???? Conquering Perimenopausal Aches??

Many menopausal experts claim that individuals navigating perimenopause often experience a range of discomforts, including widespread body aches, muscle pains, and joint discomfort. It's not uncommon to feel pain in areas like the feet, knees, shoulders, elbows, and hands during this phase. Estrogen, which plays a vital role in reducing inflammation in the body, diminishes during menopause. Consequently, joints may experience reduced natural lubrication, leading to difficulties in movement and increased discomfort.

Personally, I've noticed a significant change. At the start of last year, I developed severe golfers elbow in both elbows. Now, before you conjure up images of me on the green, let me clarify—I've only played golf once! The culprit? Legless rope climbs and my tendency to rely too heavily on my biceps instead of engaging my back muscles. While I've dealt with this before, it's never been this severe. In the past, working with a physio helped me resolve it within a couple of months. But this time, despite modifying my exercises, the pain persisted. It wasn't until my amazing friend Dr Brandi Cole, who happens to be a sports physician, gave me a stern talking-to (Haha) before jetting off to join the Matildas for the FIFA World Cup. She advised me to give my elbows a complete rest—no gripping anything, no bars, dumbbells, ropes, kettlebells—absolutely nothing. It threw a wrench into my workout routine, but it was a wake-up call that I'd pushed myself too far.

So, I dialled it back and focused on exercises like squats, lunges, core work, and some peculiar banded exercises to strengthen my back. Essentially, I took a six-month hiatus from anything requiring a firm grip. Now, I'm slowly reintroducing pull-ups and other gripping exercises. The lesson here? What worked in the past may not necessarily work now. But there's always something we can do to build muscle, despite our pains. With time, these flare-ups will ease if we remain committed to strength training, HIIT workouts, and maintaining a low-inflammatory diet.

If you're perimenopausal and looking for some assistance with this, comment below or DM me, and let's book in a time to chat!

?? Lisa xox