well at any age.
Variety, it turns out, is the one common denominator among the experts.
Bridges does weight training four-to-five days a week, including a pump class for the vibe: 'My schedule and single mum life can sometimes take the lead, but I aim for that.'
She often tacks on an interval or sprint session at the end, performing about five ('or more depending on how much of a boss you are') all-out efforts for 20 to 30 seconds with a rest of two to three minutes.
Sherrington is also a fan of pump classes and lifts, but not 'heavy'. Rather, she does moderate intensity strength training twice a week with a focus on functional activities like squats and step-ups.
Simmons aims for two or three strength sessions, one yoga or Pilates class, one conditioning session, such as a hilly walk, and one recovery session in a sauna.
Hagstrom's routine is different again. She does two 40-minute steady-state sessions on her bike at home while her son has screen time. This is finished off with 20 minutes of strength, using 10-kilogram dumbbells or a 20-kilogram barbell. She runs once a week for metabolic fitness, and aims to walk when possible for the enjoyment and time outdoors. Lastly, she does yoga or Pilates from home several times a week for balance, posture, flexibility and stability.
'Everyone's journey is different,' she says. 'There is no perfect formula.'
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The Age
a day ago
- The Age
Is ‘lifting heavy' the solution to perimenopausal changes? Meet the women choosing weights.
Is there any hope for those of us who perhaps don't enjoy the weights room in the gym or are we doomed to a perimenopausal fog of wasting muscle and athletic dreams crumbling alongside our bones? Loading 'The generalisation that we need to lift heavy to offset the changes during menopause is too simplistic,' says Dr Mandy Hagstrom, an exercise scientist at the University of NSW who specialises in women's health. 'We have so many changes that occur during menopause that are addressed by different exercise prescriptions.' Why are perimenopausal women being told to lift heavy? Post-menopausal women (those who have not had their period for 12 months or more) have the highest risk of osteoporosis. Lifting heavy weights can indeed prevent that bone density loss and stimulate new bone. Why? Because the mechanical tension of the tendons and ligaments pulling on the bone when they're under a heavy load causes the bone to adapt. 'When we don't pull on the bone sufficiently, we don't adapt the bone,' says Hagstrom, a former Commonwealth powerlifting medallist. This means that activities like cycling, walking, swimming and even resistance training using body weight or the heavy springs in a Pilates class don't benefit the bone. One new review found that, when supervised, progressively weighted impact exercises such as deadlifts, overhead presses, back squats and jumping chin-ups with drop landings were safe and improved bone density even in women with low density. 'Through lifting challenging weights, we maintain muscle (our inner metabolic furnace), strengthen bone density – 50 per cent of women aged over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis – and improve overall health, quality of life and longevity,' says Michelle Bridges, who recently launched two new programs, the Menopause Method and the Perimenopause Method. Lifting is important for everyone's bone health, agrees Professor Jenny Gunton, chair of medicine at Westmead Hospital in Sydney. 'Even though astronauts are super-inspringly fit people, the lack of this good bone stress is why they lose a huge amount of bone density so quickly when they are in space,' she says. But, she adds, lifting is not the only strategy to improve bone health. Impact-based exercise, like running, jumping, tennis and dance also strengthens our bones, in part by regulating hormone levels. 'As a good example, tennis players have substantially higher bone mineral content in their tennis arm,' Gunton says. A metanalysis published in April found that a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise led to the greatest gains in bone health among post-menopausal women. 'Overall, I think there is less certainty about the need to lift 'heavy' than people say,' says Professor Cathie Sherrington, deputy director of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health at the University of Sydney. 'It is true that bones need to be loaded to get stronger, but it seems that weight-bearing activity (running, jumping) and moderate resistance training is sufficient for this.' Perimenopause is more than bone health For women in perimenopause or menopause, each facet of health is impacted by a different type of activity. Heavy lifting is not necessarily the most efficient way to tackle all the changes that occur during this period, including the loss of lean muscle mass and accumulation of fat mass. 'To change that body composition, it's often more effective to lift lower weights with a higher volume,' says Hagstrom. 'It blows my mind that there's so much dogma around: 'you must do interval training, and you must only lift heavy'. Both of those things are good, but they're not the be-all and end-all and not everyone is going to enjoy them.' The symptoms of perimenopause and menopause also often coincide with a time when women are in peak career, parenting and caring roles too. Throw in sleep disturbances and the answer to the best type of exercise becomes: any. Loading Put all the pieces together, and it is what we can fit in, what we enjoy and, if we're being finicky, what provides variety so we have the strength, stamina, flexibility and balance to move, function and feel well at any age. Variety, it turns out, is the one common denominator among the experts. Bridges does weight training four-to-five days a week, including a pump class for the vibe: 'My schedule and single mum life can sometimes take the lead, but I aim for that.' She often tacks on an interval or sprint session at the end, performing about five ('or more depending on how much of a boss you are') all-out efforts for 20 to 30 seconds with a rest of two to three minutes. Sherrington is also a fan of pump classes and lifts, but not 'heavy'. Rather, she does moderate intensity strength training twice a week with a focus on functional activities like squats and step-ups. Simmons aims for two or three strength sessions, one yoga or Pilates class, one conditioning session, such as a hilly walk, and one recovery session in a sauna. Hagstrom's routine is different again. She does two 40-minute steady-state sessions on her bike at home while her son has screen time. This is finished off with 20 minutes of strength, using 10-kilogram dumbbells or a 20-kilogram barbell. She runs once a week for metabolic fitness, and aims to walk when possible for the enjoyment and time outdoors. Lastly, she does yoga or Pilates from home several times a week for balance, posture, flexibility and stability. 'Everyone's journey is different,' she says. 'There is no perfect formula.'
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Is ‘lifting heavy' the solution to perimenopausal changes? Meet the women choosing weights.
Is there any hope for those of us who perhaps don't enjoy the weights room in the gym or are we doomed to a perimenopausal fog of wasting muscle and athletic dreams crumbling alongside our bones? Loading 'The generalisation that we need to lift heavy to offset the changes during menopause is too simplistic,' says Dr Mandy Hagstrom, an exercise scientist at the University of NSW who specialises in women's health. 'We have so many changes that occur during menopause that are addressed by different exercise prescriptions.' Why are perimenopausal women being told to lift heavy? Post-menopausal women (those who have not had their period for 12 months or more) have the highest risk of osteoporosis. Lifting heavy weights can indeed prevent that bone density loss and stimulate new bone. Why? Because the mechanical tension of the tendons and ligaments pulling on the bone when they're under a heavy load causes the bone to adapt. 'When we don't pull on the bone sufficiently, we don't adapt the bone,' says Hagstrom, a former Commonwealth powerlifting medallist. This means that activities like cycling, walking, swimming and even resistance training using body weight or the heavy springs in a Pilates class don't benefit the bone. One new review found that, when supervised, progressively weighted impact exercises such as deadlifts, overhead presses, back squats and jumping chin-ups with drop landings were safe and improved bone density even in women with low density. 'Through lifting challenging weights, we maintain muscle (our inner metabolic furnace), strengthen bone density – 50 per cent of women aged over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis – and improve overall health, quality of life and longevity,' says Michelle Bridges, who recently launched two new programs, the Menopause Method and the Perimenopause Method. Lifting is important for everyone's bone health, agrees Professor Jenny Gunton, chair of medicine at Westmead Hospital in Sydney. 'Even though astronauts are super-inspringly fit people, the lack of this good bone stress is why they lose a huge amount of bone density so quickly when they are in space,' she says. But, she adds, lifting is not the only strategy to improve bone health. Impact-based exercise, like running, jumping, tennis and dance also strengthens our bones, in part by regulating hormone levels. 'As a good example, tennis players have substantially higher bone mineral content in their tennis arm,' Gunton says. A metanalysis published in April found that a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise led to the greatest gains in bone health among post-menopausal women. 'Overall, I think there is less certainty about the need to lift 'heavy' than people say,' says Professor Cathie Sherrington, deputy director of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health at the University of Sydney. 'It is true that bones need to be loaded to get stronger, but it seems that weight-bearing activity (running, jumping) and moderate resistance training is sufficient for this.' Perimenopause is more than bone health For women in perimenopause or menopause, each facet of health is impacted by a different type of activity. Heavy lifting is not necessarily the most efficient way to tackle all the changes that occur during this period, including the loss of lean muscle mass and accumulation of fat mass. 'To change that body composition, it's often more effective to lift lower weights with a higher volume,' says Hagstrom. 'It blows my mind that there's so much dogma around: 'you must do interval training, and you must only lift heavy'. Both of those things are good, but they're not the be-all and end-all and not everyone is going to enjoy them.' The symptoms of perimenopause and menopause also often coincide with a time when women are in peak career, parenting and caring roles too. Throw in sleep disturbances and the answer to the best type of exercise becomes: any. Loading Put all the pieces together, and it is what we can fit in, what we enjoy and, if we're being finicky, what provides variety so we have the strength, stamina, flexibility and balance to move, function and feel well at any age. Variety, it turns out, is the one common denominator among the experts. Bridges does weight training four-to-five days a week, including a pump class for the vibe: 'My schedule and single mum life can sometimes take the lead, but I aim for that.' She often tacks on an interval or sprint session at the end, performing about five ('or more depending on how much of a boss you are') all-out efforts for 20 to 30 seconds with a rest of two to three minutes. Sherrington is also a fan of pump classes and lifts, but not 'heavy'. Rather, she does moderate intensity strength training twice a week with a focus on functional activities like squats and step-ups. Simmons aims for two or three strength sessions, one yoga or Pilates class, one conditioning session, such as a hilly walk, and one recovery session in a sauna. Hagstrom's routine is different again. She does two 40-minute steady-state sessions on her bike at home while her son has screen time. This is finished off with 20 minutes of strength, using 10-kilogram dumbbells or a 20-kilogram barbell. She runs once a week for metabolic fitness, and aims to walk when possible for the enjoyment and time outdoors. Lastly, she does yoga or Pilates from home several times a week for balance, posture, flexibility and stability. 'Everyone's journey is different,' she says. 'There is no perfect formula.'
Sky News AU
12-06-2025
- Sky News AU
Queen Camilla makes unannounced appearance at Women's Prize literature event amid 'incurable' cancer fears for King Charles
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