This is all about menopause fitness changes that you want to make, 20 of them in fact. Before any of these are truly beneficial, I’ll share this: if you’re not measuring you have no idea what is really happening. Measure and track your percent body fat and your skeletal muscle (in lbs or kgs). Other things you may want to do, take your measurements, track the waist or get nitty gritty with visceral belly fat stat from your Smart Scale.

If you’ve always said, I don’t weigh, I just pay attention to how my clothes fit, it’s time to change that thinking. By the time you may realize you lost a significant amount of muscle it could be too late.. and harder to get it back. Let’s not lose anything you have now, and work to build strong futures.

Here's 20 Menopause Fitness Changes to Try

1.        Intense exercise Early

2.        Exercise late? Make it light.

3.        Increase recovery between challenging sessions.

4.        If insomnia strikes, leave agility work for another day

5.        Warm up and cool down like a boss to prevent injury

6.        Bookend workouts with fuel

7.        Quality movement wins over frenzied

8.        Basics work better than variety for variety’s sake

9.        Fuel before any intense exercise

10.  Listen to your body better than you have ever before

Perimenopause

11.  Restore before more: Exhausted can’t get fit

12.  Focus on muscle building

13.  HIIT may hurt or help: assess for yourself

14.  Activities that create positive neurotransmitters

15.  Don’t underestimate walking and strength training

Postmenopause

16.  Energy is more stable: Push a little harder

17.  Continue to prioritize strength

18.  Frequency of HIIT can often increase from 2 to 4 times a week (45 minutes is still a threshold where injury rates seem to go up)

19.  Mobility most days

20.  Add Power regularly.

Resources:

Hot Not Bothered Challenge: https://www.flippingfifty.com/hnb-challenge

FREE What, When & Why to Exercise for Women 40+ summit: https://www.flippingfifty.com/wwwexercise

TEDx Talk:

https://youtu.be/k5IzLZ1mP94?si=kCE2oE5LA8i7NGEA

Other Episodes You Might Like:

5 Menopause Fitness Questions You Want Answered: https://www.flippingfifty.com/5-menopause-fitness-questions/ 3 Menopause Fitness Makeovers | Hormone Balancing Exercise: https://www.flippingfifty.com/menopause-fitness-makeovers/ Do Menopause Fitness Rules Apply to Post Menopause Fitness, too? 495: https://www.flippingfifty.com/menopause-fitness-rules/

Out this week, Ageless Aging is a new title on the shelves and book author and women’s aging advocate, Maddy Dychtwald is here with us on this episode. You’re going to love this episode.

We dive into why women have to advocate for themselves, the power of your mindset and why you and all your high school friends may be aging at such different paces.

The Role of Exercise in Ageless Aging

Physical activity remains a cornerstone of healthy aging. Imagine each step of a brisk walk or each rep in a strength training session not only enhancing muscle tone but also refreshing our minds and spirits. This daily commitment to physical activity is not merely about staying fit—it’s a celebration of our bodies’ capacity to thrive at any age, boosting both brain health and emotional well-being, ensuring we live not just longer, but with unstoppable vitality.

My Guest:

Maddy Dychtwald is an internationally acclaimed author, public speaker, and thought leader on longevity, aging, the new retirement, and the ascent of women. She co-founded Age Wave, the world's leader in understanding and addressing the far-reaching impacts of our aging population, and has led numerous acclaimed studies on women and money. In addition, she has been involved in more than 25 thought leadership research studies worldwide on aging, longevity, retirement, health, family, caregiving, housing, and leisure, which have cumulatively garnered more than 14 billion media impressions. Her new book, Ageless Aging: A Woman’s Guide to Increasing Healthspan, Brainspan, and Lifespan, publishes May 14th, 2024. She lives in San Francisco with her family.

Questions we answer in this episode:

1. We are at the beginning stages of a longevity revolution. Why are women at the forefront?

2. Why is it so important to create a new and improved experience of long life, especially designed for women?

3. You coined the term “ageless aging,” which is the title of your new book. What does that mean exactly?

4. You’ve created a holistic recipe for ageless aging that any woman of any age can begin. What are the most important ingredients?

5. You share actionable tips and steps to help women increase their healthspans, brainspans, and lifespans. Can you share a few that you practice every day?

Connect with Maddy Dychtwald**:**

Website:

https://maddydychtwald.com/

On Social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddydychtwald/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Maddy_Dychtwald

Other Episodes You Might Like:

• Grip Strength Is More Than Access to Nut Butter: Positive Aging - https://www.flippingfifty.com/grip-strength/
• Are Your Mitochondria Aging Too Fast? | Slow Down to Energy Up - https://www.flippingfifty.com/aging-too-fast/
• Think You’re Too Old? Ageism Dismantled with Ashton Applewhite - https://flippingfifty.com/ageism-dismantled/

Resources:

What When & Why to Exercise for Women 40+: https://www.flippingfifty.com/wwwexercise

NEW BOOK: Ageless Aging - https://www.amazon.com/Ageless-Aging-Increasing-Healthspan-Brainspan-ebook/dp/B0CG1QTK47

Calories you need in menopause are key as your body experiences these natural changes.

Exercise nutrition in menopause is more important than ever. The intuitive response to a desire to lose menopause weight or belly fat is to eat less and or do sit ups and tons of cardo. All bad ideas. Make the calories you need in menopause, your guide to wellness.

First, let me tell you that I’m not an advocate of telling anyone how many calories they need or of tracking. I don’t measure food. I don’t use points. At Flipping 50 we focus on a simple formula and it starts with whole foods, protein, and servings instead of calories, points or exchanges.

That said, it’s sometimes necessary to really take a closer look at exercise nutrition in menopause. But I want to emphasize a few things before we begin.

Calorie counting isn't the best method if:

• You want to change your body composition (tracking macros is a better approach for body recomposition).
• You have a history of disordered eating and feel the urge to drastically cut calories to an unhealthy level.
• You're not actually sure how many calories you need to eat.

If you go searching blindly online, you’ll find a lot of different answers. For example:

Take your weight x 15 for a moderately active individual to maintain, as suggested at harvard.edu. There was no distinction between males and females.

For my 200 lb client that’s 3000. You’ll see as we continue that’s different from other numbers.

Any calorie estimator should take into account two things. Your BMR, which is your basal or resting metabolic rate, and your activity level.

So when you figure out your BMR you have an idea that if you drop below that number you’re going to risk interfering with bodily function. That’s number is just to keep you alive and functioning.

For my client that’s 1380.

Where to Start with How Many Calories You Need in Menopause

Before you count calories, we first need to determine how many we need to eat. But we also need to consider what your past has been.

So on paper, or on the internet, it’s so easy peasy. Then welcome to life.

My client weighs 200 lbs. She doesn’t want to weigh 200 lbs. She’s very active. Weight training and HIIT, some endurance exercise - not much, and a lot of activity like pickleball and golf for 3+ hours several times a week. On a “day off” exercise, she’s still very active.

Calculations on calculator.net will tell her this:

2381 to maintain

2131 mild weight loss

1881 weight loss 1lb /week

1381 extreme weight loss 2 lbs/ week

This is based on her being extremely active, although not the highest level of activity.

From the Mayo Clinic calculator, I got 2100 as the average calorie needs daily. That is congruent with the numbers from calculator.net.

Here’s the problem: reality.

Her usual caloric intake has been 1500 - 1881 for a very long time. She isn’t kicking up her metabolism with meals or with activity. Essentially by eating that little consistently for so long (while not losing) and exercising significantly, she’s likely slowed her metabolism.

She’s putting one foot on the accelerator (exercise) and one foot on the brake (low calorie diet) constantly.

She can’t lose weight because she’s not eating enough.

What’s the Answer to Better Exercise Nutrition in Menopause or Beyond?

Cycling her higher and lower calories for her active and rest days will help.

Most importantly though is looking at the content of her meals.

If she’s not getting enough protein, shown in studies with peri and post menopausal women both, to be a key indicator of fat loss, she’ll lose a significant amount of lean muscle when she loses weight. That reduces her metabolism further.

The opposite of the desired effect.

Protein recommendations also vary significantly. But the work of Dr Donald Layman, Blake Rasmussen and Douglas Paddon-Jones, have shown that distributing protein in a minimum of 25-30 grams per meal and reaching your total protein intake daily helps avoid muscle loss.

The work shared by Dr. Bill Campbell tells us that increasing protein without changing calories at all, spurs fat loss.

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon has shared a simple way of estimating protein need - steeped in science - that is 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight as a goal. For weight loss (without muscle loss), that number increases while your total caloric intake decreases.

Intermittent fasting can be helpful, for some, twofold. One, it reduces the eating window, almost automatically reducing caloric intake. Even if you have the license to eat, if you have increased protein intake wisely to reduce muscle loss, and you’re eating fibrous foods, your satiety level will prevent you from eating too much.

That said, cycling your intermittent fasting windows is also helpful. Any time you adopt a strict schedule or a strict calorie count, or carb count, you risk the body adapting and slowing metabolism to compensate. That’s the opposite desired effect.

You have to fuel exercise. Exercise is a muscle breakdown activity. The rebuild occurs between sessions - if you allow enough time, and enough fuel to do so.

You can play with the calculator.net site. It calls this cycling a zig-zag schedule. But it’s the same … I’d have my client boost calories sometimes for one week during a build muscle focus. The next week we’d have a moderate caloric deficit and workouts that are shorter and less demanding.

Or we have higher caloric days and lower calorie days (as well as carb levels higher and lower) while protein remains high consistently.

Beyond the Calories You Need in Menopause: More or Less Fat?

Wonder about how much fat? Studies shared- again via Bill Campbell, PhD - say it matters very little and is just your preference. You can experiment. Genetically, I’m predisposed to do better with slightly higher carbs. You may be otherwise and you don’t need to do a DNA test to find out. Most of us know by now. When balancing the calories you need in menopause, remember flexibility is key; you can adjust fats and carbs while maintaining essential protein levels for a vibrant health balance.

If you want to lose weight and aren’t - but are thinking low carb works for you - you could be wrong! Be open to testing for yourself.

But the beauty of the science is that as long as protein increases within a set calorie intake, the fat or carbs can go up or down. You have room to enjoy the birthday cake or a favorite seasonal meal that might be higher in carbs, and you haven’t blown it! You’d simply reduce the amount of fat you consumed that day.

Resources:

Calorie Calculator: https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

See How You Eat: https://seehowyoueat.com/

MacroFirst: https://www.macrosfirst.com/

Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/calorie-calculator/itt-20402304

FDA FoodCentral database: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Why Calories Burned from Exercise Don’t Get You Fit: https://www.flippingfifty.com/calories-burned-from-exercise/

Muscle Protein Synthesis In Menopause: How to Plan Pre and Post WOrkout:

https://www.flippingfifty.com/muscle-protein-synthesis-in-menopause/

How much magnesium should you include in your daily regimen? Magnesium is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, impacting everything from your energy levels to how well you sleep at night. But the question remains: how much do you really need to support your health during menopause?

How much magnesium do you need?

The daily recommended intake of magnesium varies, but generally, women aged 50 and above should aim for about 320 mg per day. However, needs can vary based on individual health conditions and dietary intake.

To find out how much magnesium works for you, start with a lower dose and gradually increase it. Monitor how you feel—improvements in sleep, mood stabilization, and general well-being are indicators that your magnesium intake is on point.

If you suspect you’re low on magnesium, especially during menopause, it’s a common concern. Talk to your healthcare provider about how much magnesium is right for you and explore the best ways to maintain adequate levels through diet or supplements.

My Guest:

Dr. Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, is a respected expert in holistic health, particularly known for her work in magnesium therapy. She has authored influential books, including "The Magnesium Miracle," and advocates for the use of natural remedies in achieving optimal health. Dr. Dean also develops nutritional supplements and is widely recognized for her contributions to holistic health and wellness. For detailed information, visit her official website or consult her latest publications.

Questions We Answer in This Episode:

• What are the top twelve reasons magnesium is foundational to women’s physical and mental health? [00:07:55]
• How many traditional diagnoses could very well be magnesium deficiency in disguise? [00:09:25]
• The importance of magnesium as a partner/co-factor with other essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D and calcium.[00:08:25]
• How magnesium is an essential factor in mitochondrial integrity and energy production. [00:27:55]
• How to choose the right magnesium. [00:17:25]
• How to properly supplement with magnesium. [00:25:25]

Connect with Dr. Carolyn Dean MD ND**:**

Website: https://drcarolyndean.com/

On Social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drcarolyndeanmdnd ****

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcarolyndean/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCarolynDean

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drcarolyndeanmdnd4601

Resources:

Book: Magnesium- The Missing Link to Total Health - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD993TF3

5 Day Flip: https://www.flippingfifty.com/5dayflip

Other Episodes You Might Like:

• What Is BioHacking? | Women’s Health - https://www.flippingfifty.com/what-is-biohacking/
• Electrolytes for Hydration: Beyond Water, Heat, and Exercise - https://www.flippingfifty.com/electrolytes-for-hydration/
• One Easy Fitness Nutrition Hack You Could Be Missing - https://www.flippingfifty.com/fitness-nutrition/

Confidence you gain in menopause could light a fire under you like never before in your life. What’s not to love? You raised kids who are good people. You like them. You survived stuff. You know real drama and you're done with mean girls who have time to leave comments on your social media platforms.

If you apply to be a guest on the Flipping 50 show here to talk about self doubt in midlife you’ll get rejected. I’d rather talk about the confidence you gain. Wouldn’t you?

I recently, very recently vetoed an application for a podcast to Flipping 50 based on going from self doubt to confidence. The premise was women in midlife go through menopause with hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, weight gain and feel unsure and uncertain about themselves and their futures.

Welcoming the confidence you gain in menopause lets you charge into this exciting chapter with all the fierceness you've earned—because, let's face it, you're not just surviving, you're thriving!

Confidence You Gain in Menopause from Women You’re Around

So, I ask you, is that what you want to hear? Because it’s not what you’re going to get here. In fact, this very same afternoon, I had that proposal via email, I met a midlife woman who made me question whether I was living up to my capacity!

And you know after talking to her I was feeling inspired. Inspired to bike a little longer, hike a little higher, stretch myself (not talking about yoga here) a little more.

I saw possibilities.

In the other proposal, and by no intention on the sender’s part - of that I’m absolutely certain - I felt myself hitting a glass ceiling of sorts. I finished - well I didn’t … because I was clearly already forming this podcast in my mind… feeling like it would be enough to settle for overcoming the symptoms of menopause.

We’ve got to stop this.

Stop it right now.

OKAY, yes. I get that many of you are dealing with hot flashes night sweats and it’s not as easy as stopping the wine, sugar in other forms, reducing processed foods and simple carbs and bumping protein and the intensity of your workouts or…more walking.

[However, by the way these things help!]

But I’ve watched women in midlife who might have been worried about what people will think or unsure of what they want, and reluctant about asking for it even if they did, be pretty dam sure of themselves.

Actress Jodie Foster (and by the way she acted and directed Nyad and if you haven’t seen it and doubt what you can do at any age, watch it). It’s worth the extra subscription to Netflix to see it. I may or may not have watched it two days in a row.

I’m a study of 1, but here’s how I felt flipping 60. I spent the 10 days following that birthday completely differently than I did the approach to it.

The approach to it felt a little like wanting to rush against time and get as fit as possible, or see more muscle or less fat on the Smart Scale or do more pull ups.

And after, I became obsessed with things I’ve put off and haven’t done.

• I registered for an Ironman. (more on that later)
• I booked nearly a month in Colorado this summer.
• I got tickets to what for me will be an epic concert - James Taylor at Red Rocks Amphitheater
• I chose clearly based on core values between two things I desperately wanted and suddenly the universe gave me both by rescheduling the second to a later date.

**Can You Tell Me About the Confidence You Gained

in Menopause ?**

I want to hear from you.

I’ve heard from a few of you. You’ve decided to keep working because you love it and don’t love the idea of retiring with your spouse and being around the house together without purpose all day.

You’re not being disrespectful to your partner but you’re being more respectful to yourself and saying no, no thank you to say yes to yourself.

You’re realizing that little subtle comments from others can be harmful to your own ability to decide for yourself and you’re asking for what you need.

Menopause, midlife, a notable birthday… will do that for you.

Some of you learned through tragedy earlier. There’s wisdom in witnessing tragedy and having to step into courage you didn’t know you had because you have to.

Use it dear listener. Use it to your advantage. Don’t hide it any more.

Stop saying, “I’m sorry” for doing your job for needing to speak up.

It’s time we give ourselves permission.

I’d love to hear from you. When you see this episode posted on Facebook or Instagram, will you share what you’re shrugging off and or  stepping into?

And would you share how your fitness has been a part of that?

I’ll leave you with this:

When she lifts heavy things, she can more easily weather heavy things in life.

She may ask your opinion. She’s not asking for permission.

She does not fear getting old, she’s got her eye on getting bold.

More than she wants to lose weight, she wants to lift weight.

She doesn’t look forward to retirement, she is interested in rewirement.

She doesn’t fear falls as much as she fears stalls.

She can walk with power toward things, or walk away from things.

She doesn’t feel invisible. She feels invincible.

There’s no more powerful health influencer in the world than a midlife woman.

She’s responsible for 85% of all household decisions, and has 3 generations of influence.

When a woman changes her own story, she changes history.

Resources:

My TEDx talk: https://www.flippingfifty.com/TEDx

You Still Got It, Girl! The book: 40+: https://www.flippingfifty.com/wwwexercise

Other Episodes You Might Like:

BUILD MUSCLE and LOSE FAT in MENOPAUSE:

• Why You Can’t Lose Fat in Menopause -

  https://www.flippingfifty.com/lose-fat-in-menopause/

• Enhancing Gut Health to Enhance Weight Loss & Muscle Strength - https://www.flippingfifty.com/gut-health/

• Think You’re Too Old? Ageism Dismantled with Ashton Applewhite - https://www.flippingfifty.com/ageism-dismantled/

There’s a good chance you have concerns about pelvic floor health in menopause or before or after and either don’t know it or don’t talk about it. If you don’t know it, it’s because you’ve never associated gas or inability to control your urge to go with pelvic floor for just one example. Most of us don’t talk about it. Not with our partner, our friends or even our doctor.

I know because for years I was a trainer who didn’t ask this question. And needed to. And it’s only recently I realized that women don’t even associate a need to tell this with the type of exercise they do or don’t do.

Embrace Pelvic Floor Health in Menopause for wellness.

If you've been ignoring or are unaware of Pelvic Floor Health in Menopause, it's time to tune in and take control. Engaging in the right types of exercise can make a significant difference, not just for pelvic health but for your overall wellbeing during menopause.

My Guest:

Kim Vopni is a self-professed kegel maven and is known as The Vagina Coach. She is a certified fitness professional who became passionate about spreading information on pelvic health after the birth of her first child over 18 years ago.

She is an author, a passionate speaker, and a women’s health educator. Her most recent book, Your Pelvic Floor, launched in March 2020 and was on the bestseller list immediately.

After experiencing the upheaval of perimenopause she began educating herself on ways to support her own body and then took a certification to become a Menopause Support Practitioner so she could help others navigate the transition with ease.

Kim offers online programs and coaching for women through all life stages but the majority of her client base is in the peri and postmenopausal phase of life. Her Buff Muff app is an ever-growing community where people from around the world find support through her 28 day challenges and monthly membership.

Kim also certifies other fitness and movement professionals to work with women with core and pelvic floor challenges through her Core Confidence Specialist Certification and Pre/Postnatal Fitness Specialist Certification.

You can find her on-line through her podcast Between Two Lips, her website at www.vaginacoach.com and on social media @vaginacoach

Questions We Answer in This Episode:

• What is the pelvic floor and why is it important [00:08:40]
• What is it about pelvic floor health in menopause that’s unique? [00:10:50]
• What are the most common signs/symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction [00:13:50]
• What can we do about it? [00:13:40]

Connect with Kim Vopni**:**

Website:

https://www.vaginacoach.com/

On Social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VagCoach

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vaginacoach/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KimVopniTheVaginaCoach/videos

Other Episodes You Might Like:

• Sexual Wellness AMA with Women’s Sexual Health Expert Lyndsey Harper - https://www.flippingfifty.com/sexual-health-expert/
• Intimacy and Incontinence with The Girlfriend Doctor - https://www.flippingfifty.com/the-girlfriend-doctor/
• Your Pelvic Floor: Prolapse and Incontinence - https://www.flippingfifty.com/your-pelvic-floor/

Resources:

Kim’s Buff Muff App: https://www.buffmuffapp.com/

What When & Why to Exercise for Women 40+:

https://www.flippingfifty.com/wwwexercise

Fitness Shifts in Menopause: When Your Trainer May Not Get You Results

Your trainer may not get you results in menopause. Rethink your trainer-led workouts. It’s not his or her fault, but it’s critical to understand that what worked for you in your 30s or 40s might not be effective now.

It wasn’t until I created Flipping 50 in 2013, and then finally created the Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist in 2018 that I knew of training in existence for trainers or health coaches of midlife women.

Some trainers, often fitness enthusiasts themselves, may venture to advise based on their own readings or experiences. However, this might not be sufficient to guide decisions on the critical aspects of aging optimally: your muscle, bone, and brain health. It's vital to recognize when your trainer may not get you results and seek tailored guidance that addresses your unique needs during menopause.

Ask these Questions to Avoid Getting a Trainer That May Not Get You Results:

1. What specific training have you had about training women in midlife?
2. What is unique in the way you train women in midlife vs younger women/older women or men?
3. How do you define success?
4. What kinds of things will you be asking me to do?
5. What are the most important components of the work we’ll do together?
6. I’ve heard it said that guidelines and quotas for exercise aren’t necessarily the best way for women to design an exercise program. What are your thoughts on programming for me?
7. How do you measure success?

That’s a start. And if you are a trainer or coach who works with women in midlife, I highly recommend you consider one of three programs:

• Dr. Stacy Sims offers a course
• Girls Gone Strong offers a Women’s training course
• Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist© (for building your entire business, including marketing and training strategies)

Something is better than nothing or winging it by reading a lot and having gone through it yourself, is not science. You’re a study of one. Until you’ve coached thousands so you’re truly an expert with the time and hours and worked with the unique differences of individuals, none of us can justify our personal experience as a credible authority.

Resources:

What, When & Why to Exercise for Women 40+ summit: https://www.flippingfifty.com/wwwexercise

5 Day Flip: https://www.flippingfifty.com/5dayflip

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Don’t Let Cortisol Derail Your Results: https://www.flippingfifty.com/cortisol-hormone/

How to Choose a Fitness Pro: https://www.flippingfifty.com/need-a-coach/

If you’re juggling the desire for longevity benefits of fasting with the need to prevent muscle loss in menopause, this is for you!!

Prioritize your fasting and lean muscle goals and objectives! In this episode we guide listeners on how to set their health and fitness goals based on their current status, determining when fasting is a suitable approach, and balancing the benefits of fasting with the necessity to prevent muscle loss in menopause.

Exertion Levels During Fasting? What should and can you do during physical exercise when fasting?

Fasting for Women Aged 45-70 is unique. Yes, longevity but no to frailty. How do you juggle this?

My Guest:

Shawn Wells, MPH, LDN, RD, CISSN, FISSN

A globally acclaimed expert in nutritional biochemistry, known as "The World's Greatest Formulator," boasts over two decades of experience, formulating over 1000+ products globally and holding more than 25+ patents, including market leaders like TeaCrine and Dynamine. As a Registered Dietitian, Certified Sports Nutritionist, and with a Master's in Nutritional Biochemistry, this professional has profoundly impacted the supplement industry and healthcare sectors. Serving as Chief Science Officer, they were instrumental in driving a major nutrition company's $125MM annual revenue and played a pivotal role in transactions exceeding $425 million. Their business acumen is complemented by ownership stakes in eight enterprises. Notably, they are a revered keynote speaker on psychopharmacology and mental health, sharing their expertise worldwide. Their journey overcoming personal health challenges adds a layer of inspiration to their contributions, which extend through documentaries, TV appearances, and comprehensive online resources, helping to optimize health and well-being globally.

Shawn brings a wealth of knowledge from his extensive research and personal experiences. He will offer actionable advice on how to prevent muscle loss in menopause.

Questions We Answer in This Episode:

Clarification on Fasting: Addressing common confusions about fasting, such as:

• How long should one fast? [00:07:53]
• How to know when fasting becomes excessive? [00:14:47]
• What qualifies as fasting (e.g., low-calorie diets, eating windows)? [00:20:25]

Website:  https://shawnwells.com/

Website for custom formulations: https://zonehalo.com/

On Social:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shawnwells/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/shawnwells

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Ingredientologist

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingredientologist/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/Ingredientology

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/ingredientologist/

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@ingredientologist?lang=en

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Pair Exercise and Fasting After 40: https://www.flippingfifty.com/intermittent-fasting-and-exercise/

Midlife Changes with Intermittent Fasting with Gin Stephens: https://www.flippingfifty.com/midlife-changes/

HRT to Avoid Muscle Loss After Menopause? Is It the Answer?: HRT to Avoid Muscle Loss After Menopause? Is It the Answer? (flippingfifty.com)

Overcoming Confusing Muscle Loss During Menopause: Overcoming Confusing Muscle Loss During Menopause (flippingfifty.com)

Resources:

Blood Glucose Monitor: https://www.flippingfifty.com/myglucose

What When Why to Exercise for Women 40+: https://www.flippingfifty.com/wwwexercise

If this is you overdoing exercise in menopause, it’s very possible you might be saying that you love exercise so it’s not you. In this episode I’m going to talk about:

• Low dopamine receptors
• Addiction

You see it in those recovered from drugs or taking a break from drugs only to become obsessed with exercise. It’s the similar phenomena. They want to feel good. The only time they do feel good might be when they’re at the gym or running depending on the activity of choice.

For midlife women, exercise sometimes goes flat. The same exercise they use to do no longer gives that sense of high. The feel-good hormones aren’t released at the same level. It’s because there are fewer dopamine receptors.

The very thing you’re doing, the discipline, the regular schedule that once was admired and possibly a source of pride and reason you were fit and envied, now can actually be causing exhaustion, loss of muscle and not just not working. It’s likely getting the opposite desired effect.

You might just watch a friend, an inactive counterpart until now, start exercise and make beginner progress that leaves you envious.

You wonder, why is this happening to me?

And it’s almost like an addiction. You want to feel good, Overdoing exercise in menopause is about wanting to feel like your old self again, so in effort to “get back to how you used to feel” you try the exercise you used to do.

That, friend, is going to backfire big time.

The hardest thing for you to do, is the thing you must, and that’s stop working out so much.

How to Stop Overdoing Exercise in Menopause

That’s hard so here are a few suggestions.

Kelly was a client back in the 90s. She worked full time and got up daily to work out beforehand. You might know her. Every gym has a Kelly. She was at the gym before it opened, waiting for the employee to arrive unlock the doors and turn on the lights.

But Kelly’s over-exercise in midlife (combined with undereating, too little recovery time) got her injured and unable to do anything but swim. In a University town with no less than 3 pools, Kelly couldn’t find one with hours to help her get her exercise “fix” in before work. So she got up at 4 to drive 30 minutes to a neighboring town, swim her lengthy workout at the Y there, and return in time to be at work at 8am.

Janet, worked a shift at a hospital and still belonged to a gym in a neighboring town she used to live in. She would get up at 3am to drive 45 minutes (one way) to work out at the gym and still make it back in time for her early starting shift. She’d put in a full day and if it was light outside after work she would often walk 1-2 hours more even though she was on her feet all day.

Erin was a pre-physical therapy student. She was as driven by her workouts as she was to succeed in school. She would workout for 1-2 hours every morning and again at the end of her school day, having a bagel and some tuna for lunch, but eating little else and rarely if ever taking a day off. She would get ready for school in the locker room, drying her hair in her underwear, little by little becoming so emaciated her ribs protruded from her chest and her pelvic bones from her hips. She still felt fat.

While some of these situations might overlap eating disorders, they are also of an addictive nature. The drug of choice is exercise. The amount of exercise it takes has escalated to a point it is doing damage to the body but the brain no longer sees it or care.

That’s not necessarily you, but we often get so lost in our own thoughts and believe whatever it is we’re thinking is true. While all that’s true is our belief of it.

You don’t have to be at such an extreme to experience accelerated aging and negative effects on muscle mass.

How to Give Up Overexercising in Menopause for the Results You Really Want

The solution has got to be something to support the balancing of your hormones. Muscle is an endocrine organ. It can influence insulin, cortisol, growth hormone and testosterone. Of those, do you know which is the most important?

Pregnant pause here while I wait for you to answer. Here they are again: insulin, cortisol, growth hormone and testosterone. Which is most important?

The most important hormone to control is cortisol. If you don’t, the negative spiral looks something like this:

• Cortisol rises (or tanks)
• Blood sugar rises (even if you ate nothing) – inflammatory response
• Insulin rises (you’re in fat storage)
• Cortisol blocks production of progesterone so that alone can put you in estrogen dominance (fat storage)
• Cortisol wonky usually negatively impacts quality of sleep
• Ghrelin and Leptin are off the next day

We can’t shoot all our stressors. But we can find joy. Positive hormones dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins from exercise all help to offset this.

If you would and could do ONE thing today, this week or this month that would help you improve ability to burn fat, gain muscle, sleep better, decrease cravings… it would be optimize cortisol levels.

Here are some suggestions:

• Go for frequent walks
• Get outdoors
• Spend time with a pet
• Call a friend
• Enjoy a belly laugh (movies, jokes, friends)
• Try yoga instead of HIIT
• Try Pilates for a week instead of tough strength training workouts

Do you want to lift (and lift heavy) and does HIIT have a place? Absolutely, but not if it’s backfiring. Then we take those out, build the movement foundation again once we regain the energy. We call it here, Restore Before More™.

In a state of cortisol imbalance we don’t have the building blocks for lean muscle. Once you essentially plug the holes on a sinking ship, it stops sinking and we can focus on moving forward again.

Can you relate? I’d love to hear from you if you want to share even anonymously.

Resources:

What, When & Why to Exercise for Women 40+ summit: https://www.flippingfifty.com/wwwexercise

5 Day Flip: https://www.flippingfifty.com/5dayflip

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Understanding the Role of Cortisol and Exercise in Menopause: https://www.flippingfifty.com/cortisol-and-exercise/

Cortisol: Don’t Let It Derail Your Fitness: https://www.flippingfifty.com/cortisol-hormone/