“Your next position is your best position”. Variety is the spice of life when it comes to the ideal posture and exercise, according to Christien Bird, Women’s Health Physiotherapist. Regular exercise is crucial for women in midlife, not just to support bone density, but also to reduce the risk of heart attacks, which increases as oestrogen levels drop, post-menopause. Exercise is also a great stress-buster, and relieving those cortisol levels can make a big difference to your wellbeing during the menopause.
In this episode of The Happy Menopause, I speak to Christien about how, when and how much to exercise to optimise our bone, heart and hormone health. As a Women’s Health Physio and founder of the excellent White Hart Clinic in Barnes, South West London, she’s ideally placed to bust all those myths about what menopausal women ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ be doing on the exercise front. She’s a specialist in pelvic floor and incontinence and a passionate supporter of women’s health in midlife.
We talk bone health, nutrition and the different ways that exercise can keep you strong, healthy and mobile through the menopause and beyond. Christien shares the shocking statistic that from the age of 5, girls are already less active than boys – less likely to cycle, join a sports club or walk to school - and this gap widens as children grow. The good news is that it’s never too late to start exercising and that women actually benefit more quickly and directly from exercise than men! She’s full of good advice about the different types of exercise you can try, how much you need to do and how to make sure you don’t get in a rut. Your muscles and bones adapt quickly to the same fitness regime, so it’s important to keep challenging yourself and to mix it up a bit, if you want to see results.
Christien is a really interesting, inspiring and convincing speaker – I’ve already made some tweaks to my exercise regime, based on her advice in the podcast. Have a listen and see what she can do for you too!
Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for my guest.
Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my latest book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish.