Embracing Strength: Overcoming Bone and Muscle Loss in Perimenopause and Menopause

Reducing Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia 4 Better Health

Navigating the journey through perimenopause and menopause can feel overwhelming, but it’s also a time to embrace your strength and resilience. Your body is undergoing significant changes, but with love, care, and proactive steps, you can maintain your vitality and well-being. Let’s explore how to protect your bones and muscles during this transformative phase and celebrate the power of a healthy lifestyle.

Understanding the Changes: A Compassionate Approach to Bone and Muscle Health

As we age, our bodies naturally change. During perimenopause and menopause, hormonal shifts, can lead to bone loss (osteoporosis) and muscle loss (sarcopenia). These changes can impact our strength, mobility, and overall quality of life. But remember, this is a natural part of aging, and there are many ways to nurture your body and thrive during this time.

Nourishing Your Body: The Heart of a Healthy Diet

Protein-Rich Foods: Your Building Blocks of Strength

Protein is essential for maintaining muscle mass and strength, which are crucial in reducing the risk of sarcopenia. Aiming for 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily (or to make it easy, a minimum of 100gm of protein daily from food and powders/bars) can support your muscle health. Think of protein as the building blocks for your body—lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, seeds, nuts and legumes are your allies in this journey. And if you need a convenient boost, protein powders can be a wonderful addition to your diet.

Embrace the Benefits of Protein Powders

• Whey Protein: A complete protein that is quickly absorbed, making it perfect for post-workout recovery. (*this would NOT be recommended for those avoiding dairy)
• Casein Protein: A slow-digesting protein ideal for sustained nourishment, such as before bedtime. (*this would NOT be recommended for those avoiding dairy)
• Plant-Based Proteins: Options like pea, rice, and soy protein are great for those who prefer plant-based diets.
• Collagen Protein: Supports joint health and can be a beneficial addition to your diet.

Essential Nutrients for Strong Bones

Your bones need a loving touch, too. Ensure you’re getting:

• Calcium: Aim for 1,200 mg per day from sesame seed (100gm = 990mg of calcium!), chia, almonds, leafy greens, and fortified foods.
• Vitamin D: 2000iu daily from fatty fish, fortified foods, and supplements.
• Magnesium: 300 mg daily from nuts, seeds, whole grains, and green leafy vegetables, and/or supplements
• Vitamin K: 90 mcg daily from green leafy vegetables and fermented foods.

Antioxidant-Rich Foods

Fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants help combat inflammation and oxidative stress, supporting both muscle and bone health. Eat the rainbow every day! Think of vibrant berries, leafy greens, and colorful veggies as gifts from nature to your body.

Moving with Joy: The Power of Exercise

Moving is a celebration of what your body can do. Exercise as celebration of what your body can do, not as a torture for what you don’t like. Regular physical activity can help maintain muscle mass, strength, and bone density and prevent a reduction in quality of life in the future.

Strength Training: Empowering Your Muscles

Engage in strength training exercises at least two to three times per week. Whether you use free weights, resistance bands, or your body weight, these exercises are powerful tools to build and maintain muscle. Consider wall sits, planks, squats, wall pushups or on your knees, carrying heavy totes in each hand or a gallon jug above your head up and down your driveway.

Sample Routine:

• • Day 1: Upper body (e.g., bicep curls, shoulder press, tricep dips)
  • Day 2: Rest or light activity (e.g., walking)
  • Day 3: Lower body (e.g., squats, lunges, calf raises)
  • Day 4: Rest or light activity
  • Day 5: Full body (e.g., combination of upper and lower body exercises)
  • Day 6: Rest or light activity
  • Day 7: Active rest (e.g., yoga or stretching)

Each session should include 8-12 repetitions of each exercise for 2-3 sets. Gradually increase the weight or resistance as your strength improves.

Weight-Bearing Exercises: Strengthening Your Bones

Activities like walking, hiking, jogging, tennis, pickleball, jumping (reformer), and dancing promote bone strength. Aim for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. These exercises are not just about fitness—they’re about joy, movement, and celebrating vitality and longevity.

Balance and Flexibility Exercises: Finding Harmony

Yoga and Pilates improve balance, flexibility, and coordination, reducing the risk of falls. These exercises also train the muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones to be more fluid so if there is a near or full fall, it allows the body to stretch, tuck, roll so there is less fracture or tears. Incorporate these exercises 2-3 times per week to connect with your body and mind.

Embracing Holistic Health: Loving Lifestyle Choices

Nurture Your Body and Mind

• Avoid Smoking
• Reduce Alcohol: Less than 7 drinks weekly
• Focus on Food as Medicine: Whole foods. More foods you prep and cook and less food that comes in bags, boxes and cans.
• Quality Sleep: Rest is essential for recovery and overall health.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): A Balanced Perspective

Understanding HRT

Hormone replacement therapy can help maintain hormone levels to reduce Peri and Postmenopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, brain fog, hair loss, sleep disruption and mood shifts. HRT also has benefits in reducing the risk of bone and muscle deterioration. There is a lot of fear surrounding HRT because of the 2002 release of the initial findings of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study causing more than 20 years of practitioners reducing or stopping the prescribing of HRT. But subsequent analyses of the study has found the reportings were misleading and out of context for conclusions.

Benefits of HRT: (outside of the symptoms relief listed above)

• Bone Health: Maintains bone density and prevents osteoporosis.
• Muscle Mass: Preserves muscle mass and strength.
• Symptom Relief: Alleviates menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.
• Cognitive Health: Potentially reduces the risk of dementia and improves memory.
• Heart Health: Can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and improve vascular function.

Supplements: Supporting Your Journey

• Creatine: Known for improving muscle mass and strength, creatine can support mobility and reduce the risk of falls. A typical dosage is about 3-5 grams per day but consult your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement.
• Vitamin D3, K2, Magnesium and Calcium as above
• Boron: Helps in the efficient use of calcium and magnesium, which are crucial for bone strength. It aids in the activation of vitamin D, which is essential for calcium absorption. Boron may influence the production of hormones that are important for bone health, including estrogen and testosterone. Foods such as fruits (especially apples, pears, grapes), nuts, legumes, and leafy green vegetables.
• Protein Powder: Improved Bone Health: Adequate protein intake is essential for maintaining bone density and strength. Protein helps in the absorption of calcium and the formation of bone matrix.

Muscle Mass Maintenance: By preserving muscle mass, protein intake indirectly supports bone health since muscles provide the necessary support and strength to bones.

• Muscle Protein Synthesis: Protein powder provides essential amino acids that are necessary for muscle repair and growth, which can help counteract the muscle loss associated with sarcopenia.
• Increased Muscle Mass: Regular intake of protein can help increase and maintain muscle mass, strength, and function, which are critical in preventing and managing sarcopenia.

***Quality: Choose a high-quality protein powder with minimal additives and sugar.

Regular Health Screenings: Staying Connected

• Bone Density Tests: Monitor bone health and detect osteoporosis early.
• Ecoscan: an ultrasound bone densitometry or quantitative ultrasound (QUS), is a non-invasive imaging technique used to assess bone density and evaluate bone health. Unlike traditional bone density tests like Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA), QUS uses sound waves to measure bone properties.
• Muscle Function Tests: Assess muscle strength and function to guide appropriate interventions.

Conclusion: Embracing Change with Love

Our practitioners support patients to prevent and those who have bone and muscle mass.  We validate the overwhelm, the fears, the frustrations. We understand transition through perimenopause and menopause and want you to embrace your strength and resilience. By nourishing your body with a balanced diet, engaging in joyful exercise, making loving lifestyle choices, and staying informed about your health, you can thrive during this phase. Remember, you are strong, capable, and deserving of all the care and love you give yourself. Celebrate your journey and the wisdom that comes with each stage of life.