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Menopause Dinners
Menopause is nasty but when you get a group of women together, you get laughter, tears and togetherness which makes it a whole lot easier. In this podcast each week I tackle a different symptom of the Menopause, not just on my own but with some amazing guests too. The title also mentions Dinners, there will be food, which we eat, score and discuss the benefits to support. I share my knowledge so you can learn about your body and understand why things happen the way they do. And last but not least there is an audience of other menopausal women, like a support group, around the podcasters while talking.
Come and be part of this menopausal ride!
Menopause Dinners
Exercise in the Menopause Part 1
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In today's episode I chat with Personal Trainer and friend Paula. Together we discuss how important exercise is in general but more so during your menopause. How social media can be useful but again can be triggering for some women trying to create an appearance that may just be out of reach for some. Through our experiences of exercise and from my own in clinic we chat freely and hope you find this conversation worth while too.
Please get in touch if you would like to be on the podcast, either as a guest or in the audience. There is absolutely no experience needed, no professional talking, I am looking for the average female who is going through their menopause and would like to talk openly about it. If this sounds like you or you would like to be around other women to feel supported, then please get in touch through any of the details below. This can be online, in person or at IG6 3HD
Email - menopausedinners@gmail.com
Website: https://www.menopausedinners.co.uk
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Facebook / You Tube - Menopause Dinners
You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Menopause_Dinners
Sponsored by: Fitness Therapy 4 you: https://www.fitnesstherapy4you.co.uk
Instagram/Facebook & You Tube: fitnesstherapy4you
You Tube channel where you can learn about the Menopause: http://www.youtube.com/@fitnesstherapy4you508
Paula's Details: instagram earlPT
Welcome to Menopause Dinners. My name is Sarah, and I'm your host. Not only is it me, but I have some incredible guests with me. You can expect real stories, laughter, a few tears, and some facts to help you feel not alone in this shit storm called the Meni Paul's. Sit tight and let's ride this storm together. Welcome to Menopause Dinners. Hope everyone is doing well today. As I mentioned, my name is Sarah, and have I got an amazing show for you today. I've got the most interesting lady with me, which you can you may already be seeing. She's already started. She's already started on me. Um this guest that I have with me today is someone that I've known for a very long time. I don't even know how long, but it's been a while, and I'm very, very flattered that she's decided to come back because she was on season one moaning about being in the car, road rage. Yes, a few other things as well. Um, so I'm gonna introduce Paula. Paula's in the house. I'm in the house, hello. So we are gonna try and be serious today, but you know what? We cannot be serious. You cannot be serious, man. That's like John McInmore, isn't it? Yes. Um, okay, so today's subject is a really good one.
SPEAKER_01Pause. It's exercise in menopause.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Okay, so the reason I've got the lovely Paula with me is because Paula has a fantastic job. She is a personal trainer. I am. She is a Pilates instructor. I am. She's also a group exercise instructor. I really am. And she's also a sports massage therapist. I am. Yeah. Have I missed anything out? No. No?
SPEAKER_01I don't think so.
SPEAKER_00No, I think I covered it. Um, and um what I really love about Paula is that over the years we help each other out. So Paula sends me patients that need fixing, and I send her patients that need training. Yeah, and vice versa, because I've got a lot of respect for Paula. Um, she's really good at what she does, and that's why she's here today. So, this podcast, okay, let's just break it down a bit. It's gonna be very basic information. So, if any ladies are listening, you're gonna be un you're gonna understand a lot about exercise in during menopause, perimenopause, menopause, and post. Uh, we're gonna go through it all. We're not gonna get too scientific with it because that's a bit boring. Very boring, and also not everyone needs to know that. You know, if someone comes to Paula for training, Paula's not gonna sit down with them and tell them all about, you know, muscle fibres and estrogen. Well, you're gonna tell them a little bit.
SPEAKER_01We're gonna talk about these. We're gonna talk about it a little bit. We're talking about menopause.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we're gonna talk about it a little bit, but what I'm saying is she's we're not gonna really go into the depth. So this is gonna be very nice and chilled, uh, but we are gonna always start off with a quiz. We have to, right? So our quiz today uh is all about the changes that affect us in exercise in menopause. So let me get my 20 seconds. All right, let's go. Are you ready? I'm ready. 20 seconds start now.
SPEAKER_01Um, fatigue. Um tossestone. Um 10 seconds remaining. Um joint pain. Um ligament. Ligament challenges. Um three four two. Um mental fatigue. Time's up.
SPEAKER_00No, yeah, there we go. We did well there, and it's quite yeah, it's quite a lot there. So um, before we go into menopause, uh Paula, can we just give our listeners a little bit of a background? So let's give everyone just tell us about your your job. Obviously, I've mentioned what you do, but tell us a bit more.
SPEAKER_01Oh, what do you want to know? I am an older PT, I've been doing the job for over 20 years. Um, I have been through my menopause as well.
SPEAKER_00Oh, you've been for it and I've been for it. We're both on the other side, aren't we? Oh yes, we are. We are.
SPEAKER_01Perimenopause was probably the worst. But um, yeah, it's been good since I've finally gone through menopause.
SPEAKER_00So you're someone that without going into it too much, but you are you teach classes? I do teach.
SPEAKER_01What classes do you teach? I teach body pump steel, which is a resistance class. Um I teach a lot of Pilates. Oh, I teach a lot of Pilates. Um what else do I teach? Core classes as well. And you do one-to-one with a couple of things. I do one to one. I am reformer qualified, but I do prefer Matt Pilates. Okay. Interesting because it's like that machine just assists you, whereas when you do mat, you're using your own body. Um and then of course I train myself, which I love doing. Yeah, my favourite client is me. Yes, so it should be. Yes, it is, definitely.
SPEAKER_00So the people that come to you, um, are they mixed bag?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'd say at the moment my youngest client is 24 and my eldest client is 72.
SPEAKER_00That's very interesting. And um so the older do you have a lot of older ladies come to you?
SPEAKER_01I'd say I have more older ladies, but it's because I am considered to be at 54 an older lady. Yes.
SPEAKER_00Yes, you're halfway point. Yes, yes, yes, but I think actually that's that's really nice because you can go to someone a lot younger to be trained, and let's face it, if they've not gone through any of this stuff, they're not they can go on a course. There are lots of courses, but unless you've actually been through it, you don't really understand. Exactly the same as absolutely no. I think that's a I think that's key to it. I need to warn our listeners, we're both very tired today, but we are gonna try and keep it on a level. Yes, of course. Party level, yeah? Putty, party, putty.
SPEAKER_01You must use those sound effects. Oh, hang on.
SPEAKER_00Right. Well, no, I've got a few on here. Let's see what we've got. We've not done this one yet, so we've got um. No, well, we can we can get it. I'm really not sure what that was. No, it doesn't matter. Anyway, um, so so Paula, you are PT, you teach classes, you do Pilates, and you train yourself. I train myself, yes. Perfect, and quite often. And you're a runner?
SPEAKER_01I do run, of course, and then there's a sports massage, but I do run, I love running. Um, I don't run as much as I used to.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_01Because I've been through menopause. Okay. And we need to slow down on some forms of exercise as we get older and when we go through the menopause, it's like it's too much of a strain on my body. I used to teach a lot of spinning many years ago, yeah. Um, to the point where I was teaching about 10 spin classes a week. But four years ago, my body told me I've had enough of this. So I stopped.
SPEAKER_00Well, that's interesting, and I think we can both talk about how our bodies have told us to stop. Um but I think let's start off first of all with just talking about exercise in general. So this is not about menopause, this is about the benefits of exercising because some women don't actually exercise in their 20s or 30s. There's a lot of late beginners. Yeah. So, regardless of all the benefits to do with menopause, let's just talk about exercise in general. How does it help the body?
SPEAKER_01Well, it's gonna improve your cardiovascular health, it's going to help you maintain things like flexibility posture, which then leads to the fact that it's gonna make the balance better as we get older. I know we're not relating it to age, but I do think there's a lot of women as well that take up exercise in their 40s. I think we really should be looking at taking up exercise as soon as possible. Yeah, but you're looking at your 30s, but if you've got to start exercising your 30s, it's probably the best time because it's going to start setting you up for pairing medical because we start losing um muscle mass from the age of 30, and you're looking at anything from what is it, something like three to eight percent per 10 years, isn't it? 10 years? Yeah. Listen to me asking you, isn't it? Well, you know, well, you know, you know, when you know, yeah, and um so the fact that we start losing our muscle mass and our bone density from our 30s, we should really should be looking about that longevity and keeping ourselves young and mobile, yeah, not being a strain on the National Health Service.
SPEAKER_00No, and that's the other thing, isn't it? It's not just about cardiovascular and posture and that, it's also so good for your mental well-being. And you know, we all talk about mental health, but let's face it, if you beautiful day today, isn't it? If you go outside and you've got the sun and you go for a walk, that's classes exercise. Yes. You know, that's good for your brain, good for your serotonin levels, your dopamine levels. It's just a good all-round thing, a good feel thing. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um if you I always think that if you set yourself a little bar of say, I don't know, 30, 45 minutes a day where you you invest in yourself, yeah, then you're just gonna have a better life anyway.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think so too. I think the days that you don't exercise, you know about it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And you know that that's why you do it.
SPEAKER_01And of course, there's always gonna be those people that are saying, got to think to themselves, but aren't you supposed to have rest days? But a rest day doesn't have to be a rest day in you do nothing. Yeah, a rest day could be a yoga day.
SPEAKER_00I lift my remote control up with my right arm. I'm working my biceps.
SPEAKER_01Yes, but going for a long walk and be a rest day.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, exactly. It's it's about yoga, yeah, and it doesn't have to be like you said, you know, I'm gonna go and lift weights. It's it's about getting out of your comfort zone and doing something different. And I am seeing a lot of uh women of a certain age thinking, and they're getting into running, they're doing stuff, because you know, there's a lot of social stuff now, showing women later on in life exercising. Um so it's good to know why it's good for exercise, not just about joints, but like you said, cardiovascular health as well, which is very, very important and taking the strain off the NHS. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, as as we as women, I know we're not talking menopause really, but as women, as we get older, that cardiovascular health is so important because when we lose estrogen.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes, and actually no, we can talk about that a little bit now because there is a lot of emphasis on whether strength training or cardio, and maybe we'll come back to it, but we need to come back on those two subjects because I think women are confused. As far as I'm concerned, we need both. We do need both, we do need both, but there is a lot of attention on socials to say that it is just strength, but it's not, it's not, it's not, it's not, it's about the whole bag, it's about the whole bag. So menopause changes a lot of functions in the body. Um, and let's go, let's go through them now. Let's try and kind of rack our brains. I'm looking at our brain fog. How's your brain fog today? It's never great. That's all right. Okay, so three stages: perimenopause, menopause, and post. Just going through it again for those that don't understand. Perimenopause is the lead up to menopause. So perimenopause can start as early as your 30s. Obviously, some women get it a lot earlier than that, and that's when your body is starting to change. All your functions from your brain are going a bit mad, which means that your periods will be later, they'll be earlier, they'll be heavier, they'll be lighter, uh, you're losing your egg, your eggs, they're going. So that's your perimenopause, and obviously, in that time you get all those lovely symptoms of pure aggression, hot flushes, hot flushes, your brain fog, your flush pain, cold flushes. I remember I came on before we spoke about how cold I was. Yeah. I remember that too. Yeah. There was and the road rage. Oh, the road rage, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So the perimen the supermarket rage, but we Oh no, supermarket suite, supermarket.
SPEAKER_00So we've got the perimenopause, and then when you stop your period, you then if you go a whole year with no period, and then it remains no period, that is classed as your menopause, and then after that, then you go into your postmenopause. Yeah. So I am three years post and you are four four years post. Well done. So we're around about the same, aren't we? So the body itself is changing, so let's break it down for people that don't understand. Let's talk about bones first of all, Paula.
SPEAKER_01Yes, well, we we but a lot of women can go into um osteopenia during their menopause because the the reduction in um estrogen, and that's why when it comes to fitness, we really should start doing resistance training. Yeah, because that pulling of the muscles improves bone density.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Um so osteopenia, can we just explain that to people that don't know?
SPEAKER_01I think you're probably better off explaining that, aren't we, it's the stages before osteoporosis basically. Yeah, and that's the time when you can have falls, minor ones, yeah, and still fracture bones.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it can it can be very yeah, it's it's like a little warning for you. Yeah. If you'll get if you do get that, then you know that you might be put on some calcium tablets, they might keep an eye on you depending on who you go and see.
SPEAKER_01I had the slightest knock myself about three years ago. Oh my god. And end up fracturing a toe. Yeah. It wasn't it wasn't anything at all, but it was very much, and you'd think that that wouldn't happen to me because of the fact that I weight trained. No, no, no. It was even just it was just after the lockdowns. I wasn't doing any resistance training after the lockdowns at all. So obviously, you know, my bones were getting weak.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but it but it happens, it does happen. And um bone den I had a bone density scan. I don't know if he was on that one. No, but I basically I had my my toe was hurting, and I have a friend that's um a podiatrist, and he does x-rays, and he x-rayed it, and I had tiny, tiny fracture. And I was like, where the hell's that come from? So I went and got a bone density scan done, and there was and it was fine, but again, it was just like really random. I was like, I don't, I haven't done anything. So, yeah, so osteopenia, bones are changing, they're becoming less dense, more spongier. Certain bones in the body are more spongier than others because of the way that the bone is formed. Um, you've got you're prone to some fractures potentially, but this this bone business starts in your in your perimenopause. Yeah. And especially joint pain can start in perimenopause because of progesterone, because that's one of the first hormones to start to go. But they protect progesterone, estrogen, and some testesterone, they protect the bone, they help it remain dense and strong. So that's one of the things that change in menopause. And from five to seven years for in your post, that's when you're most prone to starting to get your fractures. Yeah. Because that's when your density drops big time. So we are going to talk about that how we can help that, how we can help that. So other things, cardiovascular changes, Paula.
SPEAKER_01Well, um, but a a drop in estrogen does um cause your oh sorry, I thought we moved away, um, blood vessels to become weaker. Yeah. Um, we mean um rate of heart disease and stroke can go up during menopause as well, because of the lack of estrogen that we have. Yeah. Um so that's why that's why I say we should be doing both when it comes to training resistance and cardio as well. Yes. Um, I've forgotten the question.
SPEAKER_00You're not on your lines, made today, are you? Oh I see that I put it made, not made. Lines made. Um, so yeah, we're talking about the changes. So you said cardiovascular health. So cholesterol changes as well.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes, because of the fact that we do elucid it don't the the um bad cholesterol goes up. Yes. And uh good cholesterol reduces as well. So we really need to be looking at our diets as changing. There's a change enough diets, isn't it? With um menopause, I think that there are changes that happen with your whole lifestyle.
SPEAKER_00Oh my god, it's like being yeah, reborn.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and and and it's you've got as you said, you've got perimenopause, you've got menopause, and then you've of course you've got postmenopaules. Yeah, and those changes are small ones that you have to make through each stage as well. You know, like I said, for me, I had to stop doing as much high-intensity cardio over the past, and if anything, in the past year, yeah, that's even more so. I've had to reduce my cardio. I used to love going for, but I'm just exhausted all the time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it that's what and that's what happens though. Yeah, that's what happens. I mean, that's a very, very good example because you know, uh sphinx of cardio changing, your heart rate's going to increase more, it can't control you know the the rapid changes of interval training as much.
SPEAKER_01Um I don't that all that hit interval stuff. I'll do it with my younger clients. I can't do that sort of training anymore. My body doesn't like it.
SPEAKER_00That's better.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um sorry, say that again back.
SPEAKER_01I was just saying that um, you know, for me I've had to change the way that I train things doing all that hit work, yeah, as far as cardio is concerned, it doesn't work for me anymore. Yeah. I used to religiously go for my runs, and if I hadn't done 10k, I wasn't happy. If I hadn't run at a certain pace, I wasn't happy. Now, you know, it's different. It's like I'll go around the block, I'll see you. I'll go around the block. The fitness watch doesn't go on anymore. I'm not worried about my pace, my distance. Yeah, it's about just getting out there and doing something. If I end up walking, I end up walking.
SPEAKER_00That's a very good point. Because I think there's a lot. Oh, dare I bring bring up social media. I'm gonna bring it up. Yeah, go on, bring it up. Let's bring it up because as a female who's I'm 54 in two weeks. So I'm still 53. You're still younger than me. Uh I can hold on to 53. Um, for someone that I've exercised all my life, okay, I've had to go through blockages of stopping and starting because of my joints, and that's because I had an operation and that flares up an unnecessary operation, I will say, on my knee, which I found out years later. Thank you for that. Um, and that flares up, and sometimes when that flares up, I have to back off.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So that's my that's my training. So, you know, for me, uh, the running went long time ago, and that's fine. I made peace with that. I'm more of a strength girl, cardio and walking. That's it, because I've got a dog, so I walk I walk for miles. But social media pisses me off, all right, because it's not realistic. No, it's not. They're showing women our age pushing these weights that have had no former exercise training. They're going in heavy, heavy, heavy. We're talking like heavy death deadlifts. There are so and we're gonna talk about different types of exercises. Yeah, what's good? They're they're telling them they're going out running, they're doing long distance running, they're showing that they're ripped, and that's fine. You can get muscle definition, yeah. Not knocking it. And I, you know, these people mostly are gonna be looking at me and thinking, you know, she's going on one, but look at her. But you know what? I'm I'm okay. I've got a good muscle density, my bone density is good. But what I'm concerned about, it's not achievable unless you don't work and you hit the gym so many hours a day. That's that's where I'm going with it.
SPEAKER_01See, and you know, I I like to think I have muscle definition. I think Paula, you have. I mean, we can do a little bicep thing now if you want. But the reason why I am that woman in her 50s that has because it's my full-time job. Yeah. So, like you say, yeah, there's not the time, isn't there in the day for women to be able to do as much. I can teach two classes and then hit the gym and for an hour. Yeah. But that's you, and that's what you've not done that overnight. You've built that up over the years. This is 20 years plus of me training. Exactly. Whereas there's women who are you that you would not believe how often I have a woman come to a class and they say to me, Oh, so if I do this two, three times a week, I'll look like you. And I say no. You need to do a lot more. Yeah because I and it is, it's even but even now I think that my shape is it's changed, it's still changed. Yeah. And I'm and if anything, cardiovascular, as far as running and doing endurance training with weights, I used to be a lot fitter at. But my shape-wise, uh I look better now. Yeah, I do less. Yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_00I think that you've hit the nail on the head saying that you know, first of all, that you've been doing this for a very long time. So Paula didn't like do all this exercise straight away. You build it up very, very safely, and she's used to that. So for someone to actually come up to you, that says to me that they've been looking at socials and been looking at all these women our age that are ripped as fuck. Um, it's it's uh yeah, it's not it's not achievable. It's not achievable. No, it's not achieved. Sorry, if you're listening, it's it's you can get good muscle definition. Yeah, you can be healthy for you, your shape, but yeah, unless you're going those women you see online have been training for years. They have been training for years, and the before and afters, I actually this is years ago, I've got to tell you this story, right? And that I'm going to talk about a guy for a second. There was a guy that worked somewhere that I worked, and he was a trainer, and I and I knew him. Years later, I lost contact with him. I saw him on an ad showing that he was this client, yeah, that he had put on a lot of weight, and then they showed the after of him as I know as the trainer, and I'm thinking, you little shit. So it was it's him. It's why are you saying that that is before and after? And that is exactly what you're getting on socials. You're getting women that have already trained that you know, whether it's swimming, whether it's you know, doing something, they've not just gone in and just gone and got a six-pack overnight. It's it's changes because your body can't do it, your body cannot adapt to those changes that quickly. It it can't. So I want to talk about uh cortisol levels. Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01Do you know much about it? I know a little bit about cortisol, it is the stress hormone, it's the one that causes abdominal fat.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01Um belly fella. Yes, belly fat. It can, you know, you're when you're you start going through menopause, your cortisol levels do go up.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Especially at night time.
SPEAKER_00Mmm, they do, yeah. So there's a really good test on adrenal fatigue, actually, because if you wake, because your adrenal should be in an ideal world when you wake up, your cortisol level should be relatively high. Because you're waking up, you're nice and alert, um, and if a lion came up you can run. You can run. Uh but if you wake up and you're absolutely screwed, then you know that your levels are are not accurate, which means that you could potentially have something like adrenal fatigue. But that is very common because in menopause, women don't sleep. Exactly. So your your levels are gonna be strange, and that's something we are gonna talk about with exercise because there's a lot of myth about when's the best time to exercise, and we're gonna we're gonna explore that. We're gonna explore that. Okay, Paula, so what why should women exercise in their perimenopause, menopause, and post? You can talk about it all together, you can break it down, what however you see fit. Well DCF said see fit there. See fit fit within fitness, yeah. Yes, I'll get that.
SPEAKER_01Well, we should exercise just so that we can try and counteract a lot of the symptoms that we have of menopause. You know, when you do exercise, you can fatigue yourself in a way with and I'm saying this because uh at night time when we start going through perimenopause and menopause, especially, we do not sleep. It's not a good idea to exercise in the evening, really, especially when you're hit menopause. Yes. Okay, because you you've got that exercise high afterwards and you can't sleep.
SPEAKER_00Oh my god, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So you're looking at mornings and afternoons, especially once you hit merit uh menopause. Okay. In perimenopause, you should really be exercising and you want to for you have that that um that oh what's what's the words I'm looking for? You you want to lose the words at the moment. Come back to it, it'll come back. Yeah, because you're trying to fatigue yourself basically so that you can sleep through the night.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01You know, it's going to as we say, it's going to improve bone density. Yeah. It's going to improve your muscle, it's going to improve your flexibility. Joint pain gets better because you're, you know, you're keeping that synovial fluid warm. Yes. And you're keeping your joints mobile as well. And it's just general well-being. It is, like you said earlier, it's really good for the mind. Yes, yes. You know, and that's we're talking about things like when you say the mind, I that I find uh running or uh walking at fast pace as it's become nowadays, yeah, quite meditative. Yeah you know, it's it is that's my waste. Other people, you know, yoga, yoga, there's certain yoga classes that will help with your mind. Yeah, even depending on the Pilates teacher, not with me, I'll let you know. Even a Pilates class can be very, very relaxing. No, no, it's because when you come to my Pilates class, you you have to work, you have to work, no chat, leave the chat at the door, no chatting. Well, I might chat a little bit and have a bit of a laugh, but it's like I don't see I do see um Pilates as a mind and body class, but not the way a yoga instructor would see it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's different, isn't it? Yeah, different, different ball game. I mean, I went for uh a walk in the forest, which I do with my dog quite a bit, but you know, years ago it would have been like footwear on, let's go, let's march, let's march, let's power walk, power walk, power walk. And actually, I did it yesterday when I went for a walk around here. Um I started meditating walking.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So we're not talking about closing our eyes, by the way, because that'd be silly, but it's about when you walk, listening uh to the sounds of your feet that they're making. Because I was I had quite a stressful day yesterday, and I started doing that.
SPEAKER_01Because a lot of people walk with headphones on nowadays take them off and listen.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, listen because I started doing that, and I was like, actually, Sarah, this is quite good. And when it comes back in my mind again, I went, No, for an hour, I want you to listen to the sound of the pebbles under your feet. And yes, if someone's got a good conversation that's walking next to you, slow down, you can listen to what they're done.
SPEAKER_01I've never done that.
SPEAKER_00No, I'm only joking, I'm only joking. Um, yeah, I and I think that that's changed for me because I know that I need it mentally to calm me down. Otherwise, that cortisol level is gonna rise. I'm gonna get stressed, and I could yes, I could power walk my nut off, yeah, but it wouldn't calm me down. I'd come back more wound up. Wound up. So I think you're you're right in what you're saying about how exercise changes as you get old. You you understand the benefits of slowing down and doing things properly, like your weight when you do your weight training, that actually focusing on what you're doing, yeah, rather than focusing on lifting heavy like she does in her videos, yeah, you know, and pulls her disc. I think she deadly when she does deadlifts incorrectly, but so there are loads of benefits for exercising. Um so what do you when you're when you have someone new that comes to you that's let's say you've got a lady in their 50s that comes in and she's never exercised before, and she says, Paula, guess what? I've been looking at this person online and they're deadlifting. I want a deadlift, I want to squat, I want to do this, I want to do that.
SPEAKER_01Like a classic example would be I've I had someone last year come to me and they said they want to build muscle in their 50s. Okay, and I I had to say that's it's not a j I said you can improve the muscle you have, yeah, but you can't actually but it's online and they're saying that you can build it. I said no, you can improve it, you can you know get it to work properly because you I say because you've done nothing, but there's no building muscle once we reach we've been losing muscle for 20 years by now. Yeah, it's gone, it's gone. So but we can improve and we can improve the way the muscle functions through resistance work. I prefer to do um endurance training with someone who's older, as in lots of reps, rather than um lifting really heavy. I do I lift heavy myself, but I do more rep work than I think. Interesting.
SPEAKER_00Why why is that?
SPEAKER_01Because you can still get strength from rep work. And are you trying to hit the cardio as well? Yeah, well, yeah, it depends on it, depends on their life, as course, because you know you've got that left-right action sometimes to help the brain to calm the help calm the brain. Um, but I just think it's more achievable and it's safer for people because I you know I don't know what's going on inside that person's body. Yeah, I don't want to injure them in some way. Yeah, yeah. So light work, rep work, you will achieve a strength goal with that. Whereas if you strength train, you're never gonna get that endurance, you're never gonna get that cardio side of it.
SPEAKER_00Interesting. I like that. And be one particular that's come to you that had um, let's say they've not exercised before and they've done really well with their with their training that you could kind of mention without obviously talking specifics.
SPEAKER_01Well, I do have one lady who is amazingly strong. She is actually my my client who is 72. I'm gonna say 72, she might be 71. She might pull me up on this. And funny enough, this lady was recommended to me by you. Ah never lifted a weight in her life. I know. Who are you talking about? Yeah, um you would be, and we we've got to a stage because I don't do a lot of heavy work. Every now and then I will do like a heavy deadlift with her. But that's because I know she's got great technique. Yeah, I've been training her for what eight years must have been. I see eight years. Oh, it's so long. Wow, it's so long. Wow, and she is amazing, absolutely amazing. But yes, she's definitely got stronger over the years. That's uh that's impressive, and that's someone that did some exercise before, but she did a bit of Pilates and a bit of yoga, but never before she feels good, she loves it. She comes in, she goes on holiday, she comes back, she says, How's my favourite trainer? Oh my god.
SPEAKER_00Excuse me, I just vomit everyone. Oh, wrong question to ask you. That one wasn't it That was definitely the wrong question to ask you.
SPEAKER_01She is she is doing because we you know who I'm talking about. I do absolutely amazing for a woman of her age.
SPEAKER_00So let's okay, so she's 72 and she's or one. Oh one. We don't know, we don't want to get we don't want to get in trouble. Let's just say let's just say 70, just to we just won't tell her about it. We won't tell anyone. So let's let's say that we've got her and we've got a lady the same age that doesn't exercise sedatory lifestyle.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I mean, I can tell you now we're talking about early onset osteoarthritis. Yeah, yeah. We're talking about someone that most probably mental well-being's not very good. Um, someone when they do basic stuff, going shopping, yeah, finding that difficult to do, up the stairs, down the stairs.
SPEAKER_01More pain, back pain, um more likely to fall, to have it.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yeah, fall, yeah, that's very important about the balance, isn't it? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01This is the thing, so because we're talking about bone density, and the reason why our bones start to change a lot of the time is because if we're not doing that resistance training, then our shape does change. A lot of women and men become, but men, a lot of women become get quite a rounded back, a bit kyphosis.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes, but we're not really sitting well here, Paula. Listen, trying to stick things, trying to sit up a bit more straight.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and of course they get a little bit lordotic as well, yeah, and then your centre of gravity changes, and that is why they fall. Yeah, they just go forward.
SPEAKER_00They just go forward. I noticed since I walked my dog, you're gonna laugh at this, right? Before I walk my dog, I did never I never had this, but I I lean over, I've got a slight tilt. Have you? Yeah, I've noticed it when I'm walking. I'm like, hang on, I'm leaning forward, stand up straight. No, but it's not, it's not.
SPEAKER_01It's come from your power walking.
SPEAKER_00Yes, most probably, but it is quite funny because I'm talking to someone and I'm like, they're not they're not next to me. I'm like, where are they? They're back, lean back, lean back, lean back, lean back. Uh yeah, so that's quite funny. But um, so I just want to talk about flexibility because this is something that I'm well, we're both passionate about. And for those of you that don't know, if people come to me, I fix them, and then they come back. They come back a few years later. I mean you, you fix me. Yeah, yeah, I fixed that, I think so. But flexibility is really important because it's not just about the joints getting stiffer, um, like you mentioned about the synovial fluid. Um, it's also about flexibility-wise, which changes, okay, so lots of that starts to get tighter, everything shortens. That's why your IT, your IT band, okay, gets really tight. Yeah. That's because the fascia, the hydraulic acid, and the collagen that's in there starts to deplete. So it's really important, ladies, to get that stretching in. It's it's not because you know, you you have to do it.
SPEAKER_01You've got to do it now. I can say firsthand that I was that person that didn't stretch enough. Paula. Really? Yes. It's a confession. Yes, it's a confession. Oh my god, you knocked a girl. I didn't because I was working so much, you know, the kids were young. I was at one point teaching over 20 classes a week, running from one gym to another. And you just sort of do that quick stretch at the end of class and you're out, you're in your car, you're going to be very disappointed. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. And I'm really, really in my earlier days, and everybody else, there's a lot of people out there who are probably the same lot of trainers as me who are the same. And I actually say to some people now, you need to start stretching. Yeah, you need to start going to yoga classes. I was that person who would be in a yoga class thinking, get me out of this place.
SPEAKER_00Oh, when I first started doing yoga, it was all about who's farted. That smell dirty, dirty, out. I don't know.
SPEAKER_01It's when it's when it's audible because you get people that pass wind in um Pilates as well. I just try and carry on talking really loud and quickly so nobody's thinking.
SPEAKER_00Well, you know, you get people in here as well passing, but we won't talk about that.
SPEAKER_01But I've found even for myself, um yoga. I don't teach yoga. Well, I teach a form of power yoga, but yoga is one of the best things that I've really got into in the past five years.
SPEAKER_00That's amazing. Because it's not just about flexibility, it's good for your your mind.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Well, not for me.
SPEAKER_00Well, not for you, but for some people it's it can be.
SPEAKER_01But I was going to say that when it comes to yoga, because I need I need that that good stretch. Because I'm doing a stretch, and I alright, I and and I did start focusing on stretching myself, yeah, yeah. Especially after we had that lockdown and we were all doing nothing. Yes, and I was running too much and having a lot of power. Boris Gum. Yeah, I'm running, I'm running. So um I but I then started dedicating a good half an hour twice a week to stretching. Yeah. Well, that's that's key. Yeah, it started getting a little bit boring, so I started going to some yoga classes. But for me, I had to find the right yoga teacher.
SPEAKER_00Ah, okay, so that is important because there's so many different types of yoga. Yes. And we're not talking bikram, no, okay, as a a stang, a swanga, whatever, however you say it, one of those that is like really fast-paced.
SPEAKER_01We'll talk about what I do. I love the fast-paced yoga. Yeah, but I also do yin, which is the one where you hold positions for three to five minutes. So I do a combination of both.
SPEAKER_00And do you feel that you've got good flexibility from it? Oh, definitely, yeah. That's great.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well done. Well done, you.
SPEAKER_01I can cross my legs now.
SPEAKER_00There's a joke coming up, which I'm not gonna say right now. When we come on there, I'm gonna say something naughty to Paula about that one.
SPEAKER_01But yeah, um I I've realized the flexibility has and it's benefited my weight training.
SPEAKER_00Well, they and it will. So look, I've all I I'm not like being like Miss Perfect here, but I can tell you now, I've always stretched. Yeah, I've always made time at the end of my workout. I get a little timer, I stretch the muscles I've worked, a minute each. I've always done that, and I foam roll as well. That is me. But I can tell you now, in my post-menopause, if I'm let's say I'm unwell, let's say that I've had a week off and I've been bedridden for a week. Yeah, let's just say that for an example. I will feel it because years before, if I was bedridden in my 30s, it wouldn't bother me at all. But I can tell you, my joints would be aching stiff. So if that's me and that's someone that stretches all the time, ladies, stretch, please. Because if you feel right now, think about what you're gonna be like in 10-15 years' time. You know, the only way that I can keep exercising because of all of my little tightnesses and my like my mentioned my knee is because I stretch and foam roll. If I did not do that, I would not be exercising, I wouldn't be able to, I would be in pain. Yeah, so that it's really important for yoga. We're gonna wrap up on part one. Okay. That's gone quick, isn't it? It's flown by. It's flown by. Um, ladies, thank you very much for listening. That's that's really nice. I just want to say thank you to wonderful guest Paula. Paula's gonna be uh with us again in part two, and lots more information coming up. We're gonna talk about what excises work well for menopause. Yeah, amongst other things, we're gonna be talking about cult member because I've got brain fog. But we will we will be talking about menopause with ADC here with brain fog. Yeah, we'll be talking quite a bit. So, yeah, thanks for listening. Hope you've really enjoyed today's podcast, and maybe there's something that you've learned, even if it's just one thing, that is a job well done. So, if you'd like to be a guest on Menopause Dinners, there is no experience needed in podcasting, as you could most probably tell from all of us talking. All that we ask is that you're going through your menopause, whether it's peri, menopause, or post, and yeah, you have something that you want to talk about. It's as simple as that. Just reach out to me via the platform that you're listening on or via menopausedinners at gmail.com. So please remember to like, rate, and subscribe, or join any of the platforms. Let us know that we are doing a good job. That's very important. Now, there is also a monetization button as we all are now non profits. So every little bit else, I'd like to leave you with my One we've thought today, which is menopause sucks, but with friends it sucks a whole lot less. We'll see you next time on Menopause Dinners. Take care. Information we share regardless of foodness supplementation is from our own experience. Please do get medical advice if you're suffering from any medical conditions.
