PERIMENOPAUSE: WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW!

In April 2022 I was 51 years old, I have always been very active the past 8 years devoted to the Crossfit my adventure sport longest and the one that has given me greater benefits physically and emotionally. Feeling the strength and power of a quinceañera, sleeping 8 to 7 hours of uninterrupted, a nuisance, nothing spectacular.

Accepting the Reality

Spent 6 months and change, what they did not know was that my body was no longer the same and that I was going through the peri-menopause, my periods were very short or very long, my energy flagged, I couldn't sleep for 3 hours in a row, more fat in my belly despite exercising, my training became a torment because my joints especially my knees hurt too much. 

Always on alert with my health, I decided to go to my doctor. Thinking that all was isolated and that my lack of energy was due to anemia, the doctor confirms to me that I entered in my peri menopause and that because of my age it was better to reduce my training, ironic because exercise is the best medicine there is. 

I should clarify that physical activity is one of the options that the doctors recommend to their patients to be sedentary, but my case was completely opposite.

My little sister, which now is training with me I shared some information about athletes in menopause and there I grip as a guest to the last tequeño, (you have a venezuelan friend, ask him to clarify ) and I found many of the answers to all my questions.

Symptoms

First, let's clear the symptoms are similar during the peri-menopause, menopause and post menopause.

At the beginning of our forties we have a menstrual cycle significantly regulate the response to exercise and nutrition, you start to change ( pre – menopause).

Carambaaaa think three years ago, it was fast and strong, trained, and was taking care of me with the food and had the results I train now equal to, or even in some case more than normal, because you feel that's what you need to go back to being who you were, but nothing, nothing happens, exactly what I did .. frustration total.

This happens because you have a change in the ratio between estrogen and progesterone, starting between 4 or 6 years before menopause and is known as peri – menopause , your cycles are not as regular they may start to be shorter, or even some with a lot of bleeding.

The response to training and nutrition changes as well , you start to accumulate abdominal fat , can't sleep well , you lose lean massyou start to feel night sweats, hot flashes intrusive them I call them, that appear when you least expect it, even in cases more severe , since migraines that can last several days incapacitandote up suicidal thoughts.

Now the menopause is an exact point in time and that is exactly when you meet a full year without a menstrual periods and after this year is the well-known post – menopause.

Why it happens and what we can do. 

There is a hormonal variation through these different stages, the body composition begins to vary from the peri menopause, you may be suffering from mental gaps, your reaction time will not be the same, in the general literature are known as symptoms post – menopause, and are not, what happens is that these can last even up to the first two years of the menopause.

All of these changes in our body is due to the fact that the proportion estrogen / progesterone which has a direct impact on the absorption of carbohydrate , muscle glycogen, stimulating neuro muscular contraction , development of lean mass.

In addition, our body begins to have insulin resistance and you can't store very well in the carb , so that our muscles begin to store more fat as a source of energy, ( and in that moment I hear this, I saw the light ) storage of fat deep in the abdomen , or severe tummy brewer that does not go away.

Now the estrogen isolated is an anabolic , when it begins to decrease the proportion of estrogen / progesterone, you lose the stimulus to build muscle or anabolism.

So all of these changes are our bodies adapting to this hormonal variation.

So what can we do? Start to consider the high intensity exercise and resistance training pesadooooo (Heavy Sh**t), not just the 5k or half marathon , the stationary bike , or dumbbells from 5 lb to tone , no lady no more . 

With menopause and age we lose muscle fibers and the way to bring them back is with resistance training heavy to give that encouragement, neuro-muscular, and also consider the exercise of high intensity or plyometrics ( jumping box, jump rope ), basically jump training ,( 10 minutes three times a week) to create stress on the muscle itself. 

That's what I call muscle with purpose, non-muscle vain. This new muscle will protect your bones , which will lose bone density due to hormonal changes.

CONCLUSION

Finally, I should clarify that this is my personal experience, and any change in your routines should be shared with your doctor and with a coach to guide you in the process if you are new in this type of activities.

We need to find a new balance, new expectations and put together a plan to achieve them. Accept the change and move on, you're getting older, because your life should not revolve around social expectations, it is no longer about seeing you thin for your partner or to your circle of friends, now is the time to define your strategy to survive or better said, for the good life.

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