What is actually happening to our body during menopause – and how can we navigate this life transition with confidence and clarity? Read our Thrive Journey guide to find out!
Menopause symptoms are like a shopping list of unwelcome guests: hot flashes, heart palpitations, insomnia, vaginal dryness, mood swings, anxiety and brain fog – to name just a few.
And each woman will be affected differently, so everyone’s experience will be unique. But by having greater awareness of the biological and hormonal changes happening, you can embrace menopause and find your rhythm during this life stage.
As the global ageing population rises, so too does menopause. According to The Demography of Menopause, (1) around 25 million women each year globally go through menopause. In 1990 there were around 467 million post-menopausal women and this figure is expected to increase to around 1.2 billion women by 2030. Yet despite this, menopause is still shrouded in mystery.
What happens to your body during menopause?
Menopause is one day – exactly 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. For most of us this day goes unnoticed, but the symptoms don’t! This is because menopause is not a single moment, but part of a broader biological transition that occurs over several years.
These symptoms are the result of hormonal changes during menopause – the decline of the main sex hormones oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone which leads to many of the physical and emotional changes women experience at this time.
The three stages of menopause explained
There are three main stages of menopause: Perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.
Perimenopause
Perimenopause is the beginning of menopause and can creep up gradually or hit you like a train! It usually begins in the early 40s but can also start in late 30s and lasts on average around 4-8 years. At this stage hormone levels begin to fluctuate significantly as our ovaries begin to produce less eggs.
This means that you won’t always ovulate and when this happens progesterone isn’t produced properly. This can affect the length of your cycle and result in lighter or heavier periods.
Progesterone (which is known to have a calming influence on our mind and body) declines and oestrogen will spike and fall.
Oestrogen influences our serotonin levels and therefore has an impact on our mood, anxiety and stress levels as well as affecting temperature regulation – which can lead to hot flashes and night sweats.
Oestrogen also acts as a kind of lubricant for the body, so as our levels decline our tissues become a bit drier and more sensitive, leading to perimenopause symptoms of aching joints and reduced bone density.
Menopause
Menopause is when a woman has gone 12 months without a menstrual period – and it’s at this stage when many women experience the peak of menopausal symptoms as the ovaries have now stopped releasing eggs and oestrogen levels remain consistently low. Your body still produces oestrogen – but at much smaller rates and instead of the dominant oestrogen made in the ovaries the body produces a weaker form of oestrogen (estrone) in the peripheral tissues.
Typically menopause happens on average around 51 years in the west and slightly younger in many Asian countries (typically around 49.5 – 50.5 years in Singapore) (2).
Postmenopausal
This is the time after menopause and essentially – the rest of your life, which on average means that women can spent a third of their life in this phase (3). This can be split into early post menopause and later post menopause. Early is around the first 5 or so years following menopause, and at this time there are still symptoms such as hot flashes and bone density levels can decline at a rapid rate. As you move towards later post menopause, hormone levels stabilise and there are less symptoms, but it is important to be aware of long term health issues – including heart and bone health.
Common menopause symptoms women experience
It is generally thought that around 20 per cent of women will have severe symptoms, 20 per cent are likely to breeze through this time with minimal or no symptoms and the rest (around 60 per cent) of women will have moderate symptoms. Hormones are largely responsible for these symptoms but there are other factors which play a part too, such as genetics, sleep quality, stress levels, cultural awareness and expectations and mental health history as well as the sensitivity of the brain to hormonal changes.
The main symptoms are hot flashes and night sweats, sleep disturbances – which can range from insomnia to night-time waking and light sleep, mood changes and irritability, many women find things they just ‘put up’ with in the past can now send them into a full blown rage!
This blast of energy, can be positive – being able to speak your truth and step into your power. View this as an opportunity to build your confidence and support your self-care. Traditionally women move into the menopause phase as their children transition into puberty and their parents become less active with health issues of their own, which exacerbates the challenges.
Other symptoms include brain fog and difficulty concentrating, fatigue and reduced energy – both of which make it challenging to function in the corporate world and managing a home and family.
Metabolic changes and weight gain (or loss) can also happen as well as irregular and heavy periods and changes in libido.
How to support your body naturally during menopause
Remember menopause is not a disease, but a normal transition and the symptoms are all natural responses to hormonal changes, rather than signs there is something ‘wrong’ with the body.
To help cope naturally during menopause, look at daily wellbeing practices such as focusing on the eight pillars of health. Small adjustments in diet and nutrition, movement, stress management and sleep can make a meaningful difference in how women experience menopause.
Nutrition that supports hormonal health
Our body’s nutritional needs shift during menopause due to the changes in metabolism and hormone levels. Ensure you are eating regularly and eating a balanced diet with plenty of whole foods, healthy fats and protein. Aim to increase serves of protein (such as chicken breast, salmon, eggs, Greek yoghurt, lentils, tofu and nuts,) as this helps guard against sarcopenia (muscle loss) and anabolic resistance (as you age your muscles need more protein to stimulate muscle repair). Protein also helps to maintain bone structure and regulate metabolism.
You should also increase Calcium (dairy- milk, yoghurt and cheese), canned salmon and sardines and leafy greens, and Vitamin D intake (with safe sun exposure) and fatty fish, such as salmon and sardines and eggs. Eat plenty of fibre, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids and healthy fats such as olive oil and avocado, nuts, seeds and oily fish as these support brain health, are anti inflammation and help to protect the heart.
Movement and physical activity
Regular exercise and movement is key to help support metabolism, cardiovascular health and mental wellbeing. Vary your routine and include a range of different exercise styles and movement from strength training to power walking as well as yoga and Qigong. At Thrive Journey we have specific live and online Menopause Yoga classes each week, taught by our Thrive Journey yoga teachers, Sarah Manning and Katie Brown.
Stress management and nervous system support
With so many hormonal changes at a time of life, when women are already under pressure, it’s no surprise that stress levels can rise. Practices such as mindfulness, yoga, breathwork, restorative yoga, yoga nidra and meditation all help to promote emotional balance, nourish the nervous system and offer ways to manage menopause symptoms naturally. A German study found evidence that yoga provides some relief for menopausal women. And advised yoga can be recommended as an additional resource for women with psychological issues associated with menopause. (4) At Thrive Journey we have more than 300 on demand videos including guided relaxations and our Well Woman Course, as well as weekly Menopause Yoga and Qigong classes.
Prioritising rest and sleep
Broken and poor sleep are one of the most common menopause symptoms. Practices such as yoga for mental health and meditation help to manage stress and support mental health, which can have a positive impact on sleep and overall wellbeing.
It’s also important to have a strong sleep hygiene routine – healthy habits such as regular sleep and wake times, limit caffeine later in the day, reduce alcohol and resist the urge to scroll on your phone before sleeping – or in the night!
Improving the quality and quantity of your sleep and rest can have a major impact on balancing energy levels, mood and hormones.
Allow yourself to thrive through menopause
Menopause is a natural part of our transition through life and not something that needs to be ‘fixed’. View it with curiosity and self-compassion and see it as an opportunity to support your mind, body and energy levels. Make lifestyle changes needed to support yourself and prioritise your own self-care. And know you are not alone – at Thrive Journey we are here to offer guidance, support and insights to ease menopause symptoms and ensure you embrace this stage, emerging stronger, healthier and happier. Check out our Thrive Journey Menopause Yoga classes and tailored support in our Menopause Life Stage.
References:
- The Demography of Menopause Review.Hill K. The demography of menopause. Maturitas. 1996 Mar;23(2):113-27. doi: 10.1016/0378-5122(95)00968-x. PMID: 8735350. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8735350/
- The age of menopause and the menopause transition in a multiracial population: a nation-wide Singapore study.Loh FH, Khin LW, Saw SM, Lee JJ, Gu K. Maturitas. 2005 Nov-Dec;52(3-4):169-80. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2004.11.004. Epub 2005 Jan 6. PMID: 16257608. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16257608/
- Healthdirect – Post Menopause https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/post-menopause
- Effectiveness of Yoga for Menopausal Symptoms:Cramer H, Lauche R, Langhorst J, Dobos G. Effectiveness of yoga for menopausal symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:863905. doi: 10.1155/2012/863905. Epub 2012 Nov 7. PMID: 23304220; PMCID: PMC3524799. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3524799/
