Workout Programs for Postmenopausal Women

The hormone change during menopause takes a significant toll on a woman's body, and can leaving the woman feeling fatigued, aching and all around drained. The effects of menopause can also decrease the body's nutrients, leaving the body lacking in calcium and other important vitamins. For these women, exercise can be a key to keeping the body strong and focused. Never start an exercise regime without first consulting a physician, and consider a number of programs or a combination of exercises.

Resistance Training

• Researchers at the University of Arizona estimate that 80 percent of people suffering from osteoporosis, or loss of bone density, are women. The study states that women can lose up to 30 percent of their bone mass between the ages of 40 and 70, increasing the risk of fractures, breaks and need for replacement surgery.

  Strength training, or resistance training, can help to increase a woman's bone mass density, or BMD, reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Using free weights or weight machines, postmenopausal women can strengthen their muscles and bones to support an aging body.

  Strength training also includes exercises such as sit-ups and pull-ups that can increase muscle strength throughout the body. Women should take part in strength training three to four times per week, with a day off in between to allow sore muscles to recover. Never exceed a weight beyond what a doctor or trainer recommends or you could injure muscles and joints.

Aerobic Exercises

• Aerobic exercises can help to strengthen muscles that support bones and joints, but can also keep an older woman's heart and lungs strong.

  Aerobic exercise can include any exercise that increases breathing and heart rate, from climbing stairs to cycling to dancing.

  Aerobic exercise increases the amount of oxygen you take in, which promotes blood circulation and exercises your heart to keep it strong. Light aerobic exercise, such as taking the stairs or walking around the park, can generally be done everyday without injury. Heavy aerobics, such as spinning classes or intensive running, should be spaced out with at least one day of rest in between to avoid overworking the muscles.

Flexibility Training

• Postmenopausal women commonly suffer stiffness and soreness in joints and muscles, and balance and flexibility workout programs can help to reduce this discomfort.

  Stretching is the easiest way to maintain flexibility. Extending muscles into a stretch requires no special equipment but can keep muscles from fatiguing or tightening. Women should stretch everyday, especially before and after other forms of exercise, to prevent muscle damage or stiffness.

  You can also consider a regulated stretching and flexibility workout, such as yoga. Keeping muscles stretched as well as strong can increase balance, posture and range of motion.