Despite popular narratives, perimenopause isn’t just about hot flashes, night sweats, sex hormones, ovulation, and the natural transition to menopause. It extends beyond hormones to impact muscle mass, bone density, cardiovascular health, cognitive function, mood, skin health, sex, and more.

Perimenopause of course is a natural phase before menopause when a woman’s body starts shifting, causing irregular periods, mood swings, and other changes due to fluctuating hormone levels, marking the transition to the end of reproductive years. It’s like a rollercoaster ride for the body, with ups and downs, as it prepares for the next stage of life.

In this post, I call attention to how low estrogen caused by perimenopause can negatively impact your health, and what you can do to slow and even reverse the progression of health conditions related to declining estrogen.

Addressing Muscle Loss

Muscle loss for women typically begins in one’s 30s or 40s and becomes more pronounced with aging. It’s a gradual process, and its progression can vary among individuals in response to numerous factors, including the person’s health history, genetics, exercise regimen, diet, and stress. A decline in estrogen levels during menopause (usually occurring in the late 40s or 50s) can contribute to the acceleration of muscle loss in women.

One important aspect of healthy aging is to avoid the loss of muscle mass or, even better, build muscle mass as you age. This is entirely possible to accomplish with the right combination of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), exercise, proper diet, and medication to stimulate growth hormone.

It’s no secret that as we age, we tend to lose muscle mass, but muscle is more than what meets the eye. It has a range of impacts on the body, including functional strength and independence, metabolic and hormonal health, bone health and prevention of chronic disease. Here are a few ways that muscle health impacts overall health: Continue reading…