Ladies, let’s talk.
When you reach a certain age, your annual doctor’s visits take on a different tone. Phrases like night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, and brain fog start to creep into your conversations. But even though there’s plenty of talk about these menopause symptoms, there seems to be a lot less talk about something else that women in their late 40s and early 50s face — increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
According to the American Heart Association, there is a cluster of changes that many women experience during and after menopause. These changes often include high triglycerides, lower levels of good HDL cholesterol, and high blood pressure or high blood sugar. Collectively, these factors are known as metabolic syndrome, and they increase the risk of heart disease. Considering that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. to begin with, anything that pushes that risk even higher should grab your attention.
So, what can you do? Get moving! An increase in physical activity not only targets those key metrics, but it can help with other common concerns that come with menopause like bone health, weight control, sleep, and mental health.
Federal guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week. Breaking that down into 5- or even 7-day increments can help the goal seem even more attainable.
Are you ready to put your heart into it?