Exercise and peri / menopause

[JPduck]

I find there is soo much conflicting content plus getting bamboozled by ads for trainers on SM once I started researching.

My mid section is really getting me down.

I go to the gym 3 times a week, to no effect, would welcome suggestions of exercises.

GP not much help, suggested evening primrose oil tabs and now taking iron as levels are low.

Thank you for any help. 💐💐

How long have you been going to the gym and what do you do there?

Do you know if you have gained weight or is it just the change of how the fat is stored?

Are you on HRT?

A combination of better eating habits and strength training (and maybe HRT) will help you, without knowing the above.

You need to be doing strength/weight training 3-4 times a week in addition to cardio, suggest 10K steps a day to impact upon menopause storage of fat, coupled with a high protein, healthy diet.

I can recommend Caroline Girvan on YouTube as a good place to start for strength training, she has a beginner series, or if your gym provides assistance or PT services try that.

I do heavy(ish) weight training following Caroline Girvan workouts 3 to 4 times a week and have a fairly active job plus a dog and this helps me. I think diet is more important than exercise though if you want to reduce your midsection. I would start tracking your calories honestly on My Fitness Pal or similar to see where you can reduce. I honestly need to eat like a bird now I'm perimenopausal to keep slim. Anyone that says otherwise is lying!

@sunshinechaser I honestly need to eat like a bird now I'm perimenopausal to keep slim. Anyone that says otherwise is lying! TOTALLY !

@sunshinechaser @Fairydustetc its sad times isnt it? the only reason I dont quite need to eat like a bird is all the exercise I do! Otherwise I would be on dust.

There's a saying 'You can't outrun the fork'.
It's down to what you eat mainly, and exercise won't spot-reduce anywhere.

Agree with everyone else; start with looking at your diet, cutting down where possible processed food, added sugar, heavy bready products and focus on fish/meat/whole grains/veggies. Drink water, lots of it. Avoid/reduce alcohol.
Exercise-wise, walking 5/10k briskly daily, a weekly body pump with moderately heavy weights, plus a swim and a pilates class are working for me to keep weight static and feel strong/leaner. The belly is still there tho!