September is National Menopause Awareness Month, and many women find themselves packing on the pounds at the onset of menopause symptoms. Lifelong "skinny people" might find themselves gaining weight, seemingly unable to keep the pounds off. But there are ways to control the so-called middle-age spread. Women's bodies do change as they go through the change of life, but weight gain doesn't have to be inevitable.
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Hormones start fluctuating as early as the mid-30s for many women, and by 50, the average menopause age, women start to experience symptoms such as anxiety, depression, hot flashes, sleep disorders, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. But exercise and the right diet can relieve many of these conditions. And menopause may not be what's causing weight gain. A lack of energy might decrease activity for menopause-aged women, and researchers believe menopause may increase appetite, leading to a calorie increase. As we age, we experience muscle loss and therefore don't burn calories like we used to.
Genetics may also play a role in how and where we store fat as we age. The good news is that exercise can help alleviate a lot of menopause complications. It reduces the incidence of high blood pressure, heart disease, strokes and hot flashes. {relatedarticles}Exercises that incorporate weights and stretching help strengthen bones and reduce osteoporosis. Yoga is a perfect workout for older women because it uses the body's weight as resistance and promotes flexibility. Start slowly if you're a novice exerciser, but it's never too late to start.