PHOTO: MICHAEL SIMON/STARTRAKSPHOSTO.COM (People Magazine)

Brooke Shields has an awesome feature in People Magazine talking about how she found her body confidence at 55. It’s a wonderful article and we love how she captures that even five minutes of exercise can be a positive experience. 

She’s been doing some great exercise tips with her trainer Ngo Okafar on Instagram. These include chair exercises, but also balance exercises with an exercise ball and some strength training. We thought this would be the perfect time to call out what you can do with your Excy for a broad range of midlife exercises for menopause (pre, peri, and post-menopause). 

Can’t Ignore the Science of Exercises for Menopause

According to research, women with high physical fitness at middle age are nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia decades later, compared to women who were moderately fit. In addition, a new study has found that taking up regular exercise in middle age is associated with the same lower risk of early death as keeping active from the teen years onward. So, it’s never too late to start! 

Fitness Tips to Try for Menopause

Regular physical activity is important for women facing menopause, but what are the best exercises for menopause or during midlife? It varies from woman to woman. But, according to the Mayo Clinic, aerobic activity, strength training, stretching, and stability and balance exercises are at the top of the list. We know these exercises are important to maintain our bones, stay strong or get stronger, improve endurance, and maintain our weight, but there’s more! We can’t forget the role of exercise in promoting greater heart, brain, and emotional health, and reducing the risk of 13 different forms of cancer. 

Excy Offers Total Body Exercises for Menopause Years

For most healthy women, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends moderate aerobic activity for at least 150 minutes a week or vigorous aerobic activity for at least 75 minutes a week. In addition, strength training exercises are recommended at least twice a week. There are so many obstacles to getting fit during menopause, but Excy’s unique approach makes it much easier.

Cardio Exercises for Menopause with Excy

Cycling through menopause with Excy isn’t just about pedaling your legs, it’s also about your arms. Cycling is ideal for its cardiovascular and mood enhancing benefits and can get those ‘feel good chemicals’ (exercise endorphins) pumping. If you crank up the resistance, you can also get your dose of strength training. Our mobile coaching application offers interval training coaching. You can switch things up to circuit train between recumbent cycling, cycling lying down, step cycling, and then of course, explore the arm bike workouts. You are in control of the speed, whether you want to pedal continuously or mix in higher levels of high resistance burst intervals. 

Sample Cardio Positions with Excy

Strength Training During Menopause

Around age 30, we begin losing roughly 1% of your muscle mass each year. Because muscle burns fat, this actually leads to fat-based weight gain. You can reverse this process and fight osteoporosis by weight training. But it’s important to work all your major muscle groups (including legs, arms, core, and butt). This is another place where Excy truly shines. As you get stronger, Excy makes it easy to increase resistance up to 70 pounds to keep building strength. From bicep cranking, to leg presses, to body-weight exercises, step cycling, and more, Excy’s approach to resistance training is convenient at home, work, or on the go. By simply cranking up the resistance, you can easily focus on every muscle in your body. Find that perfect range and you can double-dip cardio and strength training at the same time.

Sample Strength Training Positions with Excy

Stretching Exercises for Menopause 

As we get older, the body becomes less flexible, so it’s important to stretch to relieve both physical and mental tension. Stretching can even help to balance out the fluctuating hormone levels that occur during menopause. There are so many wonderful ways to use Excy to stretch out your hip flexors, shoulders, hamstrings and more. 

Sample Stretching Positions with Excy

Stability and Balance Exercises to Try During Menopause

A study by the National Center for Health Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that falls are the most common cause of non-fatal injuries to women. While the Council is looking primarily at seniors, even younger women in menopause are more prone to falling than their pre-menopausal sisters.

There are some wonderful balance exercises you can do with Excy to enhance proprioception, reactions and balance to help decrease risk of falls. For stability and balance, it’s all about the recruitment of core muscles. But, you also have to focus on the core foundation of your feet and ankles, which you can do with Excy in multiple positions.

Sample Stability and Balance with Excy