1. Drink beetroot juice
After women go through menopause, their risk of heart disease can increase. Researchers at Penn State have found that beetroot juice, which is rich in nitrate, can improve how blood vessels function. The results showed that daily consumption of beetroot juice by postmenopausal women may improve blood vessel function enough to reduce future heart disease risk.
2. Hit the water
Menopausal women who regularly swim in cold water report significant improvements to their physical and mental symptoms, finds a study by the University College London.
The research, published in Post Reproductive Health, surveyed 1114 women, 785 of which were going through the menopause, to examine the effects of cold water swimming on their health and wellbeing. The findings showed that menopausal women experienced a significant improvement in anxiety (as reported by 46.9% of the women), mood swings (34.5%), low mood (31.1%) and hot flushes (30.3%) as a result of cold water swimming.
Some of the women quoted in the study said that they found the cold water to be “an immediate stress/ anxiety reliever” and described the activity as “healing.”
One 57-year-old woman stated: “Cold water is phenomenal. It has saved my life. In the water, I can do anything. All symptoms (physical and mental) disappear and I feel like me at my best.”
Most of the women involved in the study were likely to swim in both summer and winter and wear swimming costumes, rather than wet suits. “How often they swam, how long for and what they wore were also important. Those that swam for longer had more pronounced effects.
The great thing about cold water swimming is it gets people exercising in nature, and often with friends, which can build a great community.”
3. Get dancing
Some women can struggle with managing their weight and other health risk factors, such as high cholesterol, once they transition through menopause.
A study at The North American Menopause Society suggests that dancing may be one way to effectively lower cholesterol levels, improve fitness and body composition and in the process, improve self-esteem. The effect of dancing, specifically, has already been investigated with regard to how it improves body composition and functional fitness. Few studies, however, have investigated the effects of dance on body image, self-esteem, and physical fitness together in postmenopausal women.
This particular study was designed to analyse the effects of dance practice on body composition, metabolic profile, functional fitness, and self-image/self-esteem in postmenopausal women. Dance therapy is seen as an attractive option because it is a pleasant activity with low associated costs and low risk of injury for its practitioners. Additional confirmed benefits of regular dancing include improvement in balance, postural control, gait, strength, and overall physical performance. All of these benefits may contribute to a woman’s ability to maintain an independent, high-quality lifestyle throughout her lifespan.
“The study highlights the feasibility of a simple intervention, such as a dance class three times weekly, for improving not only fitness and metabolic profile but also self-image and self-esteem in postmenopausal women. In addition to these benefits, women also probably enjoyed a sense of camaraderie from the shared experience of learning something new,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director.
