Click Download File, then you can print it, if you like. 

I used to offer a Walking with Weights class back in Portland. We met in Mt Tabor Park, my absolute favorite. We'd walk up and down hills while lifting 3-5 lb weights doing a variety of exercises. It was a great workout! 
​

Since weighted vests are trending these days, I thought I'd share a few thoughts on why I would opt for walking with weights (plus a small backpack), vs a weighted vest.

If you google "weighted vests"  you'll find lots of claims and promotions. I always take those with a grain of salt, since many of them are "tested and researched" by the manufacturers that make them. 🙄 These vests fit snuggly to your body. You can add varying amounts of weight to them, which increase the effort to your walk, and even your every day activities. Sounds good. Any little tweaks folks can add to their day that burns a few more calories, and adds a weighted load to your bones, the better. 

Vests are more expensive than hand weights. Women generally work up to wearing a 10-12 pound weighted vest. Vests can cost anywhere from $25 to $100+. You can buy a new pair of 5 lb hand weights (dumbbells) for around $15. Hit your favorite charity store, and you'll find them for a screaming deal. 

When I head out for my walk, the last thing I want is to look like is an ICE agent or authoritarian douche bag. Give me a pair of good ol' hand weights any day. I can reap the benefits of the added weight while I walk, plus I can actually workout my arms. Side note: they would probably make pretty good weapons in a dark alley. 😉

Ok, why the backpack? Another trend these days is ruck sacking, i.e. walking with weighted material stuffed into a back pack. I like to mix it up by walking with hand weights + putting them in a backpack, depending on a few things. When we take Kelso, our English Mastiff, to campus for a walk, I take my hand weights, wear a little knapsack on my back, so I can drop the weights in the bag when it's my turn to walk the Dude. This could be a good option if you wanted to walk to your favorite coffee shop, or ride your bike to your favorite trail head, etc. Holding the weights and carrying them on your back provide different challenges to your regular walk.

I personally love walking with weights. They get my heart rate up more than walking without them. They don't weigh nearly as much as what I may lift at the gym, so I can do lots of reps, doing a variety of different upper body exercises. In fact here are a few of the exercises I may do along the way:

• bicep curls
• bicep curls with external rotation 
• over head presses
• tricep kick backs
• lateral flies
• a reach and pull across the midline of they body
• lunges*
• side squats *
• traveling plies *
• calf raises *

* you could just hold your weights in your hands at your sides, or combine them with some of the listed upper body exercises. 

Now if you don't want to use hand weights for actual exercises, but do want added weight to your walk, then I'd suggest you use a vest. Just walking with weights in your hands, with your arms bent the entire time can shorten your bicep muscles over time. This can lead to shoulder, bicep, elbow and hand pain.
​ 
What about ankle weights? I do NOT recommend walking with ankle weights. Wearing ankle weights doesn't mimic any type of real life activity. It can stress your ankle, knee and hip joints. If you want to use them for pilates or a Jane Fonda-esque workout, be my guest. If you want to maintain muscle mass, you'd be better off ditching the ankle weights and doing leg presses, lunges and squats with weights.

Wrist weights are generally light weight. While you could walk with them, and they'd free up your hands for holding a coffee, I'd still recommend hand weights. The dumbbells will require some grip strength, which can decline as we age. 

If you don't want to wear a vest, a backpack or carry dumbbells, but still want to get some upper body strength exercises into your walk, you could take along a fitness band. You can target your upper body with these tubing exercise bands, though you may need to anchor it to a lamp post or tree, and stand on it to do so, I would not recommend running with a vest, backpack or hand weights, but you can easily drape an exercise band over your shoulders if  you wanted to do running intervals between resistance band exercises.

These tips apply to all ages and genders. Carrying extra weight in your hands, in a vest, or on your back will increase the cardiovascular challenge to your regular walk. You may find you need to rest a bit along your standard route when you add extra weight. Remember, for menopausal women, we aren't looking to do long duration high intensity exercise. If you opt to walk with added weight, do take a break along the way if you find you are really taxed. Taking breaks to drop your heart rate, then resume after a 2-3 minute break or slowing down your walk is better. The break could be an opportunity to do some breathing exercises, stretches or Somatics. 

I hope this inspires you to try something new! Let me know how it goes! 

The old school message of “calories in vs calories out” may be passé, and I'm not advocating for just counting calories to help with weight loss, but it's important to recognize that we need to get enough fuel —which is made up of calories— to keep our bodies and brains functioning 24/7. We also want to make sure we aren’t consuming too many or not expending enough. It’s a balancing act for sure. 


The amounts of macronutrients — protein, fats and carbs — that make up the calories we consume are also important. This too is a balancing act, and can vary a bit from person to person. I don’t vilify or glorify any macros. They all play certain roles in keeping us healthy and strong. 


I’ll dive deeper into this in a future post. For now, be sure to consume “whole” foods along with plenty of fiber. Eating whole foods will give you a leg up on getting enough vitamins and minerals too.


A lot of women may have relied on “dieting” i.e. eating too few calories in the past, but we want to make sure we are getting enough fuel as we enter perimenopause and into post menopause. Eating too little is a stressor on the body. Getting enough energy and proper amounts of macronutrients will help us repair and build muscle and bone as we age. If we undercut our needs, we risk breaking down muscle and bone mass. No es bueno. 


So today I'm covering things you may not consider about energy in vs energy out, with special attention to NEAT, Non-Exercise Activities Thermogenesis.


Let’s start with the big picture. 


TDEE - Total daily energy expenditure -- The total number or calories needed to keep our bodies and organs functioning 24/7, fuel our workouts, aid with digestion (yes, you burn calories as you consume them. How cool is that!?), and all the time in between. 


BMR - Basal metabolic rate -- Think BASE LINE. If you were in a hospital bed, this is what your body would need to function. It’s the the largest chunk of the total calories we burn each 24-hour day to fuel our brains and organs, just staying alive. Going below this amount repeatedly can be detrimental to our health. When we consume fewer calories than we need, our bodies interpret it as being in famine mode, and the body will break down its own tissues to keep the body functioning.  Women who diet a lot of their lives can be more at risk of losing muscle mass and bone density once they enter menopause and beyond. You can calculate your BMR. To protect your muscles and bones for long term, avoid diets that amount to less than your BMR.


TEF - Thermic Effect of Food -- this is the number of calories burned while eating and digestion. Eating complex carbs, healthy fats, proteins and fiber require more energy (calories) to digest. Yet another reason to cut out the empty calories of processed foods. ⠀
EAT - Exercise Activity Thermogenesis -- this is the number of calories you burn during exercise.  EAT will vary based on how long you workout, the intensity and how much muscle mass you have. Side note, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn at rest. Other side note. People often over estimate how many calories they burn during a workout. Read on. . .
NEAT - Non-Exercise Activities Thermogenesis -- which is the calories burned when you aren't specifically exercising, but moving your body. NEAT can be a game changer in your efforts to lose weight over time and maintain your weight as you age. It may not be strenuous but the little amounts you burn through non-exercise activity can add up. 


NEAT activities are considered ones that don’t get your heart rate up, but burn more calories than sitting or at rest. The other perk to NEAT activities is they shouldn’t spike your cortisol levels that long duration high intensity exercise can. Depending on the NEAT activity, they can be good for your emotional and mental health too. Here are some examples:


Strolling — window shopping with a friend down Main Street, through the hood with a slow senior dog, even around the grocery store aren’t taxing enough to satisfy the recommended 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week, but they all burn more calories than sitting! I personally will walk around the house if I’m on the phone. We live in a two-story house so I run up and down the stairs when I use them.


Fidgeting — If you are a fidgety person, great! You’re burning more calories than non fidgeters. I’ve never considered myself a fidgety person. I don’t bounce a knee when seated or tap pens on my note book. But when I think about it, I’m in motion whenever I’m standing. I may be pandiculating, moving my joints through ranges of motion, undulating my spine or mindfully stretching. Since I hate to sit, I’ll move in my seat a lot too. Honestly, writing these blog posts make up the longest stretches of sitting I do in my week. Ha!


Chores — vacuuming, unloading the dishwasher, folding laundry, wrestling with bed sheets and slip covers all burn calories. I know a lot of people who hire others to do these tasks, but in our house we do them ourselves. I intersperse them with work-at-my-desk time. 


Exercise “snacks” — these are little bouts of exercise. They can actually be a bit strenuous, but short lived. Things like doing a set of pushups on your lunch break, traveling lunges across the house to put things away, having a pair of hand weights by the couch and doing a set of overhead presses when you sit down. Or getting up at a commercial break to walk/run a lap around the house. The possibilities are endless! 


Gardening — gardening can actually be pretty strenuous, depending on the activity. I get a ton of steps mowing my yard. Our lot is on a slope so there’s a lot of pushing and pulling of the mower too. It takes time to mow a half acre, but I like the sense of accomplishment when I finish, as well as the added exercise for the day, so I do it! 


Dancing — I think my gen-x style of dancing in college was serious exercise! You know what I’m talking about. But even if you just sway around your bedroom while getting ready for the day, it is a nice way to burn a bit more energy, without calling it “exercise.” This is also a good opportunity to move your body in different ranges of motion than just facing/moving forward. 


Crafting — depending on your craft, it can be fairly active. I still get down on my hands and knees to cut fabric and back up to the sewing machine. Ripping fabrics to make my crochet rag rugs is a task. Any hobby that requires you to move your hands and arms repeatedly is more calorie-burning than sitting scrolling or telly-watching. 


The point of these NEAT sessions is they help you expend more energy through your day without overly taxing your body. Excessive amounts of high-intensity exercise can back fire, causing elevated cortisol levels, overuse injuries, and just plain exhaustion. In fact some people workout so hard that they end up being sedentary for the rest of the day, even into a day or two after the extreme workout. That ends up negating their efforts.  


People have a tendency to over estimate the amount of calories burned while exercising, but lets consider a 150 lb woman working out at 70% her maximum heart rate. She would burn around 210 calories in 30 minutes. 


Now consider what she might burn during her day outside the gym. This list is an example of NEAT for sh*t that needs to get done, but men of course could do them too!;-) My husband does the vacuuming and a lot of tidying at our house. I do most of the deep cleaning and grocery shopping. 

• Vacuuming (30 minutes): 119 calories
• Grocery shopping (30 minutes): 119 calories
• Light gardening/ yard work (60 minutes): 204 calories
• Playing with the dog while standing (30 minutes): 95 calories
• House cleaning (60 minutes): 204 calories

I wouldn’t have time to do all these things every day, though the point is, NEAT adds up! On average NEAT makes up 15-30% of your energy expenditure per day. This type of activity is really good for women as we age. It's gentler on our stress levels, easy to incorporate into our days and burns more calories between our more strenuous workouts. As the saying goes, "It all adds up!"
​
We are meant to move! What kinds of NEAT activities do you enjoy? Or are there ones you want to try? I’d love to know, so drop a comment below. 


Ciao for now,
Kristin 

What is menopause?
Menopause is the day you've gone 12 consecutive months without having your period. It's a natural process, unless it is surgically or medically induced, such as due to a total hysterectomy (removal of uterus and both ovaries) or radiation. On average menopause happens at age 52.

Your ovaries produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which regulate your periods. 
Estrogen also influences how your body uses calcium and maintains cholesterol levels in your blood. This is why menopausal women are at an increase risk for osteoporosis, bone fractures and heart disease.

Three stages of menopause

• Perimenopause generally starts 8 to 10 years before menopause. This is a period when your ovaries gradually produce less and less estrogen. Perimenopause generally starts in your 40s, though women are reporting symptoms as early as their 30s. 
• Menopause is the point when your ovaries no longer release eggs, and estrogen levels drop significantly, and you've gone for 12 months without having your period. Average age is 52.
• Menopause/Postmenopause are often used interchangeably. Once you hit menopause you are in the menopause stage for the rest of your life, though some people refer to this as post-menopause.

Early and premature menopause
"Natural" menopause is a normal part of aging and generally happens between ages 45-55. Menopause that occurs between ages 41-45 is called early menopause. Menopause before 40 or younger is considered premature menopause, also referred to as primary ovarian insufficiency.

Hormone changes
​The two main hormones that drop in production during perimenopause into menopause are estrogen and progesterone. There are others as well. You can read more about all them here. 

Track your symptoms
It's a good idea to keep a journal of your symptoms and periods as you go through perimenopause into menopause.  Symptoms may include:

• Irregular periods or periods that are heavier or lighter than usual
• Hot flashes and/or night sweats
• Vaginal dryness
• Urinary urgency and/or incontinence 
• Sleep disturbances 
• Irritability, mood swings, anxiety, depression
• Dry skin, eyes or mouth
• Breast tenderness

Some people might also experience:

• Racing heart
• Headaches/migraines
• Joint and muscle pain/stiffness
• Changes in libido
• Brain fog, difficulty concentrating or memory lapses
• Weight gain
• Hair loss or thinning

Symptoms can last from 7 to 10 years. Some women report symptoms greatly subside or disappear completely after menopause.

What can I do for my symptoms?
Again, journal keeping can help you track what might trigger your symptoms. Some women find that alcohol causes hot flashes, night sweats and sleep disturbances. Others say spicy foods do. A Somatics practice, on the other hand, can help you downshift into the parasympathetic nervous system— the rest and recovery part of your nervous system — so you can relax and sleep better. The more you take note of what you do, how you sleep (or not), what you consume, the more information you'll have to help you through.
Other non-hormonal treatments your doctor might recommend include:

• Changes to your diet (up the protein and fiber, reduce the simple carbs)
• Regular exercise 
• Join a support group
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Hypnotherapy
• Limit caffeine and sugar intake
• Stop or limit drinking alcohol 
• Stop smoking

Foods that may help include:

• Soybeans, tofu or tempeh
• probiotic foods (kim chi, real kraut*, kombucha, real yogurt*)
• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• Flaxseed
• Grains
• Beans
• Fruits
• Vegetables

Should you consider hormone replacement therapy?
Since no two women experience menopause the same way, it’s a good idea to talk to your health care provider if your symptoms are intense and limiting your quality of life. Most healthcare providers get a ridiculously limited amount of education on menopause during med-school. If you feel dismissed look for a qualified practitioner on the Menopause Society directory. 

There are two main types of hormone therapy:

• Estrogen therapy (ET): In this treatment, you take estrogen alone. Your provider prescribes it in a low dose. Estrogen comes in many forms, such as a patch, pill, cream, vaginal ring, gel or spray. Estrogen therapy can’t be used alone (without a progestogen) if you still have a uterus.
• Estrogen progestogen therapy (EPT): This treatment is also called combination therapy because it uses doses of estrogen and a hormone similar to progesterone. Progesterone is available in its natural form or also as a progestin (a synthetic form of progesterone). Progestogen is a general name for treatments that can include both natural progesterone and synthetic progestins. This type of hormone therapy is for those who still have their uteruses.

I hope this post addresses any questions you may have. Feel free to email me or drop a comment below if you have any thoughts or need more info.

​Gone are the hush hush days of menopause. Talk to your friends around your age. Talk to your elders. They may surprise you and share their experiences and be glad to talk now, even though they may have gone through menopause “alone”. Talk to your healthcare provider about the symptoms you’re experiencing and how they impact your quality of life. Again, if your GP is not up to speed on the latest science, find someone who is. 

peace,
Kristin

* real kraut is fermented, not cooked or with vinegar added. It will be in the refrigerator case at your store. Stuff on the shelf is not real kraut and doesn't offer the probiotic benefits. Real yogurt ideally is plain, no sugar added and has millions of healthy bacteria in it. The majority of yogurt on the market is just dessert. Too much sugar which negates the probiotic benefits. 

If you have ever considered giving up alcohol, and you're in the menopause transition, now might be a great time to do so!

Giving up alcohol can:

• improve immune function
• increase longevity
• improve sexual health
• reverse live damage 
• improve brain health 
• reduces certain cancer risks
• Improved sleep!

​I can attest to that last one. If I drink alcohol, I will wake up at some point mid-night sweating my buns off. Even though I go back to sleep, I likely will wake up not feeling refreshed. If I've had any more than a tiny glass of vino, I will be under motivated for most of the day. Just so you know, I'm not a teetotaler, but the science that once said that moderate alcohol intake was good for us was actually flawed. 

If you're like me and want a soothing and relaxing beverage at the end of the day, but not the alcohol, there are tons of mocktail recipes online. 

Check and see if there are any dry bars in your town. One of our favorite local brew pubs even offers mocktails and NA beer. 

Maybe you have a kava bar in your area. Kava has calming properties. I may think it tastes like mud mixed with something akin to Anbesol, but our local shop is rocking the night away every time I pass by! 

I can enjoy a fancy mocktail with adaptogens and edible glitter created by my friend Sam who owns Roll Up Herbal Bar. She's been through a rough last year since Hurricane Helene destroyed her first brick and mortar shop in Frog Level area of Waynesville, NC. But she's got an awesome new location right on Main Street. If you are local come celebrate her grand re-opening ribbon cutting on September 26, along with Golden Bear Alchemy who shares the space. The event is  sponsored by the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce.

My current favorite NA option is Hop Water!
If you aren't familiar with hop water, it's seltzer water infused with hops. Hops are the flowers that give beer its hoppy bitter flavor. Hops have even been studied for managing hot flashes and helping with sleep disorders. Win win, right!? Hops also help preserve beer. That's why IPA beers (Indian Pale Ales) are so hoppy. They added more hops to preserve the beer for the long shipping voyage from India to England. There's your worthless trivia for the day. You're welcome! 

Ironically I don't drink much beer ,and never choose IPAs, but I really enjoy hop water. Weird, I know. The price of store-bought hop water is ridiculous for what it is, IMO. Being the DIY/cheap girl that I am, I set out to make my own. Turns out it's easy-peasy. 

If you want to nerd out, this article from Home Brew Academy goes into more detail, but here's the simple DIY recipe I use to make my own hop water.

The link above has you making the hop water and running it through a kegerator to carbonate it. I don't do that because I don't have one and don't plan to spend the bucks on one. If you are all fancy-pants, you can follow the recipe in the article link above. Otherwise, here we go!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups boiling water
• 4 hops pellets (I got mine at Fifth Season Gardening in Asheville. Any decent home brew supply store should have some.)
• citric acid (I just add a little bit of lemon, lime or orange juice to mine. Probably about a tablespoon.)

EQUIPMENT

• quart mason or cleaned glass mayonnaise jar
• tea kettle or pot to boil your water
• tea infuser (this style works well. You want one with a super fine mesh because the hops will turn to mush once you pour the water over them. More on this in a bit. Check your local tea shop or thrift store for an infuser.)

PROCESS 

• boil the water
• put pellets in the infuser sitting on the rim of your jar
• slowly pour the boiling water over the pellets. Fill jar so the bottom of the infuser is submerged in a bit of the water.
• seep for 5-10 minutes, or less, then remove infuser and discard in your composter.
  The time allotted can vary depending on your hoppy-ness preference. The longer the seep, the stronger the hop flavor.
• let hop water cool
• cap and refrigerate 

HOW TO SERVE
Once the hop tea/water is chilled, here's what I like to do.

• Grab a pint mason jar, or equivalent 
• add some ice
• mix 1 part hop water, 1 part kombucha (optional), 1 part seltzer water (you can use plain or flavored)
• give it a gentle stir, with a fancy straw if you like, and enjoy!
• If you are more into sweet-ish drinks I've tried 2 drops of stevia and it was sweetened just enough to taste sweet, but not like stevia, which ruins the flavor of everything it touches if you use too much. Of course you could make a simple syrup or add some honey. I'm not the boss of you, so you do you, boo! 

See! it's that easy!

Oh, one more thing. Well three. 

Hops are related to cannabis. Woo-hoo! But it doesn't get you high. Again, woo-hoo! It just a has a nice calming effect that doesn't get you high or drunk. So you feel good without having any regrets. How awesome is that!? 

Get every last drop! As you get to the bottom of your jar of hop water it will be very cloudy from the dregs of the hop pellets. I pour the last of the hop water through a coffee filter sitting in my coffee pour over do-hicky*, which sits on my pint jar, as I prepare my final hop water mocktail before I rinse and repeat.
* for image only. I bought mine at my local kitchen supply store, and I encourage you too! 

Which hops to buy? Holy cow, there are over 200 varieties of hops in the world. I am just starting down this whole brew-my-own hop water rabbit hole, so I got two varieties to try initially; Chinook and El Dorado. You can get 1 oz packets for around $3 (see what I mean about more affordable than store bought!)  I really liked the Chinook hops. It's more fruity, citrusy without that too-bitter over the top hoppy flavor. Maybe that's your thing though. I think I'll try this Amarillo one next. You can see the aroma/flavor hints right there on the package. 

​I hope I covered all the info needed so you can make your own hop water/hop mocktail. If I missed anything, just let me know.

If you try this, what do you think? I'd love to hear from you in the comments. 

thanks for reading! 

~Kristin

In my last post I talked about why strength training is so important for women in peri/menopause transition.

Another key to help women improve their health, reduce their cortisol levels, and reduce the fat that seems to suddenly accumulate on our bodies, particularly around our bellies, is high intensity interval training, HIIT.  A subset of HIIT sprint interval training, SIT. I'll refer to interval training and HIIT interchangeably in this post. 

HIIT works your fast twitch muscle fibers. Slow twitch muscle fibers help you with endurance activities, like long walks, hiking, steady state activities. Fast twitch fibers are the ones that keep you strong and powerful. You want both, but if you aren't challenging your fast twitch muscles, they atrophy and you can become weaker and frailer. Both fiber types have mitochondria inside their cells, which are the powerhouses of your muscles that burn calories to make your muscles —and YOU — function. If you aren't exercising to challenge all your fibers, then you can become weaker and your metabolism slows. 

There is a lot of incomplete information about HIIT for menopause weight gain in the media. There are videos are all over social media. The comments are frantic.

• What exactly should I do for a HIIT/SIT workout? 
• How much and how often should I do HIIT / SIT workouts for perimenopause?
• I'm injured / I'm too old / I'm too out of shape / I have bad knees / I'll pee my pants! / etc if do HIIT workouts! 

I'm afraid the HIIT aspect of menopausal fitness training is taking center stage. But there is more to a well-rounded program for women in transition than just the cardio drills. Here's what I'd suggest to start with, and how to progress.

#1 Mobility work
Our fascia, joints and tendons can become compromised by our changing hormones. If your menopausal symptoms include feeling stiffer and achier than usual, or you are experiencing things like plantar fasciitis or frozen shoulder, it would be wise to work on your mobility and range motion first.  Even before strength work, which of course comes before interval work. Here are some examples:

• Somatics
• pilates
• gentle yoga
• ballet warm up routines
• Indian club swings
• dynamic stretching
• hula hoop drills
• foam rolling
• thai chi and qi gong 

Somatics can help you reduce pain as well as lower your stress levels, and improve sleep. All of which are pillars of a wholistic wellness plan. While slow, gentle yoga can help reduce stiffness, excessive stretching can actually make your muscles tighten afterwards and make your tendons weaker if you push too hard. Pilates can be a good option for developing a recruitable core (the girdle muscles around your waist, along your spine, your diaphragm and pelvic floor).

Whether you are conditioned or not, everyone can benefit from improving their range of motion, joint mobility, posture and alignment, so they are able to lift heavy loads and do HIIT (which can be high impact, or not.) You can incorporate your mobility work into your warm up before you do your workouts. 

#2 Strength Work
Strength can improve mobility and reduce pain. but if you can't function well, address your imbalances first. Physical therapy or a personal trainer with corrective exercise training can help you. Somatics and Proactive Postural Restructuring can be helpful. 

If you haven't been in a weight room in awhile, or ever, you can start with lighter weights, develop good form, then move into heavier weights, as I discussed in my last post.

#3 HIIT and/or SIT Exercises 
Which I dive into below. . .

#4 Agility and Equilibrium Training 
Believe it or not, balance and equilibrium are not the same thing. Balance is the ability to stand with equal weight in each leg. Equilibrium is the ability to shift your body weight through space with grace and without falling. Agility is another term for quick foot work. Because when you trip, you need your equilibrium and quick feet to keep you from falling down. (I'll talk more about these skills in a future post). 

Ok, now I'll talk about High Intensity Interval Training! 

What is High Intensity Interval Training, HIIT?
Any exercise is better than no exercise. Different forms provide different results. If you are a woman in transition, and your exercise routine is no longer providing the results you've relied on, here are ways HIIT or SIT could help:

• increases the amount of mitochondria in the cells of your muscles
• improves fat burning
• improves insulin sensitivity 
• reduces visceral fat ( fat deposited within your abdomen around your organs)
• increases muscle mass
• improve power and cardiovascular health

Both HIIT and SIT are meant to be super challenging for your cardiovascular system. Challenging, yes. But it's short bursts, not the long slog of steady state cardio which typically lasts 45-60 minutes. The amount of time devoted to interval training takes less time over all than steady state cardio.

Take a look at this chart to help you rank your efforts. You can also use a heart rate monitor, but they aren't always in sync with your immediate efforts, meaning when you are going like a bat out of hell, your heart rate may spike a moment or two after you take your interval break. Smart watches aren't always an accurate measurement either. I prefer to use the scale below. 

No matter what fitness level you're at, this rate of perceived exertion (RPE) chart is a good way to track your efforts. From an olympic athlete to a couch potato, anyone can use the RPE chart. The athlete and the spud would be working at different intensities compared to each other, but how each feels on the scale is a fine way to measure. 

HIIT = High Intensity Interval Training
HIIT intervals are done at 85-90% your maximal effort, 8-9 on the chart above. Examples of HIIT exercises:
kettle bell swings
running
elliptical 
rowing machine
cycling
climbing hills or stairs  
kickboxing
gliding exercises 
agility drills

How to do a HIIT Routine

• 10 minute warm up for mobility and range of motion (see #1 above)
• 2 minutes of high intensity activity  (8-9 on the RPE scale) 
• 2 minutes recovery at a 5 or less on 1-10 scale.  Need more time to recover? Take it. 
• Repeat 4-5 times
• Cool down and do mobility work

SIT = Sprint Interval Training 
Sprint does not mean you have to go to the track and do sprints. I wouldn’t recommend that, even if you wanted to. Unless you are already a runner, all out sprints can take a toll on achilles tendons, calf and hamstring muscles. No point injuring yourself right out of the gate! :-)

Sprint just means really short, high intensity intervals. You aim for 90-100% of effort, 9-10 on the RPE chart above. 

• Mountain climbers
• Speed jump rope
• Airdyne bike/stationary bike
• Boxing drills
• Skater hops
• Stair running
• Hill running
• Burpees
• Extra credit for impact exercises that move you in different directions. More on that in a future post. . .

How to do SIT Routine

• 10 minute warm up for mobility and range of motion 
• 20-45 seconds of high intensity (9-10 on the RPE scale)
• 2 minutes recovery at a 5 or less on 1-10 scale.  Need more time to recover? Take it. 
• Repeat 4-5 times
• Cool down and do mobility work

How often per week should you do HIIT or SIT sessions?
Perimenopausal women can incorporate 2-3 HIIT sessions and 1 SIT session per week. 
Menopausal women can incorporate 2 SIT sessions and 1 HIIT session per week.
Excess of these amounts can backfire. Excess HIIT/SIT training can overtax you body, hindering recovery, disrupt sleep, all of which we are trying to avoid. 

Interval sessions can be tacked on at the of your strength sessions. 

This is not to say you can't do your longer cardio activities. but you could cut those back and actually do them at a lower intensity.

Blend in some connection and nature with your cardio.
In this time in our lives we can feel stressed and sandwiched between taking care of aging parents and our kids. Work, traffic, social media and the overall state of the world can compound our stress levels.  Finding time for things you enjoy is important. Connecting with friends and nature provide health benefits, so why not blend them into your walks or hikes? These simple tweaks can also help lower cortisol levels. 

Review
To be in optimal shape for your next chapter in life, a well rounded routine includes mobility, strength, high intensity cardio, equilibrium/agility training. If you are just getting started you may need to spend a few weeks at stage 1 before progressing to stage 2 and so on. If you are already active, you can start with mobility and strength work for a few weeks, the start adding in the intervals. Once you are well versed in all stages, every week should include all 4 activity stages. 

I hope this info has been helpful. Let me know if in the comments if you have any questions, or what your favorite interval training activity is. I personally love my vintage Airdyne bike. Kicks my butt every time! Thank goddess it's just for 25 seconds at a time!

PS My friend and Self-Care Strategist Stacy Antos and I have two upcoming events. 
 Let's Talk! Learn Ways to Kick Butt through you Meno-transition!
Tuesday September 9 2025 • 6-7pm at Folkmoot, Room A10. We will be covering more info and answering your questions. 

'Pause and Pour 
Join us the the Crown and Thistle, Waynesville, Monday September 22 6-8pm
Please reserve your seat.  

Welcome! September is Perimenopause Awareness Month,
and I'm starting a new blog series, Menopause Monday. Let's dive in, shall we . . .

​You know what area of research has been neglected in the science world for too long?

Women’s health in general and menopause/perimenopause specifically.

The research dollars are mostly dedicated to men. 

We are NOT small versions of men. 

We are women with a completely different hormonal makeup and when menopause hits, things that may have worked for us prior — lots of cardio and not eating enough — won’t cut it anymore. 

We’ve been told “your symptoms are just the way it goes with menopause," so get use it. 

Uh, no. 

Luckily a lot of women of “a certain age” hitting perimenopause/menopause now, are also doctors and researchers, doing studies to help themselves and the rest of us. 

In addition to being a Somatic Educator, I’m also a Personal Trainer and Behavioral Change Coach with a ton of sub-certifications in everything from pilates to brain health training. Even with all my education, I wan’t happy how my body was changing either. 

Now I'm doing the continuing ed.

I’m putting myself through the paces.

I’m tweaking my diet.

And I want to share what I’m learning and how things are going. 

Let’s kick off Perimenopause Awareness Month with tips on exercise.

Ditch the endless cardio. Time to lift HEAVY! 
Probably at the top of most midlife women’s frustrations is weight gain, particularly around the belly. 

So many women say, "I'm cutting back on my food intake and alcohol, and exercising like a mad woman, and my belly keeps getting bigger. WTH!?" 

As our hormones change, the exercise routines that had worked for us in the past, can now actually increase our cortisol levels. The cortisol levels can result in stored visceral fat around our organs, increasing our mid sections. 

We can all (women and men) benefit from lifting HEAVY. 
No ladies, you won't bulk up, but can change your body composition so you burn the belly fat, and protect your tendons and bones, along with a ton of other health bennies.

Don't start lifting heavy quite yet!
If you haven’t lifted weights in awhile —or ever —be sure to learn HOW to do strength exercises properly first. You'll start with lighter weights at first and do more reps with them. Working with a qualified personal trainer would be very beneficial.  

If you aren't sure what weight to start with, consider what you lift in your daily life. Grocery bags, bags of dog food and garden soil, etc. You are probably stronger than you think! Lifting light weights like 2-3 pounds may be too light to help you get stronger so you can progress. You want to lift an amount that challenges you by 10-12 repetitions, does slowly and with proper form. You may start with 2 sets of reps, with a break in between exercises. 

​You can also start with body weight exercises, if you don't want to invest in weights yet. Body weight exercises can be challenging and require a lot of somatic awareness of where you are in space, how to preform the exercises properly and may be more fatiguing than hand weights so you may only do a few reps to start with. Examples of body weight exercises are push ups, lunges, squats, planks, tricep dips, step ups, and Superman back extensions. There are many ways to modify these exercises so most people can perform them, such as doing push ups on the side of kitchen counter vs on your knees or toes on the floor.

Again, working with a personal trainer can give you feedback on how to do the exercises well, and modifications if needed. 

Preparing to lift heavier weights takes time. I mean months of time, especially if you are starting from scratch.   

Once you have a solid foundation of how to perform strength exercises properly, it may be time to up the amount of weight you lift. At this stage you can lift heavier weights, aiming for an amount that challenges you by 8-10 reps.

After a few months of incrementally increasing the amount of weight you lift in the 8-10 reps range, you can bump up to lift an amount of weigh that challenges you by your fifth repetition, and have to rest by your eighth one. Of course, do all your reps with good form. 

Some women worry they will "bulk up" if they lift weights. First, it's challenging for women to get "bulky" muscles. Being in perimenopause/menopause makes it even harder. Beside that, I'm talking about strength training (getting stronger), which is different from hypertrophy training (building muscle mass). If you want, you can read more how they differ. 

Work with a certified personal trainer. Be sure to find one who will design you a plan, not just have you do a random workout the day you go to the gym. (I'd be happy to help you out! I’ve been certified by the American Council on Exercise since 1997.)

You can do a lot with a home gym set up.
Here are some of my favorite equipment options I use at home: 

• suspension trainer, similar to a TRX, which uses your body weight as your gym
• stairs
• a few pairs of dumbbells (at times, I hold two pairs at once to increase weight without having a ton of different weight options)
• chair
• Swiss ball
• medicine ball
• gliders

Aim for 2-4 days of strength training. Target the major muscle groups (back, chest, arms, hips/butt/legs) with a day off between.

To mix it up, I like to do a set of 3 different exercises to target each area. An example might be 1) incline chest flies, 2) tricep push ups, and 3) stagger arm push ups. (If your strength training knowledge is small right now, just do the basic push ups. You can even start on by doing them at the edge of your kitchen counter!)

The other critical component to any perimenopause/menopause workout plan is interval training. I’ll go into that more in the next post, but I believe it’s best to start off with a foundational strength training program so you get stronger, improve your posture and have healthier joints before doing high intensity exercises. 

Where does Somatics fit into all this? 

• Somatics is great for reducing stress, which is super important for everyone on this planet, and especially for women at this stage of life.
• As we age our interoception and proprioception (our ability to sense our movement patterns and sense where we are in space) can wane, which can impact how we exercise and do things like strength train. Somatics can help you better control your body so you have good form and less likely to get injured. 
• Great compliment to mobility and fascia work, and good for warm up and cool down to workouts. 

What I’m experiencing 
It is just over a month since I refocused my fitness efforts. 

I’ll tell you, I lost about 1 pound on the scale. Even that fluctuates a bit.

I have lost a few inches collectively from my belly, hips, thighs and chest.

I am making positive changes to my body at a time when most women at my age are sliding in the opposite direction.

I aim to have a longer healthspan, not just lifespan. 

As a species we weren't intended to live for decades after menopause. Science, vaccines, nutrition and sanitation has helped humans live longer. But who wants to just be on the planet longer, only to be weak and frail? 

I know there are quicker ways to lose weight, but I don't consider them an option.

Ozempic and way too few calories won’t make me stronger. It will just make me weaker. Those options will rob my bones of calcium, make my joints and tendons more susceptible to injury, distort my posture which will impact my breathing, internal organs and brain health. It's a downward spiral. 

Muscle is my medicine of choice. 

I’d rather take good care of the body I have.

I want to live stronger, not just longer. 

If you'd like any help on your journey, please reach out. I have nearly 30 years of health and fitness training, and perimenopause/menopause is a whole new frontier for us to explore together! I'm excited, are you?! :-)