top of page
Writer's picturePetra Coveney

NEW Menopause Awareness Course

A 1-day training course for qualified yoga, pilates, fitness and exercise professionals.

Launch date: Friday July 31st, 2020, from 10-6pm.


Over the past few years, I have been contacted by people working professionally with women in a physical capacity - as yoga, pilates, fitness and exercise or sports instructors - asking if they can train to support women going through menopause.


These are men and women who are excellent teachers but they do not meet the criteria to join the full 40 Hour Teacher Training course. It is such a positive sign that more people in this sector want to help women in menopause enjoy the benefits of health and fitness. So I have created a special one-day Menopause Awareness Course, which will focus on the specific physical and needs of women in menopause and how to modify practices to prevent injury and make exercise settings welcoming.


Specific needs of women going through menopause:


Women who are transitioning through perimenopause, menopause and post menopause need to exercise for their immediate and long term health and wellbeing.


In Perimenopause - women experience hormonal fluctuations that can cause extreme joint and muscle pain, hot flushes, night sweats, surges of hormonal energy that can cause MenoRage and irritability. These symptoms can affects their ability to work, negatively impact on their personal and professional relationships, lead to lack of sleep and daytime fatigue, and deter them from going to group exercise classes. The hypothalamus gland that regulates our body's temperature control, goes haywire, and a small increase in temperature while exercising can lead to a hot flush, and this can cause social embarrassment and physical discomfort.


In Menopause - women who are not taking Hormone Replacement Therapy will experience a gradual reduction of the hormone oestrogen eventually leads to a cessation of their menstrual cycle. Women may continue to experience some of the previous symptoms of perimenopause but also notice more cognitive impairment. The loss of Oestrogen affects every cell in our bodies, including the brain, which can cause short term memory loss, anxiety or panic attacks and a feeling of being overwhelmed by the simplest of tasks. Women also need testosterone for mental clarity, muscle mass and energy. The fall in a woman's natural testosterone levels in menopause-post menopause .

Needless to say this also impacts on their ability to work and their general health and happiness.

Post Menopause - is the rest of a woman's life after their menstrual cycle has ended. If they are not taking HRT and any other hormones, they will be affected by:


A. a loss of calcium from their bones which can lead to osteoporosis/ osteopena also known as brittle bones. Bone fractures in post menopausal women aged 60+ are common and hip fractures can lead to loss of mobility and loss of health and even life.


B: a loss of muscle mass caused by the reduced oestrogen and testosterone. Muscle mass burns more calories so this can lead to weight gain unless a woman changes her nutrition and exercise routine. Muscle mass is needed to support the skeletal structure and helps prevent dangerous falls that can cause bone fractures.


C. Weight gain in post menopause tends to be distributed around the waist/ midriff which puts additional pressure on the heart. It can also cause low self esteem which leads to women socially isolating.


D. an increase in cardio vascular disease. The rate of heart disease among women aged 50+ rises to the same level as men.


E. an increased risk of Depression and Dementia. Low mood in post menopause is caused by the loss of oestrogen - it is not the same as the depression at other stages of life that may be caused by serotonin levels other biochemical and societal causes.


F. The joint and muscle pain of perimenopause can carry over into post menopause, and exacerbated by stiffness and tightness in muscles caused by lack of exercise and, in some cases, dehydration.


So how can you as health and wellbeing professionals help women going through menopause?


Join me in July to find out and receive a Certificate of Menopause Awareness as illustrated on this page. To book click HERE or go to the Events page and look for the Blue sun.







368 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Kommentare


bottom of page