Best HIIT workout for menopausal women?

C

ckabonick

New Member
Hi Cathe, I just hit menopause and I can already see my body changing(more fat storage in the stomach area), despite eating well and working out 6 days a week. Can you recommend the best workout for this stage of a woman's life? I have almost every one of your workouts.....
 
Thanks, ladies! It really is disheartening....I've always been able to keep my body in check......now it is like I don't even know myself :(
 
ckabonick - What seems to really tighten up the midsection for me are circuit workouts with an emphasis on the whole core, which unfortunately means tons of plank work and pushups. Cathe's workouts that feature gliding disk plank-based exercises in particular have really helped me firm up my core. Like I tell my husband, what's worse than burpees? Cathe's gliding disk burpees to a straddle jack pushup! So killer but so effective. (I'm looking at you, Afterburn)
 
The best ones are the ones you enjoy doing(you won't work as hard if don't enjoy it). My fav's are IMAX 2 and 3. I only do half at a time so I'll work harder. I also like the Shock Cardio HIIT workouts....short but sweet. If you are pushed for time Tabizise, pre mixes from Too The Max& Cross fire, and X10's are good.
 
Amen to the post- meno weight/ fitness challenge. I workout hard 5 days/wk and eat pretty clean. And it just keeps building on. I've never had a problem with weight in my life before. I'm quite discouraged. And at the same time, my joints don't like to do as much. I do with Cathe, that you would spend some time talking with us who have been athletes with you for years and are now in a different stage of life.
 
I am perimenopausal. In the last few years, I have been packing on the pounds all over, as well as on my gut. I have to workout 6 days a week and watch what I eat/count calories just to maintain, let alone lose weight. A week or two off, and I easily put on 5 lbs. I went in for my annual wellness exam a couple of months ago, and told I was hypothyroid. I am now on medication. Apparently older women are more prone to hypothyroidism, but they attribute their symptoms (like unexplained weight gain) to getting older/menopause. Just a thought - if weight is truly a struggle, maybe it's something besides simply menopause or gettting older.
 
I thought my weight gain during menopause was because of menopause. Went to my physician and was told I had Hashimoto Syndrome, a hypothyroid autoimmune problem. I was given medication, and it's under control. I was told that menopause triggered my autoimmune problem, and that 80-90% of hypothyroid in the US is Hashimoto Syndrome. Unfortunately another autoimmune problem popped up at the same time. Psoriasis. Now that's a whole 'nother story!
 
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desertambrosia said:
I thought my weight gain during menopause was because of menopause. Went to my physician and was told I had Hashimoto Syndrome, a hypothyroid autoimmune problem. I was given medication, and it's under control. I was told that menopause triggered my autoimmune problem, and that 80-90% of hypothyroid in the US is Hashimoto Syndrome.
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Karen - I'm so glad you shared your story because I was just away on vacation when my Dr. office called with my blood results & said everything was perfect except my thyroid levels were slightly elevated 5.1, normal is up to 4.5. I remember about 5 years ago a previous Dr. did my blood work & same thing but he didn't suggest anything. My new Dr. wants me to be re-tested. When she asked if I had any of the symptoms - I told her I just assumed they were due to menopause (weight gain, tired, depressed, etc.) because I also have been having wicked hot flashes that come & go over the last year. So, now you have me curious-I made an appt. to be re-tested. Thank you!
 
BlakKat said:
Karen - I'm so glad you shared your story because I was just away on vacation when my Dr. office called with my blood results & said everything was perfect except my thyroid levels were slightly elevated 5.1, normal is up to 4.5. I remember about 5 years ago a previous Dr. did my blood work & same thing but he didn't suggest anything. My new Dr. wants me to be re-tested. When she asked if I had any of the symptoms - I told her I just assumed they were due to menopause (weight gain, tired, depressed, etc.) because I also have been having wicked hot flashes that come & go over the last year. So, now you have me curious-I made an appt. to be re-tested. Thank you!
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Oh my goodness! Everyday is a surprise; isn't it? I wish you the best. If it is a thyroid issue, it's easily treated. Hang in there, everything is easier when menopause is done.
 
Thanks Karen! The hot flashes were bad in January...my husband would have 2 blankets on him & I'd be sweating lying still even in just underwear then they went away for awhile but came back with a vengeance this summer! We were just in Florida for 2 weeks which is hot enough on it's own but I couldn't take it, I literally felt like I was going to burst into flames on the spot on & off (like Baby Jack Jack in Incredibles 2 for any of you Disney fans out there). I haven't slept in weeks because they actually wake me up even in the air conditioning. I would strip the blanket & any extra clothes off then I'd get cold & put everything back, this cycle continues throughout the night. It's good to know there are so many of you out there going through the same thing and I'm not crazy.
 
BlakKat said:
my thyroid levels were slightly elevated 5.1, normal is up to 4.5.
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Do you mean that your TSH was 5.1? My doc told me that they like to see numbers under 3, and endocrinologists say that you should really shoot for 1. I am at 2.8 and the doc is adjusting my meds to get closer to 1.
 
Not sure - I was away on vacation and that is all the nurse told me and said the Dr. will talk to me about it when I see her next week. Those are the numbers she gave me over the phone. I'm sure I will get the full results of all my blood work then.
yamabachi said:
Do you mean that your TSH was 5.1? My doc told me that they like to see numbers under 3, and endocrinologists say that you should really shoot for 1. I am at 2.8 and the doc is adjusting my meds to get closer to 1.
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Ah, OK.

TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is the hormone your pituitary gland releases to stimulate your thyroid to produce triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). With hypothyroidism, if your TSH levels are high, it means that your body thinks the thyroid is not producing enough T3/T4, so it pumps out extra TSH to get it to produce more.

I had to repeat some blood testing (to check for T3, T4, and TSH) as a follow-up to my wellness check to confirm that that what my body was doing. I am on L-Thyroixine (T4) supplementation to treat that, and have to get my blood checked every 6 weeks to monitor. Once the proper levels are established, then it will be a matter of getting checked every 6months - 1 year. I haven't lost any weight, but I have noticed that my hair is growing faster! And I initially had crazy dreams for the first week or so of treatment. I hadn't even noticed that my hair had essentially stopped growing until it started growing again. So the symptoms really can be subtle.

Wish you the best of luck! As it was mentioned earlier, if it is your thyroid, it should be easily treated, and more than likely, your quality of life will be improved with treatment.
 
yamabachi said:
Ah, OK.

TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is the hormone your pituitary gland releases to stimulate your thyroid to produce triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). With hypothyroidism, if your TSH levels are high, it means that your body thinks the thyroid is not producing enough T3/T4, so it pumps out extra TSH to get it to produce more.

I had to repeat some blood testing (to check for T3, T4, and TSH) as a follow-up to my wellness check to confirm that that what my body was doing. I am on L-Thyroixine (T4) supplementation to treat that, and have to get my blood checked every 6 weeks to monitor. Once the proper levels are established, then it will be a matter of getting checked every 6months - 1 year. I haven't lost any weight, but I have noticed that my hair is growing faster! And I initially had crazy dreams for the first week or so of treatment. I hadn't even noticed that my hair had essentially stopped growing until it started growing again. So the symptoms really can be subtle.

Wish you the best of luck! As it was mentioned earlier, if it is your thyroid, it should be easily treated, and more than likely, your quality of life will be improved with treatment.
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Thank you yamabachi! You explained it very well and seems to be a simple thing to correct.
 
wow! That sounds like what I have. I've been menopausal for years and my doctor tells me some women may never get out of it. I also have wicked hot flashes, they come and go. The last two weeks have been bad and I will start sweating in a matter of seconds. I am teased at work (affectionally) because I am always so hot.
I also have a spreading mid section and nothing I do seems to help. I work-out ~ six days a week and am in a boot camp training class, week-end warrior, Expresso bike, weights and a few other activities. I eat clean most of the time. I am so frustrated!
Thanks for all the info above. I will most definitely make an appt with my doctor for blood test to see if my THS levels are out of whack.
Thanks ckabonik for asking the question and all the rest of the Cathletes who chimed in with such good input!!!
 
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