Postmenopausal women MUST DO LIST to get all benefits from fitnessPostmenopausal women, as well as women in other stages have different health concerns depending on their age, activity level, physical fitness and nutritional status. I gathered here 5 major points to take a look at in order to get all the benefits from staying fit at this specific stage of life. 
1.- EXERCISE WITH MODERATE INTENSITY AND KEEP ON IT THROUGH TIME Older women have more difficulties to perform activities of daily living than older men and also have tendencies to be overweight and depressed. To be envolved in a regular exercise program of activity may reduce this issues.
And according to the Cancer Prevention Program, moderate intensive exercise modulates inflammatory processes related to increased risk for chronic diseases (which is higher in obese women). For good exercise ideas go to this page 2.- POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN SHOULD MAKE EMPHASIS ON CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS
EFFECT OF CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS ON BLOOD PRESSURE Women who exercise compared with women who doesn’t have a lower resting diastolic blood pressure and a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease.
Systolic blood pressure is not less important than diastolic pressure. Peter Kokkinos and other authors have shown that after 6 minutes of exercise, this type of pressure is the strongest predictor of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). (Causes of increased afterload that can cause LVH include aortic stenosis, aortic insufficiency, and hypertension).
Low cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with a higher blood pressure, suggesting that increased fitness may attenuate the abnormal rise of blood pressure. That is why low to moderate intensity physical activities for most days of the week should be encouraged.
EFFECT OF CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS ON OXIDATIVE STRESS Cardiorespiratory fitness has been reported to be important also for the regulation of oxidative stress by maintaining antioxidant enzyme efficiency. (Natural antioxidant enzymes manufactured in the body provide an important defense against free radicals which are responsible for aging and important degenerative diseases).
EFFECT OF CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS ON CHOLESTEROL, TRYGLICERIDES AND OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR RISK MARKERS Bryan Haddock and other authors have reported that cardiorespiratory fitness is an important independent determinant of blood lipid and fibrinogen levels* in non smoking postmenopausal women, with or without hormone restrictive therapy. *Fibrinogen is usually ordered with other blood clotting tests and helps your doctor to evaluate your body's ability to form a blood clot. Occasionally, fibrinogen can be used to help monitor the status of a progressive disease (such as liver disease). Sometimes fibrinogen is ordered, along with other cardiac risk markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), to help determine a patient's overall risk of developing cardiovascular disease. If you want to know more about cardio fitness click here
3.- ENDURANCE TRAINING HELPS TO KEEP A HEALTHY METABOLISM Endurance training (e.g. Exercise training on a gym bycicle at 65% peak of Oxygen consumption VO2) for healthy postmenopausal women, decreases the reliance on carbohydrate and increases lipid oxidation. This means that the use of fat (instead of carbohydrate) as a fuel during endurance exercise allows sustained physical activity and delays the onset of hypoglycemia. 4.- HELPING YOUR BONES Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease that cannot be cured but can be prevented. Bone mineral density is a characteristic of osteoporosis.
The Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise Journal mentions that physical activity may be the most effective strategy to reduce osteoporotic fractures because of its potential to reduce bones loss and fall risk. Litrell, T.R and other authors conveyed that leg power predicts hip bone mass density, which indicates the importance of promoting lower body power for bone and fall prevention.
The American College of Sports Medicine reported in 2007 that bone mineral density can be maintained or increased in postmenopausal women using a regime of adequate resistance and weight bearing exercise training combined with adequate calcium intake and other nutrients, particularly iron. 5.- PREVENTING URINARY INCONTINENCE TO BE A PART OF YOUR POSTMENOPAUSE STAGE In a study about urinary incontinence and its relation with waist circumference published in 2009, Krause and other colaborators from the Center for Exercise and Health-Fitness of the University of Pittsburgh, found that central adiposity increases the risk of urinary incontinence possibly due to intra-abdominal pressure on urethral structures. So, being away from obesity can help alot to avoid this problem. Try to keep this 5 points well balanced on your postmenopause stage and we assure you'll stay healthy for a good quality of life at present and for the following years./p> You are welcome to go to other Women Fitness articles here Return from Postmenopausal articles to Fitness-Nutrition New! CommentsHave your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. |
