menopause activity programme
Posted 8th December 2023
Our Let's Get Going for Menopause programme is designed to equip women with vital information to help them navigate through the menopause and to provide friendly and reassuring support to be active.
The 6-week programme combines gentle weekly walks, an information session with a specialist medical professional, yoga for menopause, and strength & conditioning exercises for menopause - all delivered by people passionate about helping and supporting women through this stage of life.
The programme is free to participants. And you don't need to be a member of Fitmums & Friends to take part - non-members are welcome too.
If you are dealing with the symptoms and effects of perimenopause or menopause, Let’s Get Going for Menopause is for you. It will help you manage this life event and make being active easier.
Learn more about what happens at the sessions below. And find out when and where the next programme will take place here.
If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to email vickie@fitmums.org.uk. If you feel anxious about attending on your own, but would really like to benefit from this programme, please email - we have many ways we can give you support to attend.
After completing the programme, one lady told us:
"This group has provided so much useful information and has been invaluable to everyone I have spoken to in the group! I cannot praise the leaders highly enough. They are an inspiration and the support and dedication they have shown to us all has helped us immensely. I am saddened that the course has ended now but with the tools and knowledge and resources we have learned over the last few months, we will be able to continue our menopause journey that bit more educated and more importantly - together! Hopefully, many other menopause women will be able to have the same journey!".
Read on to learn more about the programme:
Weekly walks (and talk)
A lovely team of trained leaders will host the walks each week. They each have an interest in menopause and a passion to support women to be active in midlife. They are excited to be a part of this programme and look forward to welcoming you to sessions.
Walks will be tailored to your ability so there is no need to worry about levels of fitness. Walk distances range from 1 to 3 miles. We use specific systems of support to enable mixed abilities to enjoy an appropriate workout without fear of being too slow. The leaders will ensure you are appropriately warmed up for the activity and then take you through a gentle cool down afterwards.
And, of course, one of the most important parts of the sessions is the opportunity to chat with others who may share similar experiences. We understand how valuable this can be.
Understanding the menopause - symptoms and treatments
This information session is led by a specialist medical professional. It will give you an insight into what the menopause is, how you may recognise symptoms, ways to help with symptoms, treatments available, and current, evidenced-based resources to access yourself for further reading. All from a practitioner who works day-to-day providing menopause advice and treatments for patients locally.
You will be able to ask questions, and you can do this separately after the talk if this is better for you. It is a fantastic opportunity to increase your understanding and awareness of perimenopause/menopause.
Yoga for menopause
A yoga practice helps creates balance in our physical, emotional and spiritual body.
The practice has evolved, adapted and expanded as it has moved from East to West and as our lives have changed. It is now as much about stretching a body from sitting at a desk as it is about calming the mind and finding connection to the earth and ourselves. There are many benefits to having a yoga practice and often it depends on why you decide to take it up. Yoga can be especially helpful in supporting women during the transition from perimenopause to menopause:
- Can help with managing some of the symptoms that women can experience when going through peri/menopause
- Increased flexibility, more aligned posture, ease within the spine and structure of the body
- Helps retain muscle flexibility, general mobility and balance - this is especially important for future life to protect from potentially dangerous falls
- Increased muscle strength and tone, less tension
- Improved respiration, energy and vitality
- Connection to the breath which then helps calm the nervous system
- Cardio and circulatory health
- Improved athletic/active performance
- Protection from injury and help with recovery from injury
- Connection with a community
- Can help lower blood pressure, boost immune system and more! Moving is good for the internal systems of the body
- Allows you time to REST!
There are so many styles of yoga that there is something for everyone – those who would like to rest, those who wish to stretch with strength, focused areas of movement such as hamstrings or shoulders. If you are active, then yoga allows that space for the body to both rest and move, leading to a more balanced, active lifestyle. A more balanced, active lifestyle can lead to less stress, less injury and more focus which more often than not mean a happier, fitter and more healthy individual!
Strength & Conditioning for menopause
An exercise routine for perimenopausal/menopausal women should include endurance exercise (aerobic), strength exercise and balance exercise.
The weekly walks described above will build fitness and stamina. This weight-bearing exercise, where feet and legs support your weight, is essential.
It is also important to incorporate resistance exercises into a regular routine to build stronger bones and supports the hormonal imbalance in menopause. The strength and conditioning session will help you understand what sort of exercises are important to include, how to do them safely and effectively, and how to easily add this component into your life. Accurate instruction is essential to ensure you are using correct movement patterns and not risking injury. These sessions are designed for all abilities, so there is no need to worry if you have never done this type of activity before.
All participants are given a plan to help you fit these valuable strength and conditioning exercises into your life at home after the programme.
More feedback from ladies who have attended our Let's Get Going for Menopause programmes:
"A great combination of walks, talks, yoga and strength & conditioning classes. Lovely to be in a group sharing the same things we are going through."
"Being with others in a similar situation and realising I'm not going crazy!"
"This program has been wonderful. It has helped me with my confidence and given me the right advice on exercise and wellbeing. From 12 weeks of walks and chat to my first 1-mile run. Leaders are amazing, I shall carry on."
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