Perimenopause 7 exercise | What's stopping women moving into menopause?

The importance of exercise for menopausal women

Research shows that a third of women during menopause are not getting the recommended amount of exercise.

There’s no doubt that women know the health benefits of being active in life, however, when women reach menopause there are many barriers that hold them back from doing any form of physical activity. Women tend to put themselves at the bottom of the priority list when it comes to self-care.

So what can be done to remove the barriers and motivate women to move more and feel good going into menopause?

What are the barriers that prevent menopausal women exercising?

During midlife, women can be consumed with different pressures, juggling careers and increased caring responsibilities for their offspring or ageing parents.

68% of this so called ‘sandwich generation’ are female carers, 84% of them spend 35+ hours a week caring for their family and 47% have less than 35 minutes to themselves per day.

A perfect storm is created as women enter into perimenopause, when they begin experiencing the psychological and physical symptoms of their declining hormones. The stigma surrounding menopause often leaves women feeling isolated. There are generations of women who have never heard about perimenopause, the years leading up to menopause or have had any advice on how to manage it, either through shame or lack of confidence to talk about it or seek help.

Often, the less active women in midlife don’t feel comfortable in most gyms and fitness spaces. Thinking these places are not designed for them, they may feel intimidated as they perceive these spaces are for young, fit, lycra-clad gym bunnies.

The perception for many midlife women is that they won’t like any exercise and sports opportunities available in gyms.

Apart from the cost of joining and losing pounds in their pockets instead of their waistline by not continuing their exercise commitment, the free option of outdoor gyms in public spaces are an idiot enhancing no-go zone!

At every stage in a woman’s life there are different challenges for being active from early years and throughout life, these can have a profound impact on women’s attitude to fitness into menopause:

Women’s motivation to move reduces with age

Let’s look at the statistics of female activity throughout life:

Primary – 41% of girls age 7-11 achieve recommended levels of physical activity (Sport England CYP), they perceive boys are better at being strong.
Teenage – 64% will have quit sport by the time they have finished puberty (P & G research).
Adulthood – 23% inactive, doing less than 30 minutes activity a week (Sport England ALS) and 42% are not active enough for good health.
Midlife – 71% experiencing menopause want to be more active but lack confidence (Women In Sport 2018). Women find activity much harder as they feel less flexible.
Later life – 49% over age 65 are not active enough (Sport England ALS) It is recognised that it enhances mood.

With the growing ageing population and women having to work in later in life, there’s a huge missed opportunity to inspire these women to be active.

What can be done to encourage women to exercise during menopause?

This is an untapped market with an endless supply of women who need to be offered activities that are relevant to them.

But how to give these women the opportunities they need and deserve for their long-term health and happiness?

In 2018 Women In Sport (WIS) conducted their research report: Menopause, Me and Physical Activity. Their national survey of 427 women focused on 28 to explore their relationship with sport and physical activity during menopause. They followed their journey over 5 months to witness the motivations and barriers these women faced.

This report provides fantastic insights and recommendations for health and fitness professionals looking to support women in midlife, to help them maintain and re-engage in physical activities into menopause.

In May 2021, WIS released a new campaign focusing on redefining what it means to get older. In their further research, they noted that women felt they were on the scrap heap, they were not worth the investment, feeling undervalued, ignored and irrelevant in society.

Menopause is the perfect time for women to reappraise their lifestyle and an opportunity to reintroduce exercise.

The benefits of physical activity for women’s health in menopause

Improved mental wellbeing
Making new friends
Escaping the business of life for a brief moment

Benefits of exercise after menopause:

Bone health
Heart disease
Physical mobility & health problems
Psychological issues/Alzheimer’s/dementia

The WIS research found that 84% of inactive menopausal women wanted to be more active in this life stage. And a staggering 90% said they would do more exercise if it were recommended by their GP or by a health professional.

How to overcome the barriers?

We need to generate a sense of possibility and relevance to give women confidence to take the first step and kick-start their journey. Getting back into exercise can be hard when there are so many barriers to overcome.

Communication is key!

Create possibility – Changing women’s mindsets. It’s never too late to get active beyond 45+. Generating awareness of exercise as a relevant possibility and offering fun opportunities to enjoy movement.
Reframe ‘exercise’ perception – Broadening the idea of what sport, exercise and being active can be. Reframing their self-imposed limitations of exercise that they once tried and hated.
Consideration – Make it easier to find relevant exercise activities. Enabling identification of where they can go to find a like-minded community.
Support – Making sure women don’t feel alone, help them make the first steps to become active again. Buddying-up whether in situ or online.

There are endless possibilities beyond running, swimming, walking and going to the gym that women will love to be taking part in, so it’s important that the sports and fitness industry begin to address this.

Start with a judgement free zone for beginners

There is so much shame and embarrassment associated with the symptoms of menopause, especially the extra weight women can carry. What women perceive about themselves before they can feel confident in public is a barrier that should no longer exist.

“I feel like I have to get fit before I can go into a gym.”

“I get up at 4.00am to go for a run because I’m so embarrassed to be seen in public because of my weight.”

This sense of shame needs to be overcome. Women need judgement free zones so they can enjoy activities in a welcoming, inclusive environment, regardless of age, skill or physique.

The sport and fitness industry need to communicate a judgement free ethos so that women know this before they even show up. But how can they do this?

Creating a support network, whether virtual or within a space will enhance enjoyment. By offering social support, women may be more likely to feel they belong and inspired to come back to continue their chosen activity.

Referencing different relevant benefits other than fitness. By making it relevant to ensure their different specific needs are met and that women are inspired to be active, such as the social side and new friendships.

WIS heard time and again from women who said that what they saw in advertising and the media was not relatable, they need role models that are age appropriate.

Expanding the image of what it means to be sporty for the midlife and menopause demographic. They need to see women of similar ages and physiques and hear relatable stories that will help them think through how they can confidently enjoy going into a fitness environment.

#menopossibilities

In response to these claims in May 2021 WIS launched a curation of images and an inspiring short uplifting film produced in partnership with Getty Images, highlighting the fun in being active into menopause.

WIS & Getty Menopause Stories #menopossibilities

Getty are helping redefine what it means to get older, by including real women in their image library, not the stereotypes we always see in the media. They call it ‘disruptive ageing’, by changing the mindset of marketing agencies and challenging what they publish so it is more relatable.

The challenge now lies in the hands of the media, marketing and those who’s business it is to keep women 40+ in the UK active, especially those in lower socioeconomic groups. We need to readdress the balance for more inclusive messages, making it affordable, relatable, aspirational, enjoyable and above all judgement-free, for women in midlife and menopause to engage and continue in physical activities.

May 2021

Perimenopause & Exercise | What’s stopping women moving into menopause?