This morning while running my AM route I waved to the elderly woman I regularly see out jogging in the morning. She always acknowledges me with a nod and a smile as she jogs along and I feel this inexplicable sense of pride when I see her out with the rest of us. That’s what I want to be when I grow old…forever active and on the road.
There comes a time in every woman runner’s life when she notices a few more aches and pains and a marked slowing of pace. The weight seems a little harder to keep off, but worse than that, mood swings – some of which can be quite severe, may impact our very motivation to run. Each of us will eventually reach menopause (if you aren’t there already). So what is a woman runner supposed to do? Well, according to a study conducted by Runner’s World and the Melpomene Institute…keep running!
This study looked at more than 600 women who were both pre and post menopausal, at an average age of 50. Most of these women complained of experiencing a slower pace and increased aches while running– but the #1 benefit reported by the women in the study was a relief of the emotional symptoms of menopause. Nearly 31 percent of those in the study referred to the improvement in “emotional health” as being the biggest benefit running brought to their lives. Heck – that’s one of the terrific benefits of running throughout our lives!
A recent article for Runner’s World pointed out that women lose up to 90% of their estrogen in menopause – which causes bone mass to drop 2-5% annually for the five years following menopause. This increases the risk of osteoporosis, which running unfortunately can’t prevent.
According to exercise scientist Steven Hawkins, PhD, “The influence of menopause is beyond what running can overcome,” and he strongly recommends strength training for menopausal women as a supplement to their running. “But,” says Hawkins, “Osteoporosis is not exclusively about the quality of bone; it’s also about the quality of muscle surrounding the bone. If your muscles are built up, you’re less likely to fall and break a bone, no matter what state it’s in.”
A separate study published in the Journal of American Health found that bone density was 5% higher for women runners in menopause than it was for their “couch potato” counterparts. Further, the Journal also reported that women over the age of 50 who did not exercise at least 2 times a week were 85% more likely to develop a bone fracture than their active counterparts. Separately, a Cal-Berkeley study showed that the risk of developing heart disease was decreased for women runners by 30%!
So the physical benefits of running continue on past menopause – that much is clear. But it may be the emotional benefits of running, and regular exercise in general, that provides a really big payoff through menopause.
A study by the National Institutes of Health looked at post-menopausal women who exercised at least 70 minutes a week or three to four times a week. These women “reported striking improvements not only in energy level and relief of mood swings and depression, but in cognitive functioning as well. Participants in this study attributed their walking, running and everything-in-between to their ability to think better at work and to perform everyday tasks more efficiently and effectively.”
Personally, I think this is also about confidence and self esteem as well…clear “intangible” benefits of running that keep on giving through all stages of a woman’s life.
