“You’re a woman over 40. You need to lift heavy.”
You’ve probably heard / seen / been told this a million times by now – and there’s good reason for it.
We know women going through & after menopause, naturally lose muscle and lose bone density. But here’s what I think gets missed :
Lifting heavy isn’t always the best place to start.
When lifting heavy loads, our connective tissues – tendons, ligaments, fascia – joints, bones and muscles are all having to deal with the extra load.
What happens if tissues & bones aren’t ready – or able – to lift heavy?
Declining estrogen reduces the elasticity of connective tissues while at the same time, the density (strength) of our bone reduces.
This means, during & after menopause, tissues & bones adapt more slowly than muscle fibres when lifting heavy loads.
“When hormones decline and physical activity intensifies, repetitive loading accumulates which may culminate in an overuse injury or stress fracture.” Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine
This doesn’t mean our tissues and joints instantly become fragile after menopause, but it does mean how you introduce and increase extra load matters.
What if you can’t or don’t want to lift heavy because …
- You’ve not exercised in a while
- You have an injury that doesn’t tolerate heavy lifting
- You’re don’t like gyms .. or find lifting weights boring
- You don’t have heavy weights at home
- You’ve a painful or weak joint
Yoga Can Help You Build Strength
Yoga helps build strength in your tissues, bones, joints & muscles by using your bodyweight as the load whilst, at the same time, improving mobility, balance, flexibility, stability, coordination and, increasing the circulation of synovial fluid around joints – without any external load.
Challenging your muscles & bones isn’t just about the number on the dumbbell. It’s about how hard your muscles are working.
Yoga can be the beginning of your strength journey.
How yoga can increase strength :
- Hold poses for longer to increase time under tension
- Slow down & move – with control – in & out of poses
- Include more balance poses .. and hold them for longer
- Repeat challenging poses more often in the same practice
- Wear ankle or wrist weights
- Introduce resistance bands
I’m not anti-weights. I’m just anti “one-size-fits-all” advice.
So, if you’ve not exercised for a while, don’t like gyms or are nervous about getting injured, start with yoga.
Give your muscles, joints and connective tissues time to adapt to your bodyweight then introduce weights as your body becomes stronger.
Sign Up HERE to receive my free 3-day Stay Strong with Yoga videos to reverse muscle & bone loss @ home.
If you’d like to learn how hormonal changes affect tissues & bone in menopause and the potential for injury, read this scientific review here.
