UKH

As a woman in my early 40s, I am becoming aware that I will soon reach the perimenopause. I have been trying to educate myself on what is deemed useful and healthy at this stage of life, in terms of making sure I don't end up with osteoporosis and severe muscle loss. I accept that some muscle loss is probably inevitable, but trying to minimise as much as possible. Being frail really wouldn't suit me!

There seems to be a reasonable consensus that weight training is the right way to go, so I am trying to get my head around exactly what that really means. Obviously, running and hill walking etc will keep my legs strong, so do I need to do extra for the legs? Do I need to try and build muscles which I have never had, like biceps?  

Sadly, I don't really climb at the moment due to where I live, so I guess I will need to do some upper body stuff. I do sea kayak, but that doesn't really use your arms other than carrying the boats around! It is legs and core. 

I won't go to a gym. Having to go to a building somewhere to do boring exercise is not my thing and I can't ever imagine keeping that up. I do have some kettle bells at home though and a TRX, as I use them a bit for glutes and core (after having had some PT sessions to work on my weaknesses to reduce running niggles). Can I do sufficient strength stuff with these, and does anyone have good recommendations for videos/ work out plans which would give me the right sort of training for what I need? 

In reply to girlymonkey:

Dr Stacy Sims is known for "women are not small men" and speaks about training and needs for women at all stages including peri- and menopause, I'm sure there are some podcasts with her that might useful and her book Roar is good too

In reply to girlymonkey:

I'm post-menopause but have been doing weight-training since my early 40s, mostly using dumbbells and kettle bells which I have at home, and barbells and the leg press at the gym. I managed fine during lock-downs with just the first two. But I did do some sessions with a personal trainer when I first started to ensure my technique was good and I wasn't going to do myself more damage. 

In reply to e.ms355:

She has published another book called 'Next Level' specifically on training from perimenopause onwards. Well worth a read.

I am perimenopausal and train heavy (powerlifting), but you can do plenty with bodyweight exercises and kettlebells if you don't want to go to a gym.

In reply to shuffle:

Thanks, I will have a look for her books. 

Do you have any good videos of suitable exercises to do with kettlebells? In particular, ones which show good form? 

I can only find one person in my area who claims to be a PT, but she also offers massage and "wellness", so I'm not sure what her knowledge will be around weights etc. Will have the conversation with her, but from her page, I'm not very optimistic.

In reply to girlymonkey: from one gymophobe to another… I guess the only downside to doing stuff at home is potentially not having heavy enough weights. Doing your sport will mainly improve your endurance unless you’re bouldering etc. to build pure strength you need to lift heavy. You could start to make things harder at home by going onto one leg, eg. single leg dead lift, single leg squat. This should keep you going for a good while, especially if you have up to 12kg kettlebell. I’ve seen some kettlebells in the gym at 20/24kg. They’re not too bulky so should be easy to store at home. Upper body should be easier to progress at home using your TRX and doing push ups/ pull ups if you have a pull up bar. 

In reply to Isabelle Booker:

I have a 16kg kettle bell which I use for weighted squats to work on my glutes. I reckon that is plenty heavy enough for me at the moment anyway. I have a few other weights too and I do have a pull up bar. I used to do pull ups a lot as we had a convenient place in the kitchen for the bar, so I could use it while waiting for pasta to boil etc. Now, it's down in the entrance which is not somewhere I hang around. Maybe I need to find some way of puting it in a more convenient place again.

I can't imagine that I need to strengthen my legs any further, aside from the glutes stuff that I do. I already can't get wellies to fit over my calf muscles or jeans to fit over my thighs! I would hope that continuing to hill walk and run should keep the muscles good on the legs. 

In reply to girlymonkey:

My wife uses and enjoys the Les Mills program of workouts. Looks like there's a 2 week free trial you could try, and ongoing fees look pretty reasonable in comparison to a gym/climbing wall.

In reply to girlymonkey:

Not specific to women, but I’ve been listening to stuff on minimal effective dose. The message is that for strength training a little goes a long way. The short conclusion is:

”by performing ~3–6 working sets of 1–5 repetitions each week, with these sets spread across 1–3 sessions per week per powerlift, using loads above 80% 1RM at a Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) of 7.5–9.5 for 6–12 weeks and expect to gain strength.”

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2021.713655/full 

In reply to girlymonkey:

Sounds good. Yeah I guess working the muscle groups you don’t work in your normal outdoor activities would be a productive place to start. Especially if you lack motivation. Maybe you could just add push ups and pull ups as a start. I would love to go for my flu jab when I’m an old lady and for them to be shocked by my bulging arm muscles 😂 

In reply to girlymonkey:

The kettlebell is an amazing tool. It can develop strength, cardio and mobility together in a way that few other training modalities can. They are of course less than optimal for any one of these aspects, but if your priority is health and wellbeing, you have limited time, and you wish to avoid gyms, there's little point suggesting 'periodised' training to suit your needs. For what it's worth I totally sympathise with not wanting to use a gym - I have a small stable of KBs at home and use these more or less daily.

My routine nowadays centres on 6 main exercises - swing, snatch, clean, press, rack squat, and 'Turkish Get-Up' or TGU (more accurately a get-down as you start from the top position). These exercises form the core of the 'hardstyle' school of KB training, and meet more or less every need from a physiological / functional strength point of view (however no biceps haha). I do a short routine that incorporates all of these in a high-intensity format. It's hard but the upside is the fact it takes so little time. 

The routine consists of:

5x swing
5x snatch
5x clean & press
5x rack squat
1x Turkish get-up (more accurately a get-down as in this workout you start from the top position)

Repeat on the other side, together that's one set. 

You can and probably should do a warmup first consisting of things like KB haloes, squats, a few swings etc. to get yourself ready for what's to come. It's not easy, but physiologically it's effectively HIIT training and you definitely feel well worked afterwards. The bell you use should be one that lets you rack squat, snatch and press for around 8-10 reps with good form - that's a good baseline for weight selection.

The aim in the routine and a good benchmark of achievement at a given kettlebell weight is doing 5 complete sets with no rest and good form, simply switching hands between sets. The benchmark weight for women here is a 16kg KB, and a 20 for men.

I tend to do 3 sets with a minute's rest in between, and I vary the intensity simply by the weight I choose. The whole workout takes about 10-12min. If you've not used KBs much, it's worth getting instruction on form. In the absence of a good instructor nearby, here's a video showing decent form with each of the 6 exercises:

youtube.com/watch?v=Q3iNrHR47rQ&

Lighter KBs also have their place - these will be fantastic for learning the Turkish get-up and rack squat. Get-ups (or downs lol) are amazing for core strength, mobility and shoulder health, and here a lighter bell is really helpful. Ditto rack squat, if current mobility isn't great: a light bell provides a little extra stretch at the bottom and give you something to push against without being overly taxing. Don't try to progress onto a heavier bell with these movements until you're moving confidently like the chap in the video above.

There are plenty of other exercises one can do with KBs of course and I'm not suggesting these have no value, but the above six are probably the exercises with the greatest all-round functional value. Hope this has given you a useful steer. But regardless, hats off to you for being proactive with your health and I wish you the very best of luck on your journey. 

In reply to Murderous_Crow:

Thanks. I only have a few kettlebells, so might need to try some of this with what I have and see if I maybe need to buy some different weights. 

In reply to girlymonkey:

See how you go yes. Take progress slowly: consistency is key so listen to your body. If a movement feels off, dial the weight back and consider getting instruction. If still bad, consider a functional movement screen from a reputable coach / physio.

You might choose to use a heavier KB for swings than for the other exercises. Developing a powerful, positive swing is foundational, as it establishes a good hinge pattern which you'll use in snatches and cleans as well. If there's a 'desert island' exercise, it's got to be the KB swing! 

Hand care is the same as in climbing - file off calluses, use moisturiser afterwards etc. A big help with avoiding skin tears and blisters is to take a strip of heavy grit sandpaper to the KB handle, particularly the underside. Bare metal is ideal. Chalk can be useful but I find it too grippy, so I sometimes use athletes foot powder, particularly when I'm doing sets with more reps than the workout I mentioned above. Sounds bizarre but for me it's the ideal compromise between sweat reduction, grip and allowing some necessary slip. 

In reply to girlymonkey:

I have two words for you:- paddle. harder.

To be honest, you sound like you're getting enough exercise already.  If you don't like the gym do calisthenics at home / the park. Why buy/use kettlebells when you've got your own bodyweight to work with? Your climbing will be giving you plenty of 'pulling' exercise for your arms, so some pushing would be of use.

In reply to girlymonkey:

Disclaimer, I am not a woman and don't know anything specifically about perimenopause/ menopause.

Just wanted to comment on this bit of your post. If the consensus is that weight training (bit vague, but I assume this means strength training, rather than endurance training using weights?) is the right way to go then that is distinctly different from running and hill walking even from a legs only perspective. Going for even a short run or walk is 1000's of 'reps', which is a long way away from doing say 5 sets of 5 reps with a heavy* load. [*heavy for you] This is true even if you're carrying a 'heavy' bag, the 'heavy' bag will inevitably be a lot less heavy than you could deadlift or squat for a handful of reps.

Strength training is often 'prescribed' to help maintain/increase bone density (I think this is a thing for menopause, but could be wrong). In order to have positive effects on bone density, I understand (again could be wrong!) that you need to be working with loads that are heavy enough that you couldn't do say 30 reps. So basically actually heavy, not just ah this bag is annoyingly heavy for this walk, but I'll still do 100's of steps/reps with it.

I'm sure that running and hillwalking is way better than not doing anything, so I don't mean to be negative! However, if you're concerned that you should be doing some weight training I'd definitely think about doing some much lower rep and heavier work for the legs, say 5*5 deadlifts or squats once every week. Would compliment the much higher rep running/hillwalking nicely.

In reply to Fellover:

The general consensus on reps:-

a)Minimal number (1-3) at max power = strength/power without muscle bulk

b)Maximum number (30+) = endurance without bulk

c)10 reps = bulk

Climbers should do a mix of (a) & (b) depending on need for power/endurance.  I don't know what the advice is in terms of bone density / menopause.

In reply to Fellover:

Thanks, that is helpful. 

I'm not really sure how to get my legs to that level of fatigue as my arms couldn't hold a weight which would fatigue my legs like that!! I have been lugging 25kg bags of screed around in our renovation project, and each time I bring a bag up the stairs, it's my arms that feel it rather than my legs. Even the day I brought around 20 bags up, I had to rest after each bag was brought up so that my arms recovered for the next one, but never felt it in my legs. Maybe running super steep hill reps? Short steep hills, so I can push it to fatigue rather than endurance?

It sounds so simple when you read that we should be doing strength training, but actually it's very vague when you try to work out what you actually need to do. 

In reply to girlymonkey:

You'd need to be careful obviously/use good form but could you do squats with a weighted rucsack?  Throw in all your climbing kit or maybe a few containers of water?

In reply to girlymonkey:

During covid when gyms were closed here, I trained at home using bands. They can be bought from any sports shop and are easy to use and cheap. Like any training at home, one needs to keep mixing it up as it can become boring. They were great for the upper body and could be used for legs. 

In reply to moac:

Oh, that's a thought. I have some somewhere I think. I should look into what I can do with those 

In reply to Doghouse:

Also an interesting idea. Not sure of weight of my back would give me good form as it might throw my balance off. Might try it and see though 

In reply to girlymonkey:

Based on my wife (not me)

One concern is loss of bone density with age which is exasperated by menopause. Bone density is responsive to heavy force bearing, more the compression but any high forces will work, that and [minor] impacts.

When archeologists find bodies from middle ages they can see which were longbowmen because the bones of their left arm are thicker than right arm. Rugby players have stronger bones than footballers, scaffolders have stronger bones than accountants.

If you resistance train (weights, calisthenics, etc) bias your training towards lower rep high resistance as that will increase bone density far more than any high rep lower resistance stuff

Farmers walks (measured in seconds/distance not reps) are good. Pick up something heavy (weigh plate, kettle bell, barbell, sack of cement) and walk about with it. Avoid any sharp turns or twisting movements so if you need to turn around and walk back do it gently with baby steps, don't get hurt. You need to gradually and carefully build up to heavy.

Basically... go for "heavy" training of some sort, if that's calisthenics go for the harder variations of exercises. I've read (actual medical) opinions that all of us should consider this as we age

Edit: farmers walks work well with 2 jerry cans. They have a carry handle in the top and you adjust the weight using water. Lookup the army fitness tests to get an idea of the weights and distances to aspire to. For bone density it's all about the shorter distances with heavy, not walking 1,000 miles carrying a feather. Enjoy 

In reply to girlymonkey:

Is the screed awkward to carry and requiring you to carry it with bent arms? If you can hold some kind of weights on completely straight arms with an easy grip, while you squat, that might shift the balance back towards mostly working your legs rather than your arms.

In reply to girlymonkey:

No idea of relevance or suitability for you, but in case it is of any benefit, you can get wearable weights. Wear and forget for an hour or more whilst getting on with your day.

Beside climbers’ weight belts and weight vests, there are hand, wrist and ankle wearable weights. Often those are just 500g or 1kg each, but wearing for extended time periods gives a more gentle workout. The hand and wrist ones will work all the arms and upper body.

I’ve got half glove type ones at 500g each which I got for rehab years ago. Trying them on today once again for interest and after an hour of making and eating breakfast, etc, my arms are definitely feeling they have had a work out!

Even typing this with “holding” an extra 500g on each hand is an effort! I don’t climb much now so I realise I have lost a lot of arm strength. Must add these back into my exercises.

In reply to girlymonkey:

I think it would be worth you finding a good PT and doing a few sessions. Since you a fit, active climber the idea that you can't hold heavy enough weights to stress your legs makes me think you've never been shown how to do it properly. It will take some learning and building up, but you will almost certainly be able to deadlift your own bodyweight in not a lot of time. You probably won't believe me.... But you will.

You'll be amazed how much your own body can lift when you put your mind to it. 

In reply to CantClimbTom:

Definitely this ^^. Putting force on a joint in an unstable position is a recipe for injury.  I guess that's why the farmer's walk is good - the weight is straight down and not out to the front as it would be with carrying a bag of screed like a baby.

In reply to Luke90:

Ah, fair point! Particularly the 25kg bags, they are a bit floppy. The 20kg ones seem more compacted and a bit easier to grab. Neither are particularly convenient though. 

In reply to Alasdair Fulton:

Yes, but I live a long way from anywhere! I found one local PT, but from her page she doesn't look to be as strength focused, more "wellness". Maybe she can do strength stuff too, I did message her and she said she would get back to me after her holiday....and I haven't heard anything! 🤷

In reply to girlymonkey:

Sorry I missed this last week. I don't know any specific videos to recommend for KB stuff. I think the key thing, as with any strength based work, is to make sure you have good form before doing lots of reps or increasing weight, so if you don't have a PT, maybe ask a friend to check form for you.

I'd echo what others say about maximal power in strength training - these lifts need to be really heavy and with consistency of training what you can lift will increase fairly rapidly (at least when you are a novice, those gains get much harder as you progress!). Doing this kind of training at home is tricky without a lot of space for equipment and the cash to buy it all, but it is really rewarding to be stronger as you get older 🙂

In reply to girlymonkey:

That's why jerry cans work, unlike floppy bags you have carry handles

In reply to girlymonkey:

This isn't about weight training so no idea if it's useful but wondering if the links in this blog may help point you somewhere useful-? Apologies if not. Women's Alpine Adventure Club also has some useful stuff.

https://chockstonemountaineering.co.uk/a-tale-of-perimenopause-cancelled-wo...

In reply to Queen of the Traverse:

Thanks, that is really interesting! I have had a headache now for a couple of months. I'm currently working funny shift patterns and I also had Covid over Christmas, so I have put it down to all of that. 

Maybe I need to start getting the HRT sooner than I realised! It's certainly worth a conversation!

In reply to girlymonkey:

Sorry to hear that. I started getting migraines for the first time in my life after contracting COVID in 2020 (which eventually became headaches about every other day) and only just found out by chance that it's likely Long COVID. So who knows. But hopefully your GP can help investigate if you push (mine is testing me for perimenopause too). Good luck.

In reply to girlymonkey:

I started general strength training just over 2 years ago for the same reason as you're considering it now - I was approaching 40, heard that women nearing perimenopause/menopause need to do heavy lifting to maintain muscle mass etc. I always struggled to motivate myself to do this stuff and couldn’t face the idea of going to a gym but ended up having a PT session and it was possibly a life changer tbh. After being introduced to the barbell and doing squats and deadlifts I have basically been hooked on lifting heavy and last year started doing olympic lifting too. I still go to the mountains 2-3 times a week but its been fun to have an indoors activity for the crap weather days too. You'll be surprised how much stronger your legs can become even if you think regular hill work has already given you fairly strong legs. Its not quite the same.

Anyway, my point is to give the gym a try. I have gone from being a pure gymophobic to gym appreciater, and I can honestly say I really do it for fun now - because I enjoy the challenge and the movement rather than "because I probably should".