4 Lifestyle Habits You Should Adopt During Menopause

When menopause hits, will you be ready? The “change” can upend your worldview and your health, but there are things you can do and not do to make the transition less fraught with irritation.

At Women’s Health Care Center of Houston, with two locations in Houston, Texas, our team of women’s health and reproduction specialists offer help with menopause symptoms and advice for managing this time in your life.

Menopause basics

Menopause is the period of your life when your body goes through another change similar to puberty, except instead of speeding up the production of hormones and getting you ready to bear children, your hormone production falls sharply and you stop ovulating.

Many women complain of new and unpleasant health symptoms during this time in their lives. Some are well-known, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. Others are more insidious.

4 menopausal lifestyle habits to adopt

You can impact your health during menopause by shifting your lifestyle. Here are four healthy habits for menopause:

1. Stop smoking

Smoking raises your risk of both osteoporosis and chronic illnesses, including gut or bowel disease. If you haven’t quit yet, it’s not too late. Your body still has time to recover from side effects of smoking.

2. Eat better

A balanced healthy diet can help your body weather the effects of menopause. Aim for plenty of fiber from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; vitamins and minerals from citrus fruits, berries, and leafy greens; calcium from dairy; and lean proteins.

Try to space your meals evenly apart to help manage blood sugar levels. If you’re overweight, now is a good time to drop extra pounds and get on a slightly lower daily caloric intake to protect yourself from chronic diseases exacerbated by obesity.

3. Stay hydrated

Your body replenishes fluids at a slower rate as you age, so make sure you’re getting enough water and other fluids, especially in the summertime. You might also want to cut down on diuretics. Consider limiting your servings of coffee, tea, soda, and alcohol and drink an extra glass of water with each meal.

4. Exercise

Stay moving to stay mobile. Your joints can be affected by dropping estrogen levels during menopause, leading to joint pain/arthritis. Low-impact workouts are best, so consider adding walking or biking to your daily routine for your joint health. 

Exercise has other benefits as well: promoting weight loss, heart health, mood, and more. You don’t have to hit the gym hard, just do more than you’re probably doing right now, and slowly increase to 20 minutes a day.

Is menopause looming? Get in touch with our team by calling 713-365-2900, or visit our contact page to make an appointment today.