Health Center - Perimenopause
Not sure why you're waking in a sweat? Never sure when or if your period will occur or why you bleed so much when it does? You may not think you're old enough for menopause, but perimenopause—the transitional time leading up to menopause—can last several years. Let us help you manage this stage of your life.
Health in Your 50s
Because fat burns fewer calories than muscle, maintaining your weight becomes more of a challenge, and losing weight can be downright difficult as you get older. Consult your health care professional to calculate your daily calorie intake and help you develop a regular exercise program that maintains muscle, burns calories and raises your metabolic rate. Ask for a calculation of your body mass index (BMI). This measurement of your height and weight is one type of assessment used to determine if you are at a normal weight, overweight or obese. For more information on calculating your BMI, visit the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Aim for a Healthy Weight Obesity Education Initiative.
Don't Ignore Silent Changes
You won't see or feel some changes caused by estrogen decline or the aging process, but they will be happening nevertheless. These include:
Bone loss. You have gradually been losing bone mass as you’ve been aging, but after menopause, the rate of bone loss increases significantly. An estimated 20 percent of women in their fifties already have osteoporosis and 52 percent already have low bone mass. Make sure your diet is rich in calcium, engage in regular weight-bearing exercises (walking and dancing) and strength-training (lifting weights) to help keep your bones strong. Studies show that even gardening can help prevent bone loss in older women.
