All of us will lose muscle over time, especially as we age, even seasoned athletes will lose precious muscle, and muscle rocks, let’s make more of it- even in menopause!

It’s Hard to Make Muscle

Let’s be truthful, it’s hard to make muscle, especially as you age.

Women in menopause can develop sarcopenia (muscle wasting) earlier than men because many women have less muscles than men to begin with.  And the truth is, we are not small men. We are strong, powerful women with hormones that are adjusting, making our bodies feel and look different than they once were.

As your estrogen declines, so does your muscle mass, and if your cortisol is in excess, it can also breakdown muscle mass (among other things).

What You Can Do About It! 

Exercise is what you can do about it!

In the words of the 1990’s band Technotronic…

“Baby, let me show you how to do this
You gotta move this, you're doin' fine
Ain't nothin' to it, you gotta move it
Come on and groove it
Shake that body for me”

Exercise is a Protector and Preserver

Exercise is a protector and a preserver of muscles!  Exercise is the trigger that helps your muscles repair and restore themselves.

Muscle gives you strength, function and the ability to move with ease and safety. 

Muscles support your bones and frames for stability, helping reduce the chances of osteopenia and they help prevent falls. 

Muscle is a major source for burning calories.  If you don’t have lots of muscle and still eat the same amount of calories as in your younger years it can be set you up to to gain weight, especially with the imbalance of your changing hormones!

Muscle loss can be linked to insulin resistance.  This is when the body has trouble responding properly to insulin causing the body to make more insulin, leaning to hunger and weight gain.  Too much insulin and too much cortisol combined can equal belly, visceral (around the organs), back and face fat deposits.

What Kind of Exercise Makes Muscle in Menopause?

So, what kind of exercise makes muscle in menopause?  Resistance training.  Picking up heavy things and putting them down.  And, doing it consistently!

As the 1990’s Saturday Night Live characters Han and Franz say, “We’re gonna pump you up!”

Your Purse is Heavier than That!

I see many pictures of women lifting tiny, little weights.  NOOOOO!  Your purse is heavier than that! Lol

You are not frail, or too delicate. You’ve got to move your muscles to fatigue, in short, intense blasts, and do this consistently over time.  You are NOT a small man.  Women are distinctly different than men (duh).

Annnd, you will not bulk up with too much muscle, women’s bodies are not made like that, and we don’t have enough testosterone to bulk up like say, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or that guy you see at your local gym.

Short, Intense, Full Body Training Sessions

Short, intense, full body training sessions, that fatigue your muscles, twice a week. 

Get adequate recovery (that means rest) in between training sessions, so your muscles can repair and rebuild themselves. And focus on getting enough restorative sleep too, because that is where you make human growth hormone, which helps build muscles.

Eat Enough Essential Amino Acids

Eat protein- the recommended amount for women in menopause is 30 grams within 60-120 minutes after your training session. And eat protein throughout the day to help you build and maintain muscles.

Guidelines recommend that women over 50 eat 0.45–0.55 grams of protein per pound (1–1.2 grams per kg) of body weight daily — or 20–25 grams of high-quality protein per meal.

In the US, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.36 grams per pound (0.8 grams per kg) of body weight for all adults over age 18, which represents the minimum needed for health.

It’s important to understand that as you age, you must eat adequate amounts of essential amino acids to maintain muscle.

Another good place to make sure you are eating protein is at every meal, yes, and especially at breakfast- as this is a meal that is carbohydrate heavy- think cereals, oatmeal, breads etc.

The combination of adequate protein and adequate resistance training will help delay muscle wasting, making your body strong, ward off frailty, and help you maintain bad-a$$ status!

Muscle rocks!  Let’s make more of it.

Not sure where to begin?

Join the incredible mid-life women in the next Menopause Movement Mission!

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Nicole Vienneau MSN, RN, NC-BC

Nicole combines 20+ years of nursing experience with 30+ years of fitness + health coaching to uncover your most authentic expression of wellbeing. She is also in menopause and trying to figure it all out!

She’s a board-certified integrative nurse coach, menopause fitness specialist, brain health trainer, and a group fitness, yoga, and tai chi instructor. She specializes in protecting your health through habits and behaviors to support your brain and body health at Blue Monarch Health, PLLC.

Nicole is passionate about everything she does, and especially loves creating safe, restorative commUNITIES. She loves exploring nature, finding solace with her cat-babies and traveling with her awesome husband. Email Nicole here.