More About Exercise

Regular exercise is essential if you want to keep young-looking, energetic and sparkling through and beyond the menopause. If carried out properly, exercise will keep you feeling and looking good, physically, mentally and emotionally, with no unwanted side-effects.

Even if regular exercise isn't part of your life today, it's never too late to start. Here are some good reasons why you might like to give it a try:

• Exercise makes it easier to maintain your weight, as regular exercise increases your metabolic rate.
• It improves body tone, flexibility, posture and so gives you more body confidence.
• It aids sleep, reduces stress and so increases your energy levels.
• It supports clearer and sharper thinking.
• It helps maintain a healthy body by protecting against 'ageing' diseases such as osteoporosis.
• It extends your social life, by exercising in pairs, groups or going to a class.
• Your mood improves as endorphins are released leading to better mental and emotional self-confidence.
• It increases sex drive and improves the experience of sex.

Try answering these four questions to help you get started:

• What type of exercise do I enjoy? Do you want to exercise on your own or in a group, inside or out, be organised or not? Choose accordingly; anything from a yoga class, salsa dancing, a tennis team, walking in the countryside, swimming or even vigorous housework to your favourite music!
• What can I afford? You don't need to spend a lot of money on exercising and time-wise it can be an everyday activity such as housework, gardening, using the stairs rather than the lift or walking, all of which are beneficial.
• How can I vary my exercise? To get maximum health benefits vary the time of day and type of exercise you regularly do. Include cardio-vascular (when you get hot and sweaty), weight/load bearing and resistance exercises such as yoga, pilates and weight training.
• What is my goal? Having a goal will keep you motivated to exercise regularly. Book an activity such as a walking holiday in six months time or enter a fun-walking or running event. Set yourself a goal such as how many steps you take each day. Buy a Step Counter or Pedometer  to check your daily progress and keep yourself motivated.

Tips for getting more out of your exercise

• Always warm up, stretch, exercise, cool down and finish by stretching.
• If you have not exercised for a while, consult your GP for a check up before starting. You are never too old to start!
• If you have any chest pain, feel dizzy, get irregular heartbeats, feel sick, are excessively short of breath or sustain an injury, you must stop exercising and consult with your GP.
• Do not exercise for at least one hour after a meal.
• Wear appropriate clothes - thin loose layers, if it is cold - gloves, a well fitting support bra and the right footwear.
• Start slowly and build up gradually to avoid injury.
• If you can't have a conversation while you are exercising you are pushing yourself too hard.
• Use a heart rate monitor  to exercise at the right level for you and record how much fitter you get.
• Sweating shows your body is using up 'energy', as the sweat gets rid of the heat that this produces, the fitter you are the more you sweat.
• Remember to sip still water continuously when exercising for more than 20 minutes.
• Keep moving whenever you can - climb stairs rather than use the lift, ditch the TV remote and get up to change channels.
• Include as many different types of exercise in your daily life as possible.
• Make exercise fun - dance to music whilst doing the housework, walk or cycle in beautiful countryside, play tennis with a friend.
• At the end of each exercise session tap into how you are feeling. Exercise encourages the release of endorphins, 'feel-good' hormones - remember this feeling the next time you struggle to find the motivation to exercise.
• Reward yourself when you reach your exercise goals.
• Be patient. You need regular exercise for over 2 weeks to start seeing real benefits. You may feel tired in the first 2 weeks.
• To keep motivated think 'I go to the hairdressers regularly, so why not make an appointment with my body and exercise regularly?' Your body is worth it and will reward you by working better for you!
• After a month of regular exercise everything will feel a lot easier and you'll feel the 'buzz' of being fit!