WHY
IS GOOD FOR YOU By Claire Winter Claire Winter is a trainer, creative writing coach, and nordic walking instructor. She runs walking and writing courses and retreats.
W
alking can really make you feel happier. It’s been scientifically proven that being in nature can boost your mood. It’s been well documented that exercise can also help with menopausal or perimenopausal symptoms. What you might not know is that just half an hour of Nordic walking every day will increase your heart rate which in turn will give your estrogen levels a boost. This can often help protect against the worst of the hormonal symptoms many women suffer from in midlife. Nordic walking works in multiple ways to improve overall fitness, health, and wellbeing.
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MENOPAUSE LIFE SUMMER 2022
How does Nordic walking help during menopause?
1
You sleep better Intense exercise can often release a flood of cortisol into the system, which is the last thing it needs, and it often leads to disrupted sleep patterns especially in midlife when cortisol levels are naturally higher. But regular moderate exercise such as Nordic walking conversely works to balance cortisol levels, which helps promote better sleep.
2
Your pelvic floor gets a workout During perimenopause and menopause as levels of estrogen drop, your pelvic floor also becomes weaker and less elastic. One of the benefits of Nordic walking is that it’s a workout that focuses on your core and pelvic floor muscles without you even realising it. Every time you push through your pole you are engaging and strengthening the deep core muscles that stabilise you and support your pelvic floor. As part of the walking technique, you also do an active heel-toe roll, which engages the whole backline of your body and activates your pelvic floor via its connection to your pelvis too.
