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Cardio Exercises for Menopausal Women: How to Stay Fit and Healthy

dianasg1966


1.      Zone 2 Exercise

 

·         Complete 30-45 minutes of cardio in your fat-burning heart rate zone for at least 150 minutes weekly.  


eg.  Each day, walk/cycle for 30  minutes at a pace at which you can just about hold a conversation (your Zone 2 ) and that’s 210 minutes per week already. Use the heart rate chart to find your fat-burning zone or Zone 2. 


Zone 2 is low impact and requires a consistent pace at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. If sustained for 30-45 minutes, it is more effective at fat loss than most other exercises because, at this pace of aerobic endurance, the body taps into fat as its fuel source.

If you have been completely sedentary in the past, then focus on walking for 5-10 minutes a day for the next four weeks. If you regularly participate in high-intensity workouts, use this challenge to try to do exercises that put you in the fat-burning zone.


·         How to determine Your Zone 2 Heart Rate Range

1.      Subtract your age from 220 to find your maximum heart rate (Mhr).

2.      Multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.60 and 0.70 to find your Zone 2 heart rate range.

3.      Alternatively, you can determine if you’re in Zone 2 by using the “talk test”. If you are slightly breathless but can maintain a conversation, you’re likely in Zone 2.

 

2 .  Add in S.I.T (sprint interval training) instead of H.I.I.T (high intensity interval training)


Question: What is S.I.T? Answer: it’s a type of high-intensity exercise that involves short bursts of intense activity followed by periods of rest, often used to combat the body composition changes associated with menopause, like decreased muscle mass and increased fat mass; it can potentially help improve fitness and overall health in postmenopausal women. 



Now, these women did 8 seconds fast cycling and alternating it with 12 seconds of slow cycling – 20 minutes – 3 times a week – for 8 weeks. Don’t try to do this straight away or ever if you would rather not – just start slowly.


How you ask? Like this: After your zone 2 walk or cycle (where you can walk or cycle whilst just about holding a conversation), then add on your sprint intervals (for 5 or 10 minutes): cycle or run as fast as you can for 10/20/30 seconds and alternate that with 1 minute (or less) of really slow walking or cycling.

 

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