30/04/2025
Most Australian women reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55.
By this time, you won’t have had a menstrual period for 12 months.
The 10 years leading up to menopause are referred to as perimenopause — a time of hormonal upheaval. Progesterone steadily declines, while oestrogen fluctuates wildly, sometimes peaking at levels higher than ever before (except during pregnancy). During this time, you may experience the following changes in your body:
♥ Fat redistribution – Belly fat or visceral fat (the kind that surrounds your organs) is inflammatory and increases the risk of many chronic health conditions, including breast, colon, and endometrial (womb) cancers. It also raises your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, liver disease, sleep apnoea, asthma, dementia, low back pain, and arthritis.
♥ Higher LDL ("bad") cholesterol, increasing your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.
♥ Insulin resistance – Your cells become less responsive to insulin, which can lead to diabetes.
♥ Increased body mass – Due to a slower metabolism and general fat gain, women may gain an average of 1.5 kg per year during this time. Frustratingly, this can happen even if your food intake and activity levels stay the same! 😡
♥ Loss of muscle mass – You can expect to lose about 5% of lean muscle per decade after age 30. This rate of loss often accelerates after 60, reaching up to 8% per decade.
♥ Loss of bone mass – Peak bone mass is reached around age 30. It then declines slowly at about 1% per year (measured at the lumbar spine) — but this rate doubles to 2% during and after menopause, increasing the risk of fractures.
It’s crucial to keep exercising, but we often hear that pelvic health issues — like incontinence, prolapse, and pain — cause many women to stop.
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DON’T LET THIS BE YOU!
If you’ve ever:
💧 Leaked when landing from a jump or doing a star jump
💧 Fluffed during downward dog or a deadlift
💧 Felt aching in your groin, lower abdomen, perineum, or experienced sharp stabbing pains in your re**um or va**na
Speak to your Pelvic Health Physio!
