Author: sarokel

I entered full menopause at 46, a little earlier than average due to a full hysterectomy. As my menopause was a surgical menopause it was a little different to natural menopause, if you think of natural menopause as being a run down a steep stony hill, at times tricky and not at all easy then surgical menopause is being thrown straight off a cliff without a cord parachute or anything soft to land on.

My main worry with menopause was that it would stop me exercising. Movement is such a huge part of who I am and honestly it’s how I stayed sane through some very difficult times such as my daughter’s cancer and rare disease diagnosis.

I had heard so many stories of people changing almost entirely post menopause that honestly I was a little terrified.

The hysterectomy was itself very straight forward and I actually went for a very short walk/shuffle the day after. I did this every day for the first month after, by 4 weeks I started to walk/run.

At two weeks I was able to start HRT, for me it felt like the best option. I was under 50 and wanted to protect my bones and heart. I also wanted a quality of life.

So what issues did I face post menopause?

Weight does seem to settle more around my middle and my face than it use to which I manage by moving in ways that I enjoy and eating well focusing on fruit veg and proteins. Of course with some fun things too.

Sleep at times was a problem, sometimes getting to sleep has been tricky other times I’ll wake at a silly time and not be able to get back to sleep. Exercise helps so much with sleep, I honestly cannot express how much it helps. As does bright light early in the morning.

Pelvic floor, now I don’t know if it was due to the surgery or if it was due to surgical menopause but after about 3 months I found myself waking 3 to 4 times a night to pee. I did a lot of work both strengthening and creating flexibility in my pelvic floor. Now I wake at most once a night. We do a lot of pelvic floor work in Pilates, if you are having issues there are also some really good pelvic floor PTs that can help. I didn’t see one but if I hadn’t managed to get things in check myself I would have.

HRT, it took me a long time to find the right type and levels for me. Now I’m using estrogen patches and a little testosterone. If HRT is something you want to try and it doesn’t work after a few months or as well as you think it should don’t be afraid to try another type.

Anxiety, I have never had anxiety in my entire life until menopause and then BOOM out of nowhere, even with HRT. Both movement generally and the mindful movement that we find in yoga and Pilates helped with this. Just sitting breathing slowly and consciously can reduce heart rate and drop both cortisol and adrenaline levels.

Blood pressure, I have always had super low blood pressure. Passing out kind of low, after surgical menopause it went up. Not dangerously high but higher than I wanted. It’s not uncommon for this to happen in surgical menopause, no one really knows why. I brought it back into control through diet and exercise. It’s still something I need to be aware of and another reason to keep moving.

Caffeine, I can’t take more than a couple of cups of coffee a day and any after midday and I can’t sleep.

Other than that menopause for me so far has been a thoroughly positive experience, no more periods and no more mood swings thank God!!! But without exercise I’m not sure how it would have been at all.

If you would like a bit of help with getting moving while transitioning into the best years of your life get in touch

– You will strengthen both core and back which can help with back issues due to either weak or tight back muscles.

– Both help to prevent injury from either day to day life or exercise/sport by helping to keep your body flexible and improving general mobility.

– Both compliment other forms of training as active recovery and research has found core stability particularly translates into an improvement in sports performance.

– Expect an improvement in posture which helps prevent/improve upper back rounding and discomfort.

– You will see an improvement in your co-ordination and body awareness.

– You will experience a decrease in stress, lower cortisol and adrenaline levels which in turn can reduce blood pressure.

– Your balance becomes far better which is a hidden and rarely thought about aspect of fitness.

– The pelvic floor muscles will get stronger, an important muscle group for everyone!

– Oh and both make you more flexible!

1. There will be a mix of abilities from super stretchy to “the only way I can touch my toes is by sitting on a chair and bending my leg” and everything in-between. Which is perfect and how it should be. Everyone is there for the same reason, to look after themselves improve how they move and enhance their quality of life as a result.

2. Everyone wears what they want from joggers or soft trousers to leggings. No high fashion needed.

3. Mats are available for the session, you don’t need to buy equipment. With the Alnwick gardens classes let me know the day before if you would like to borrow a mat.

4. People are super welcoming, honestly I haven’t had a student come to class who wasn’t just lovely.

5. You will touch places you haven’t for a while, which is a good thing. But at no point will you ever be asked to do anything you feel uncomfortable with.

6. There will be a thousand different varieties for every position from students who take the class from a chair to ex athletes. Don’t think that either your needs won’t be adapted to but equally that you won’t be challenged. I love to teach classes to a variety of bodies and make it (hopefully) fun for everyone.

7. You can ask questions I am a very experienced teacher and have been teaching for nearly two decades now. I have taken 6 teacher training courses in 4 different countries and two continents so am happy to have my brain picked.

8. You will hear bad jokes. Sorry it’s just how I am.

9. You will feel super chilled by the end. There is just something magical about moving with breath that can’t be explained only experienced.

10. On top of all of that you will of course get stronger and more flexible!

See you on the mat