Lifestyle Changes For Menopause Symptom Relief

Every woman will go through menopause. The average age for this is between 40 and 58 years old. It is a transition period for women, and is defined as the time when women aren’t able to get pregnant anymore. Menopause also means women have not had a period for 12 months in a row. Although menopause is normal, it isn’t comfortable for women. Symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, and vaginal dryness. Some of these start to appear before menopause in the time leading up to it.

The great news is there are many options for menopause treatment. Many look at estrogen for menopause or other forms of hormone therapy. Menopause supplements are also quite popular! But in terms of hot flash relief and night sweats treatment, there are many natural remedies for menopause out there!

Focus On Pelvic Exercises

Menopause causes weakened pelvic muscles. This is what triggers urinary incontinence in menopause! A thinning urethra also contributes to this. The good news is pelvic exercises are great at fixing this, especially when they are practiced regularly. They are also incredibly easy to do! All women need to do is squeeze their pelvic muscles and hold them in the tightened position for 5 to 10 seconds. Once this time is up, the muscles can release and relax.

This exercise is best if repeated 10 times in quick succession. Women can do these sets of 10 up to 3 times each day. Pelvic exercises can be performed in multiple ways, which makes them even easier. Women can do them standing up, sitting down, or even while lying down. They’re perfect for multitasking!

Follow A Healthy, Balanced Diet

A lack of nutrients can make symptoms of menopause more intense than they need to be. Not enough fiber, for instance, can put digestive problems at the forefront! Menopause and osteoporosis are quite closely linked, so women also need to get lots of calcium. Iron is also a key mineral for women going through menopause. Women should balance their diet well.

Healthy choices to start include dairy products, legumes, and sardines for calcium. Iron-rich foods include dark, leafy greens, lean red meat, chicken, turkey, and eggs. Women should also get sufficient sun and consume vitamin D fortified foods, since vitamin D is closely linked to calcium. Vitamin D supplements are also an option.

A healthy and balanced diet is important to get menopause symptom relief, but so is portion control! Larger portion sizes increase the severity of symptoms like night sweats and hot flashes. Thus, women should control their portions and maintain a healthy weight to relieve these symptoms with their diet.

Reduce Caffeine Consumption

Coffee and tea are both popular morning beverages. Just about everyone has at least one cup of these each morning. Sometimes they even have more! Although they are delicious and great ways to start the day, they can worsen menopause symptoms. This is because of caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant, and when someone drinks too much, they can have symptoms like a headache, the jitters, flushed skin, and palpitations. Caffeine also interferes with sleep! It stresses the nervous system, and this system is already stressed due to menopause.

Reducing caffeine has been shown to reduce hot flashes in women going through menopause. Not drinking as much caffeine also help get rid of night sweats! Try herbal teas or green teas instead of coffee and black tea to help with this transition.

Stress Management

Issues with sleep and anxiety are quite common during menopause. Night sweats can interrupt a woman’s sleep, and anxiety can make for many other difficulties too. Stress management during menopause is a great lifestyle change to keep in mind. Relaxing and resting during the day helps women compensate for sleep they lose at night. Meditation, yoga, and even gardening are great ways to get rid of stress.

Less stress automatically provides menopause symptom relief. Hot flashes, for instance, can be triggered by increased stress and anxiety. Take those away and there will be fewer hot flashes! Women with higher emotional and mental health are better equipped to manage the physical symptoms of menopause.

Avoid Wearing Tight Clothing

Tight clothing is a choice many women make. It can provide confidence, and even comfort in certain cases! However, tight clothing can also aggravate menopause symptoms. Specifically, it can make women retain more body heat, which makes hot flashes more intense. Tight clothing also increases skin flushing, and tight pajamas increase the risk of night sweats.

Women going through menopause should avoid wearing tight clothing and look for loose, breathable clothing to wear instead. Loose and breathable clothing will help women cool down during a hot flash much faster. This kind of clothing will help their body temperature as regulated as possible at night to reduce the intensity of night sweats. And when their clothing is not rubbing against their skin as much? They’ll experience less flushed skin!