Reader Perspectives on Navigating Menopause

Robyn Bruggeman: Let’s Lift

I recently went through menopause. It was traumatic, confusing, and hard. Why was I so tired? Why did working out suddenly become harder? Why was I so moody and temperamental? My body hurt more, I was becoming stiffer, and it was becoming harder to stay thin.

I belonged to a gym and was working with a coach; he didn’t know much about menopause. He couldn’t understand why I was so emotional, or why I couldn’t function well on some days. It was frustrating for both of us.

I tried without success to find a gym that wasn’t hypercompetitive or focused on men. I wanted a gym that catered not only to men, but also to the needs of older women. I obtained certifications in both personal training and menopause health and fitness, and decided to open my own Vital Fitness Gym in Saint Louis Park.

As we age, we lose lean muscle mass, and with that comes the loss of strength and balance. We have a higher risk of developing diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease. In addition, our bodies shift away from producing fast-twitch muscle, and we’re left with slow-twitch muscle, which means we lose power and the ability to respond quickly.

By the time the average woman has gone through menopause, she has lost up to 7 percent of her bone density. Loss of bone density causes osteopenia and osteoporosis, which can result in a shortened spine and a higher risk of fracturing a bone. That coupled with the loss of lean muscle sets us up for falls and fractures.

The solution I offer is for women to build muscle and maintain bone density. The best way to do both is to lift heavy weights for five or six reps. Lifting stimulates hormones that facilitate muscle growth and bone formation.

Doing high-intensity interval training twice a week to maintain cardio fitness — because heart disease is the leading killer of women — promotes fat loss, improves insulin sensitivity, and helps with bone density. Eating protein to stimulate muscle remodeling is also important.

I find that women tend to underestimate how strong they are. It’s rewarding to watch someone discover a power they didn’t know they had.

Trina Porte: One a Day for Women

Do you remember those 1960s TV commercials? A smiling family standing in a spotless kitchen filled with sunshine? Orange juice and toast were involved, and maybe a beach ball.

The message: One a Day vitamins were responsible for this suburban miracle of perfect happiness. My sister and I were given Flintstones vitamins, but the intent was the same. If you want a happy family (and, apparently, a clean kitchen and good weather), you must consume this product.

Fast-forward 50 years. I’m now an aging, still-vitamin-taking lesbian in my sunlight-filled (though oddly dusty) kitchen reading about estrogen replacement therapy. Hot flashes, mood swings, body temperature plummeting like the Cyclone roller coaster, heart disease, breast cancer, osteoporosis — a confusing, worrisome jumble.

Then, right before the last paragraph, an herbalist and healer — and an aging woman like myself — says there is one harmless, drug-free way to solve this dilemma. Masturbate. Once a day. No more estrogen pills, no progesterone cream, no isoflavones, no tofu, and no worries. Now that’s a type of one-a-day I can handle.

Apparently, masturbation stimulates a woman’s own estrogen production, which also alleviate the issue of painfully dry intimate areas that we can experience as we age. Long story short: I’m really glad I’m a lesbian. And what a delightful way to restore our own vigor.

After my hysterectomy, I said to my ex-wife that women like me (without ovaries anymore) won’t be able to stimulate our own estrogen production. Her response was priceless: “You can’t blame a woman for trying.”