Are you giving it all you’ve got at the gym until you almost drop? Sweating? Spinning? Cardio until you are exhausted but still you cannot lose the tummy bulge?
As women grow older and especially during menopause they start to lose muscle mass and bone density decreases. Despite what some ladies may think, their metabolism (the body’s mechanism for burning fat) is not the same as when they were in their twenties. The stress hormone cortisol increases, slowing down metabolism thus burning less calories, meaning it’s harder to shift the excess weight you want to lose.
What can you do?
Lifting weights increases bone density and muscle mass. This in turn reduces cortisol levels and increases metabolism, burning more fat. You don’t need high-intensity routines or hours at the gym. A quick workout at home 3 times a week can bring you results.
Combining strength training with low-impact cardio exercises (walking, cycling for example) boosts energy and endurance. A mix of these two builds and maintains muscles, gives you more energy.
What do I do? I don’t go to the gym. I do low impact and muscle building workouts at home in my spare room. I have a range of weights and the ones that I use depends on the muscle group I am working on. Investing in a few weights does not have to be expensive and I bought a mat at low-cost store for €3,00!
During Covid I discovered Hasfit. Coach Kozak and Claudia are the motivators I need to guide me through my workout routines and I can definitely see results.
They have a huge range of workouts from beginners to advanced, cardio, weights, no-weights, seniors, over-40s and programs to follow to keep you on track and motivated. So whatever you are looking for, you can find on their site www.hasfit.com This is, of course, only one of the many out there. Just do a bit of research and find one that suits you. It’s that easy!
And, to relieve those aching muscles after a workout, book a massage 😉