Many women will experience changes in body shape and composition at menopause. These changes can be among the most frustrating symptoms experienced at that time. Although actual weight gain may be modest for many women, it can add significantly to the burden for those women who are already overweight or obese.
This suggests that menopause plays a role in many midlife women's transition from a pear-shaped body (wide hips and thighs, with more weight below the waist) to an apple-shaped body (wide waist and belly, with more weight above the waist) (see figure).
Menopause, which officially begins one year after your last period, can bring with it some noticeable changes to your skin and hair. As hormone levels plummet, your skin can become dry, slack, and thin. You may notice more hair on your face and less on your scalp.
An expanding waistline is sometimes considered the price of getting older. For women, this can be especially true after menopause, when body fat tends to shift to the abdomen. Yet an increase in belly fat does more than make it hard to zip up your jeans. Research shows that belly fat also carries serious health risks.
The new study was published May 25 in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research. Pass it on: People's hips get wider as they get older not just because of fat, but because their pelvic bones actually grow wider.
The hormonal changes of menopause might make you more likely to gain weight around your abdomen than around your hips and thighs. But, hormonal changes alone don't necessarily cause menopause weight gain. Instead, the weight gain is usually related to aging, as well as lifestyle and genetic factors.
Start with a mix of moderate and vigorous exercise to burn off menopausal weight gain. Your routine should include aerobic exercises like swimming, walking, bicycling, and running, as well as resistance or strength training. “What you want to employ now is high-intensity interval training (HIIT),” Dr. Peeke says.
Exercise is key in getting to and staying at a weight that supports your health at any age. During menopause, it can help you lose belly fat. Doing “targeted" abdominal exercises to get rid of belly fat sounds like it would help, but you can't tell your body exactly where to shed pounds.
Looking at specifically how menopause affects body composition, a 2022 review in the International Journal of Women's Health suggests that during the menopausal transition, lean body mass decreases by about 0.5%, while fat mass increases by approximately 1.7% per year.
Loss of oestrogen can change our skin during menopause. These changes could be dry skin, wrinkles, acne, and extra facial hair. Skin can also become more delicate and prone to bruising.
Physical symptoms
hot flushes, when you have sudden feelings of hot or cold in your face, neck and chest which can make you dizzy. difficulty sleeping, which may be a result of night sweats and make you feel tired and irritable during the day. palpitations, when your heartbeats suddenly become more noticeable.
Most women find that their hair loses volume and length around menopause. This is because menopause causes your oestrogen levels to decrease, and oestrogen is a hair-friendly hormone, helping to keep your hair in its anagen (growth) phase for longer. You may also find that your hair breaks more easily after menopause.
At menopause, many women experience weight gain, particularly around the abdomen. Contributors to weight gain at menopause include declining oestrogen levels, age-related loss of muscle tissue and lifestyle factors such as diet and lack of exercise.
Getting older
A person's body composition changes as they age, which can lead to a belly bulge. For females, the decrease in the hormone estrogen during menopause triggers an accumulation of body fat.
On average, women gain 5-8% of their baseline body weight during this time,” she says. For the sake of simple math, this means if you weigh 100 pounds, on average you will gain five pounds in the two years after your final period. If you weigh 200 pounds, you are expected to gain at least 10 pounds.
These menopause-related changes in digestion, stomach aches and constipation may start somewhere around perimenopause, the transition to menopause that begins between ages 45 and 55. There are a variety of factors that can contribute to menopause belly bloat.
Cardio such as swimming, aerobics, running or dancing will burn this excess fat store. HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is the fastest way to trim down stomach fat.
How Estrogen Replacement Therapy Can Help with Belly Fat During Menopause. Recent studies show that menopausal women on hormone therapy tend to have less body fat, especially visceral belly fat. Because estrogen affects how your body distributes fat, low estrogen levels can contribute to gaining fat in your belly area.
Try brisk walking, jogging, biking, swimming or water aerobics. If you're a beginner, start with 10 minutes a day and gradually increase the intensity and duration. Strength training. Regular strength training can help you reduce body fat, strengthen your muscles and burn calories more efficiently.
Menopause-related hair loss can occur in other parts of the body as well. Many women notice hair growth slows or stops on their legs, arms, and armpits. Pubic hair can also begin to thin leaving bald spots. Even your eyelashes and eyebrows may thin out during menopause.
More fat stored under the skin may increase cellulite. During menopause, as estrogen declines, ageing skin is also becoming thinner and less elastic. Between decreased estrogen and sagging skin, it's no surprise that many women notice cellulite increasing.