Help Retain Muscle, Bone Density and More During Menopause
Menopause can double the speed the of muscle loss. Strength training (with enough volume and intensity) stops this. When we lose muscle we lose strength, bone density, metabolism, blood sugar control, confidence, and, eventually, independence. Muscle is easier to keep than to build, and here are 3 great moves to help you do both.
#1. TRX Single Leg Romanian deadlift (RDL) to help retain muscle:
Picking up relatively heavy things is great for your whole body – all the muscles and all the bones, especially the ones where women tend to get osteoporosis. Single leg exercises are great for improving balance and stability from your foot to your ankle to your knees and hips. We also like single leg exercises because they allow us to reduce the load (risk) and increase the intensity simultaneously. The single leg RDL is an exercise with tremendous benefits, however it is usually inaccessible for most beginner or intermediate (and some advanced) exercisers. This is where using the TRX helps out a ton.
Start: adjust a TRX (or other brand of suspension trainer) to upper thigh height. (You can also use a sturdy stick at home.) Grab the TRX with your right hand and an appropriate weight (dumbbell or kettlebell are both fine) in your left hand.
Finish: Reach your right hand forward at the same time as you reach your right leg back. Try to get as long as you can, which will bring the weight down to the floor. If you can’t touch the floor, just get as close as you can and then stand back up. Finish the reps on this side before moving to the other side.
#2. Single arm push press to help retain muscle:
A push press is an overhead press where you also use your legs to help. Overhead pressing (especially single arm versions) are great for improving mobility and flexibility in your upper body, and improving the definition of your arms, shoulders and mid/upper back. When you add your lower body to the movement you turn it into a total body power exercise. This is especially great for clients who don’t really like or can’t currently do much, or any jumping.
Moving quickly gets more important with age, not less because avoiding a fall or catching yourself are done quickly (or they don’t work). The push press is a way to train your whole body to generate force quickly (similar to jumping) and that speed component is very important for your bones as well.
Start: hold an appropriate dumbbell in your right hand at your shoulder. You want a weight that is a little bit too heavy to press overhead with just your arms.
Finish: bend the legs to load the spring to help you push the weight all the way up. Pause at the top with your arm vertical and bring the weight down under control. You know your right arm is vertical because if you turn your head to the right your arm isn’t blocking your right eye. Finish the reps on this side before moving on.
#3. Wedge squats to a box to help retain muscle:
Most people have been told that squatting is a great exercise for their whole body, and most people have plenty of bad experiences (awkward and/or painful) with squatting. The wedge and the box help most people learn to hate squats for all the right reasons. Wedges have been used in knee rehab for decades because all exercises are more effective at reducing pain and improving function with a wedge. (In rehab they would call it a “decline board.”). The box helps you figure out how low is low enough right now, and gives you a guide to progress with.
Start: put a wedge (or a wedge substitute) in front of a box (or a chair). Wedge substitutes can be anything 1-2” high if sturdy: weight plates, hexagonal dumbbells, hardcover books, etc. Hold 2 appropriate weights at your shoulders.
Finish: sit down to the chair/box, then stand up tall. If that motion bothers your knees try adding pads or pillows to shorten your squat, and/or reducing the load. If that motion isn’t challenging enough try finding something lower to squat to.
#4. Facial Exercise Bonus to help retain muscle: chewing unprocessed, high fiber foods. The human face has about 30 muscles (depending how you count). As we age, we all loose the fat pads in our face regardless of what we do. However, we can exercise quite a bit of control over the muscle and bone mass of our faces. Our modern diets and labor saving devices mean we don’t have to do very much chewing, and our jaw bones and facial muscles can shrink in response. A nice thing about foods that require a lot of chewing work is that they tend to be both high in fiber and low in calories.
The most common veggies to chew that tend to agree with most people’s digestive tracts are raw celery, radishes, kale, carrots and bell peppers. After that there are the “proceed with caution” (see how your tummy handles it) raw veggies like broccoli, rutabaga, cabbage, and Jerusalem artichoke.
A bonus idea is chewing tougher, sugar-free chewing gums.
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Coach Josef Brandenburg — ACE | NASM | Precision Nutrition | Training Peri and Menopausal Women | Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification | Functional Kettlebell Training | 28 years coaching | Specializes in strength training for women over 40.
Josef Brandenburg, best selling author, is the co-owner and a coach at True 180 Personal Training, Charlotte’s most effective personal training studio for women since 2016. With decades of experience and multiple certifications, he shares his research with you!