Terri Ramsey Beavers Menopause comes with a full spectrum of changes. From hot flashes to mood swings, low energy levels and weight gain, sometimes it seems like your life after the age of 50 becomes beyond challenging. However, once menopause ends, women go through even more trouble with managing their muscle mass and trying their best to build muscle while they’re at it. If you’re one of those women, we know just how to help you bring that muscle back and live your best life after menopause.
Increase physical activity
One of the crucial steps in a post-menopause lifestyle is to become more physically active. Instead of spending your afternoon in front of the tv, get out and do your daily walks. Only if you walk a minimum of 10.000 steps a day will you be able to make your body fit and increase your chances of building muscle after menopause. Go swimming once a week, work around the garden and spend more time playing outside with your grandkids. Aerobics, dancing and tennis are perfect pastime activities that you can enjoy with your friends. All of those activities will be the perfect prelude to the upcoming workout plan you’ll be starting.
Introduce vitamin D3 supplements to your diet
According to research, vitamin D3 supplementation is very effective in helping women build muscle after menopause. Apparently, if you start taking vitamin D3 supplements regularly, after 9 months, your muscle strength can increase by 25 per cent. On top of that, 12+ years after menopause, vitamin D3 supplementation can prevent muscle loss while promoting muscle growth. Try to fuel up on vitamin D3 the natural way, by getting enough sunlight exposure. Eat more beef liver, fatty fish, and eggs to retain muscle mass.
Choose the right training
Once you’ve introduced more frequent physical activity into your lifestyle, you can prepare for regular workouts. Jogging and biking are aerobics exercises that help build stamina and shed excess pounds. They can be the perfect starting point for introducing more intense strength training. Another excellent workout option is EMS training with a professional trainer that can help you speed up the process of calorie burnout and allow you to show off those muscles in no time. Build upper body strength with wall push-ups. When you want to increase lower body muscles and tone legs, hips, and, buttocks, do step-ups. Tone your core with the well-known planks that will always help improve posture.
Start lifting weights
Improve your overall muscle strength and definition by doing 3-4 strength training exercise sessions that tone different parts of your body every week. Start slowly with less intense weight lifting and work your way up towards heavier weights. Instead of focusing on one muscle group with maximum intensity, adopt a different workout programme that focuses on different muscle groups with medium intensity. Make sure you rest between the lifts to prevent exhaustion and burnout. Don’t expect to see progress immediately after a few workouts. The older you get, the slower you build muscle, so you’ll have to wait a few weeks to see the first results.
Swap greasy snacks with healthy food
Aside from working out and taking vitamin D3 supplements, you will also need to eat healthier to build muscle after menopause. We know that crisps and other fatty snacks look and taste more delicious than broccoli, for instance, but they are not healthy for your body weight. Instead of packing on empty calories, consider eating more proteins to build muscle and protect your health. Protein from plants or lean meats is the best protein you can get in your 50s. Quinoa, broccoli, lentils, oats, soy, grilled chicken and salmon are all excellent sources of protein. After you turn 50, you will need 60-80 grams of protein per day, depending on your weight.
Your body can look amazing after menopause regardless of all the biological changes that happen in the meantime. All you need to do is adopt a healthy lifestyle and put yourself in the right mindset to reach your goals. Make sure you go through the previously mentioned tips carefully and start working out regularly. Eat healthily and enrich your diet with protein while trying to avoid junk food. After that, you’ll build muscle in no time.