4 Exercise Mistakes Hijacking Your Menopause Fitness (and how to fix them)

You’re doing it all but could there be hidden mistakes hijacking your menopause fitness. Increasing protein, lifting weights, doing high intensity… How can you be this active but not working? 

Disclaimer: This could trigger you. The mistakes hijacking your menopause fitness you could be doing on purpose because you were told once this is what you SHOULD DO. 

This episode is for all women, and for you. So let’s unpack these mistakes hijacking your menopause fitness. 

Before anything.. Measure. 

If you aren’t measuring your body composition - skeletal muscle mass vs. body fat—you won’t truly know what’s working. I’ll link to the 4 Smart scales in my store. You can get a Dexa or go to a gym.

#1 Not Consuming Enough Fuel

Women are not the same as men on carbohydrate needs. We get little, we disrupt hormones. You are influenced by cortisol, insulin, thyroid, testosterone, growth hormone and the endocrine.

 

How much fuel do you need?

• Endocrine dysfunction - ~30-35 calories per kg of FFM in women; but around 15 calories per kg FFM in men.

• Fat Free Mass (FFM) - say you’re 130kg and you have 25% body fat. You need 2923 kcals to keep your body functioning well.

 

Fueling Your Workouts:

• Cardio: 30g carbs and 15g protein before

• Strength: 15g protein before + 30-45g protein after (higher in and after menopause) 
  

 

Thyroid & Carbohydrates

• Low carb diets (under 100g) - pivotal point for lower thyroid function. 
• Serotonin - produced in the gut, declines with low carb diets. 
• Low-carb diets - don’t lead to better weight loss long-term, they cause water loss.

 

What Happens When You’re Under-Fueled?
Low Energy Availability from brain (hypothalamus) to body…

• Hypothalamus signals HPA axis dysfunction
• Adrenals releases cortisol
• Thyroid slows metabolism
• Body conserves energy and breaks down muscle instead of fat for fuel

 

When You Fast, try one of these:

• High intensity intervals 
• Lift heavy weights 
• High intensity boot camp class 
• Reduce carbs, maintain a keto-like diet while increasing your walks

 

Know the Sneaky Mistakes Hijacking Your Menopause Fitness

#2 Never REALLY Recovering From Hard Intervals or Hard Workouts 

Some bootcamps and spin classes are rapid, high-intensity intervals without adequate recovery. Your cortisol levels during this s