Menopause and muscle weakness is an inescapable fact of every aging woman's life and dealing with the accompanying symptoms is an achievable goal through proper health management. Menopause and the problems that come along with it is largely dependent upon a woman's genetic make-up, but equally responsible is the way she has led her life.

Her lifestyle, family history and the amount of exercise, diet balance and emotional well being she has maintained, are all contributing factors that determine her possible menopausal issues.

Menopause and Muscle Weakness: Causes

The years after menopause can be happy and productive, if negative consequences, such as, muscular weakening, reduced bone density, irritability and joint pains are avoided through preventive measures. Muscular weakness is a common complaint of many women going through menopause and the likely causes are leading a sedentary lifestyle, smoking or poor nutrition before this change sets in.

Menopause and Muscle Weakness: How to Overcome

As it is possible to prevent bone loss through timely calcium intake and magnesium supplements, combined with weight-bearing moderate impact exercises and strength training with weights, it is also possible to counter muscular weakness. Including vitamin D in the diet and exposure to adequate sunlight with the right balance of a healthy diet and regular physical exercise are factors that contribute to your overall fitness levels.

These precautions would also help prevent the early onset of muscular problems. The downward spiral for women after menopause usually occurs when body stability and flexibility has been neglected through limited movements. This in turn, varies the sensory motor activity and brings down optimal muscular strength.

Menopause and Muscle Weakness: Muscular Mass

Menopausal muscular weakness occurs due to the loss of muscle mass that naturally happens as time goes by. Aging affects women sooner through muscular weakness, if they have not been exercising regularly or adequately and by the age of 70, women lose about 15% every decade. To combat this problem, it is very important that musculo-skeletal strength training is undertaken to help burn fat and stimulate bones. When this is done, minerals that keep them dense are retained and overall muscular and bone strength is maintained.

From the age of 30 onwards, there is a steady decline in muscle mass and women with no strength training lose between 5 and 7 pounds of muscle mass within 10 years. To be better equipped to bear up to the symptoms of menopause, it is essential for women to take up a properly designed strength-training program as this helps you to have more strength available per kilogram body weight. Your trained muscles remain stronger up to an advanced age and life after menopause can be as fulfilling as before.

Menopause and Muscle Weakness: Prevention

To prevent muscular weakness during menopause, women should go for strength training, and schedule it for two to three times per week using weights, combined with aerobic exercise. This helps in building muscle strength, which affects bone density, balance and endurance. A program for each muscle group that addresses muscular tone, strength and endurance is very important to circumvent menopause and muscular weakness related to it.

Flexibility, balance and coordination increases through regular strength-training, and gentle yoga, Pilates and other stretching activities once or twice weekly can offset the challenges of core musculature. Breathing and other cardio routines, combined with this simple program bring general well-being and better chances of good health later in life too.