A question for the exercisers ...

[3timeslucky]

I'm wondering how/if you found the peri-menopause (or menopause) affected your exercising.

I'm 52 and perimenopausal. I'm a light to moderate exerciser (go to the gym 3 times a week for an hour or so each time). In the last couple of months (also co-inciding with the first full month I've had without a period since I was breastfeeding my last child) I've had a couple of tendon and muscle injuries and also have horrible pains in the joints in my fingers in the mornings. My knees have been a bit rubbish for a decade so I'm ignoring their creaking.

Is this likely to be just coincidence or does a drop in oestrogen make you susceptible to more pulls, strains and (what feels like) general decrepitude?

I had horrendous bleeding during my perimenopause and was severely anaemic. I'm now 58 and haven't had a period for 4 years and am back cycling and running and really enjoying exercising again. I did find that joints were a bit stiff to start with but that may have been because I was too tired/out of breath to exercise properly before. I also think the perimenopause is quite a difficult time because hormones fluctuate so much that it's sometimes difficult to know what's happening with your body.

I had heaps of tendon injuries & joint pain in my 20s (not menopausal).

I'm 49 and in peri but I haven't had any 'additional' strains or pulls. I am very aware that my body doesn't bounce back as quickly as it did when I was in my 20s/30s so I need to be more careful these days. It takes me a lot longer to warm up (can take up to 30 mins before I'm at peak performance) and I need to be more careful with alignment. I avoid doing plyometrics as that's just a recipe for pain and injury these days. I feel ancient and decrepit - although I look pretty good so I'm told. Have to keep reminding myself that it's all downhill from here and one day I will look back and wish it was just my knees and wrists that ache!

I’m struggling with injuries more than before. Hip problems on and off and now an aggravated piriformus. I know I would be better doing more core work but I enjoy cardio.

Could be wear and tear from an adult life of hard exercise hard to know

Cardio definitely helps with peri symptoms though especially controlling my temperature and helping me sleep

I've only recently realised I'm peri-menopausal so this said with any experience but I'm noticing at certain times of the month I feel very delicate when it comes to exercise, my muscle and joints just don't feel as strong as they usually do and I'm having to cut back and be a bit more gentle for a few days.

*without any experience

There’s a link between hormones and ligament injury in teenage girls in today’s press and I found a paper from 2007 linking hormonal changes and an increase in ligament strains. I’m severely anemic and pulled my Achilles in February in a very high impact class which coincided with a very heavy period. I think that the links between hormonal fluctuations and injuries have not been widely studied as we aren’t men and historically medicine has been male lead.

I'm 47 and have recently given up going to a high intensity aerobic class as it was proving counter productive and left me feeling wiped out. I have since found a more relaxing dance fitness class with a mixed age of women and have to say it's the best thing I did for my body. The only thing is it's only once weekly and I need to do more exercise so I just try to go for walks. I considered Couch to 5k but think that's just asking for trouble!
My knees are also creaky too OP! I tend to ignore them like you do!
Good luck with it x

Thank you all!

@LizziesTwin - I think you might be on to something there. Women specific medical issues definitely suffer from side-lining.

I will persist but with some caution and a bit more consideration for myself. Thanks again.

Interesting to read these comments as it's not easy to find information on this.

I've recently found myself getting out of breath quite easily and it's quite distressing really as I've always been fit. Never felt like this before. I'm also getting tendon pains in my arms, above and below elbows, even from slight upper body weights - whereas I had been getting quite into weight training last year. And I have a recurring sore wrist.

I'm guessing these are peri menopause related 😕 I'm going to the gp in a couple of weeks to ask for HRT and hope it can help.

@3timeslucky

When your estrogen levels drop, it affects collagen which is dependent on estrogen, Collagen is found in the skin and makes up a lot of the cushioning between the joints, especially the vertebrae.

However, might be worth seeing your dr and ruling out anything more serious like rheumatoid arthritis or just osteoarthritis.

Goatrider If you're getting out of breath easily, it might be worth asking for a blood test to check whether you're anaemic (especially if your periods are heavy).

Thanks JinglingHellsBells. I agree that I should do that.

Boiledeggandtoast - thanks, I have had lots of blood tests. I thought I may be anaemic or have low B12 (I'm vegetarian) but they're all fine

I was just about to post something similar on here.
Im 53 and feel like I’ve been menopausal for years - it’s 10 years so not exaggerating.
I started running in Sept last year and got up to 6k fairly comfortably. The last few weeks I seem to have had a big dip in estrogen and am having night sweats again despite being on oestrogel and having a mirena.
I’m having loads of aches and pains and feel very stiff. My running has taken a hit because of this.
My physio has said that there’s no injury just tightness and has given me exercises for strengthening.
I’m convinced it’s due to my hormones and also that I’m hyper mobile which is an added complication.
It’s very frustrating but not sure what else you can do?

So I went to the GP today and have had bloods taken to check for the less pleasant arthritis types. (Also checking hormone levels which will in itself be interesting - maybe).

He did confirm that collagen related aches and pains can be associated with these hormonal changes. But the aches and pains in my hands were less obviously connected.

It'll be a couple of weeks til I have results but I'll update if there's anything that might be helpful to anyone else.

I'm currently experiencing horrid perimenopausal symptoms coinciding with a frozen shoulder and I'm convinced the 2 are linked.
I was previously a 3 x per week gym goes on the weights and the combination of fatigue , brain fog , etc, etc had the effect of me skipping the gym more often than not the the shoulder kicked in ending any good intentions.

At the mo I'm just wallowing in my own pity party whilst attempting to get an elusive go appt to demand hrt

Goodness knows what is up with my hip, flares up before period usually and gets in way of running, as does Plantar Fasciitis. I had Prostap injection Thursday, Friday morning I could barely walk. I know side effects are often worse straight after injection so found that interesting, Can’t really run much at all at the moment which sucks as trying to be as fit as possible for hysterectomy.

Another one who use to be very active running my first half marathon at 45, first triathlon that same year. Then suddenly I found I couldn't even run 5k without feeling totally wipped out.

Most of for me is due to poor sleep quality and not getting enough deep sleep to recover. It's s vicious circle, the more I exercise, the more adrenalin kicks in, the worse I sleep, the worse I feel exercising.

The other vicious circle is the less I exercise, the more I put on weight, the worse it feels exercising!

I feel it on my joints too mostly my feet and shoulders, but that's because I'm unconsciously always very tense. That menopause is like a virus creeping in to destroy every part of who we are, or used to be!

This is really interesting. 53 now. I was finding when I went to the gymn a couple of years ago that it totally wiped me out - I could barely make supper. Dr and gymn staff waffled about blood sugar but it was more than that. Now I don't bother to go.

*gym

I’m in perimenopause and have noticed a bit more stiffness but nothing major. TBH my monthly cycles have always been more aggravating as in PMT I’m clumsy and prone to injury, my hypermobility is worse at that time.

I only took up going to circuit training at that stage and had no issues. Previously had only walked since giving up competitive sports years earlier. Found it really helped with sleep, mood, body shape etc. Maybe you need something that is more geared to your body right now. So, not no exercise just the right type.
Hands could be Carpel Tunnel as have a few similar aged friends had trouble with that recently, Male and female.

I had bad joint pain at the start of peri, started taking tumeric twice daily and no more joint pain. Considering starting collagen supplements too. I have days where I feel fine and can put 100% into a workout and other days where I just can't so just do a low impact short workout, definitely no pylometrics for me. Then there's days where I can't do anything due to horrendous menstrual cramps/heavy bleeding ( though have just had a uterine polyp removed so hoping this improves things). I get most of my cardio doing compound moves with weights, no jumping required. Basically I just listen to my body, if I feel good I exercise, if I don't I take it easy.

PottyPotterer - I have a big tub of turmeric tablets that I had started taking but stopped when I ha blood tests which showed no problem with inflammation. Maybe should try them again.

Currently taking feroglobin, vit D, omega 3 and Vit B12. Haven't come acrodd collagen ones - have you been recommended any?