How to celebrate (& prepare for) menopause

When your body says it’s time to say farewell to Aunty Flo, it’s also your moment to drop into fifth gear and speed down that highway of life at a new velocity. With the right mindset, menopause can mean less worries and a revived energy to (re)focus on yourself. Sounds pretty good, right?

So, toss those tampons and let’s get you on track to prepare for menopause.

Hold onto your hat. While many women recognise menopause as a time of change that occurs as we get older, there are in fact two defined stages – perimenopause and postmenopause.

If you’re “going through menopause”, what you’re really experiencing is perimenopause. On average perimenopause lasts for four years but can be experienced for as little as a few months to ten years. The tell-tale signs include hot flushes, heightened PMS, breast tenderness, fatigue, and bladder leaks.

The good news is that, in this case, the grass is greener on the other side. You’re officially in the postmenopause club when you’ve been without a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. Reaching menopause and entering postmenopause is a time for celebration. In our opinion, it’s time to bust out the party poppers and welcome a new lease on life without that pesky PMS hanging around.

No matter what perimenopause symptoms you are dealt, you can bank on some version of unpredictability as you reach this stage of your life. While there are some physical changes you can’t change, there are some that you can.

Here’s our shortlist of the top healthy habits that will help to manage the changes in your body more easily.

Get that body moving, girl! While many of us think of hitting the gym or a morning yoga routine to salute the sun (which are both very good options for your overall health), we are specifically talking about a muscle group that is often neglected – your pelvic floor.

As your body ages, the pelvic floor muscles that support your pelvic organs including your bladder, bowel and uterus can weaken. This important muscle group are responsible for bladder control, and without their much-needed strength, pressure from a laugh or sneeze can cause bladder leaks. The fact is, if you are experiencing bladder leaks before you enter perimenopause you are at a higher risk of this condition leading to more serious issues as your body continues to change.

What’s the solution? Look after yourself by starting a daily targeted pelvic floor training program, like PeriCoach. Regardless of your age, regular guided pelvic floor exercises are your answer to keep your body (and bladder) in check.

Your metabolism naturally slows down as you approach menopause. As the likelihood of weight gain increases, so does the stress on your bones, heart and other organs. To combat this change, be mindful of what you are eating and drinking. Opting for a balanced and nutritious diet will lead to better gut health, which goes hand-in-hand with your mental health too.

Need to start small? Avoid or reduce sugary drinks, alcohol and caffeine to cut out unnecessary calories from your diet and lessen the pressure on your precious pelvic floor muscles. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint to make better choices and trust us, the positive health benefits are worth it.

Taking some time to recharge should be a daily must-have. Whether it’s an evening wind down routine, meditation session or going to bed early, making a conscious effort to put these practices into place is important to calm your thoughts and rejuvenate your body.

Read our easy tips in our article, How to fit three minutes of self care into your day.

It’s more important than ever to stay on top of your regular checkups. Detecting symptoms, such as bladder leaks, early could mean your condition is more manageable and treatment is more likely to have a greater impact.

No matter if you are preparing for perimenopause, or managing the changes, prioritising your pelvic floor health is important. If this muscle group is weakened, you could be facing a urinary incontinence condition of which the cost to treat and manage, both emotionally and financially, can be huge.

If you are like most of us, making the choice to improve your health isn’t the hard part. It’s making the change to your lifestyle that can be a challenge. You may be battling with time restrictions or are unable to access health specialists due to your location or budget. PeriCoach is an affordable solution. The targeted trainer provides women of all ages the ability to strengthen their pelvic floor from the comfort of their own home in as little as three minutes a day.

Research shows that women who use PeriCoach reported a significant reduction in bladder leaks which are on par with the results of specialised, guided physiotherapy. Data from women who completed the eight week guided PeriCoach training program also reported an improvement in their quality of life, including an increased enjoyment of life’s daily tasks.

Preparing for perimenopause with PeriCoach is the key to a stronger, healthier you, and we’re here to support you at every squeeze along the way.

While menopause is inevitable, it’s also a new beginning that can be as rich and fulfilling as other life chapters. Think of menopause as your permission slip to care less about those small, insignificant problems and focus on building on those moments that bring joy and meaning to your life. In the words of Oprah, “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”