Exercise for Menopause Brain Fog, Memory, Depression and Anxiety
Release Date: 11/29/2024
Metabolic Health During Menopause and Beyond
The Flipping 50 Show
Of the many changes that occur midlife, metabolic health during menopause may be too low on your list. We think about the changes we experience: the brain fog, the change in our waking energy, the belly fat or lack of muscle tone. Know the importance of metabolic health and the need to understand what’s going on. The Flipping 50 STRONGER series is now or soon will be open. For a coach experienced in supporting your needs start to end, My Guest: Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, founder of the Institute of Nutritional Endocrinology, transforms the healthcare system by using the wisdom of nature...
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Where Protein Recommendations for Women Come From?
The Flipping 50 Show
In this episode we’re diving into all things protein recommendations for women, especially women over 40. The spoiler alert is this: RDAs are not in your best health’s interest. In case you’ve slept through this, check out the latest episode of Dr Gabrielle Lyons with Donald Layman. It’s a long hike or two walks to be sure. But in it you’ll hear how nutritional guidelines came about. It will make you laugh. We have put so much stock in something that was basically, like, this sounds good or a compromise. And… the recommendations as we well know originally came from the dairy, beef...
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How to Find a Positive Body Mindset While Menopause Changed Everything
The Flipping 50 Show
Body positivity is a term by now you’re familiar with, but do you have a positive body mindset? Menopause changes your body, energy, or relationship that can come at midlife. Of the up to 90,000 thoughts we think a day, how many of yours are about the body you have and don’t want vs gratitude for the one you’ve got? Tune in to have that positive body mindset! My Guest: Stephanie Roth-Goldberg, LCSW, CEDS-C is a psychotherapist and psychoanalyst specializing in treating eating disorders and athletes in NYC and NJ. Stephanie teaches about Eating Disorders, anti-diet athletes, healthy food...
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Why HIIT May Be Failing You
The Flipping 50 Show
HIIT may be failing you for two big reasons. Spoiler alert, here they are: You aren’t actually hormonally in a place you’ll benefit. You are doing them outside a sweet spot that is optimal for results So I’ll quickly address #1 and have a deeper discussion on #2 and what actually is happening during HIIT and why it has the potential to be so good, if you’re ready! Your Glucose Metabolism to Know Why HIIT May Be Failing You The classic form of “all out” HIIT is the Wingate test. After about 3 to 5 minutes of warm-up the subject cycles for 30 seconds at maximum effort against a...
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How to Slow Aging and Feel Younger Fast with Epigenetics
The Flipping 50 Show
Slow aging is no longer a mystery — it’s rooted in the science of epigenetics. This includes lifestyle, diet, and environment influence your biological age. Understanding biological versus chronological age reveals strategies to live longer and feel younger. Today’s episode covers tools and insights for changing biological age. If you're ready to slow aging and feel younger fast, this episode is for you. My Guest: Hannah Went, a Biology graduate from the University of Kentucky, is passionate about longevity and breakthrough technologies. After researching cell signaling and biology, she...
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5 Exercises You May Be Getting Wrong After 40!
The Flipping 50 Show
With the best of intentions but armed only with the knowledge we got from decades ago, from yesterday on YouTube or AI, we could be doing it wrong. Exercises like these many women are getting wrong after 40, can change the trajectory of your aging and not only not be giving desired results but taking time and energy that could be placed somewhere with far better results. I shared this with our community members months ago because the reactions were significant. So I wanted to expand the reach and perhaps give you a little insight to why you may be not only not getting the results you want but...
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Workplace Menopause Rights: What Women (and Employers) Need to Know
The Flipping 50 Show
Just what are your workplace menopause rights? As a woman in midlife, it’s important to know that menopause matters at work. It’s more than just a health issue; it’s a matter of rights, voice, and empowerment in the workplace. Know your rights, your voice and your power. Empower yourself with the knowledge of workplace menopause rights! My Guest: Jack Tuckner, Esq. Jack Tuckner, a Women’s Rights in the Workplace attorney and founding partner of Tuckner, Sipser, Weinstock & Sipser, LLP, champions workplace gender equality. With 20+ years of experience, he advocates for women facing...
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Everything You Didn’t Know About Your Menopause Gut Health (and Need to)
The Flipping 50 Show
Your menopause gut health is about to get a booster shot. This episode is ripe with information about probiotics, digestive enzymes, your immune system, food sensitivities and so much more. Stay till the end and I’ll share the digestive enzyme I’ve now been using for 3 months. If you are curious about all the fuss around dairy and gluten and your menopause gut health, this episode will answer some questions! It’s guaranteed to give you some too! My Guest: Steven Wright is a Health Engineer, Functional Medicine Expert, and founder of The Healthy Gut Company — which helps get...
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Love Relationships and The Health & Hormone Connection
The Flipping 50 Show
After 50, love relationships take a turn. For women who become more educated and mature their relationship may no longer solve a problem they can’t solve on their own. My respected guest and Flipping 50 returning favorite on love relationships, Dr. John Gray. My Guest: John Gray, author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, wrote the iconic relationship book, a global bestseller translated into 45 languages. With 20+ books, including Beyond Mars and Venus, he transforms how men and women view relationships, blending communication skills and nutrition for lasting health and romance....
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12 Strength Training Mistakes in Menopause Robbing Your Results
The Flipping 50 Show
Most commonly the challenge is gaining lean muscle. Doing all the things but can’t seem to gain muscle? Then tune in and go through this like a check list of 12 strength training mistakes in menopause that could be the reason. It just takes one. But if there are multiple, it’s compounded and in this case, not interest but penalty! Join us at to support your journey avoiding the 12 strength training mistakes in menopause. Overworking Small Muscle Groups [00:02:20] You need fewer of these small muscle group-focused exercises in your routine if you prioritize the major muscles like chest...
info_outlineIf you deal with menopause brain fog, mild depression or anxiety any time of year, this is for you. It’s also for anyone who wants the latest science on exercise and brain health. The evidence around how movement affects mental well-being is growing, and I want to share some of the most impactful insights with you.
Almost all types of exercise seem to show benefits on mental well-being. Activities like resistance training, yoga, other mind-body activities, aerobic exercise, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can support brain health to some extent. In this episode I’ll share which exercise helps most, specifically on menopause brain fog, mood, or anxiety.
No matter when you’re listening to this episode, it’s relevant for multiple reasons and seasons. But as I release it during the holiday season, it can have more impact. Whether you might be facing memories of loved ones you’ve lost, whether it was this year or in years past, or the traditions, memories, or emotions that come with the season that make this time of year bittersweet. While holidays can be magical and full of warmth, they can also feel heavy, bringing sadness, anxiety, or emotional struggles to the surface. For women with menopause brain fog and memory issues, the holidays can have an even greater impact.
Beyond Menopause and Brain Fog
Global prevalence of depression in perimenopausal women are at 33.9% and 34.9% in postmenopausal women. Why? This may be due to estrogen and progesterone fluctuations, sleep disturbances and greater susceptibility to negative effects of stress.
Most adults with depression don’t receive adequate care - due to the stigma or the fact that they don’t respond well to antidepressants. And pharmaceuticals don’t address the physical comorbidities associated with depression.
Exercise is well accepted as an alternative or complement due to accessibility, acceptability and safety. Even physical activity below public health recommendations can yield significant mental health benefits [and is a necessary place to start].
Menopause Brain Fog, It’s Not Just You
A recent study published in the Biomedical Central Public Health Journal of over 200 randomized controlled trials show exercise interventions may have more potent antidepressant effects than SSRIs.
A study examined which of 5 exercise interventions helped reduce depression levels most in postmenopausal women and if certain population characteristics responded differently.
The Exercise Interventions:
- Stretching Exercise
- Aerobic Exercise
- Resistance Training
- Mind-Body Exercise
- Multi Exercise
Mind-Body Exercise had the greatest effect on easing anxiety, followed by Aerobic Exercise. Exercise helps because it creates a controlled stress response, increasing resilience to anxiety.
Years ago, I shared a study showing yoga boosts cognitive function more than muscle conditioning. A study published in Menopause: The Journal confirmed that mind-body exercises reduce fatigue, insomnia, depression, and anxiety.
Why mindbody? Yoga increases melatonin levels, balances nervous system and improves
brain-derived neurotrophic which improves cognition and memory.
Best Exercise for Menopause Brain Fog
The menopause brain fog experienced by many women may improve most with HIIT, being characterized by periods of “all out” exercise to breathlessness.
A study in the Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry in 2018 showed a Wingate protocol study on HIIT:
- Exercise Structure
- 30 seconds of all-out effort (fast-paced or against resistance) per interval
- 4 - 6 intervals per session, with 4 minutes of recovery between intervals
- Total Intense Exercise Time
- 2 - 3 minutes of intense exercise per session lasting a total of 20 minutes, including rest periods
- Training Frequency
- 3 sessions per week (totaling 15 minutes of high-intensity work per week)
- Results
- 2 Weeks - Improved skeletal muscle oxidative capacity
- 6 Weeks - Equivalent to traditional endurance training (40 - 60 minutes, 5 sessions per week)
- Additional Benefits for Midlife Women:
- Time - HIIT sessions take 1.5 hours a week, compared to other traditional endurance training 4.5 hours a week
- Cortisol - Short HIIT sessions avoid the cortisol spike (40 - 60 minutes is the tipping point where cortisol spikes negatively)
Most women say they feel more energized, lighter, and more focused after HIIT compared to long endurance sessions. Studies on postmenopausal women with osteoporosis found that high-intensity, high-impact protocols led to positive responses, with low injury rates and high retention.
Other Exercises for Menopause Brain Fog
Resistance training also proves popular among women with anxiety, potentially due to the fact that the increase in heart rate and intensity is temporary, strength gains are made fairly quickly for a beginner and that carries over to increasing motivation, improved sleep.
Walking outdoors with friends combines three sources of serotonin for women, particularly: movement, sunlight, and venting/talking.
References:
Han, B., Duan, Y., Zhang, P. et al. Effects of exercise on depression and anxiety in postmenopausal women: a pairwise and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Public Health 24, 1816 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19348-2
Min Chul L, Sung Ki L, Suk Yool J, Hyung Hoon M. New insight of high-intensity interval training on physiological adaptation with brain functions. J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2018 Sep 30;22(3):1-5. doi: 10.20463/jenb.2018.0017. PMID: 30343552; PMCID: PMC6199482.
Xu, Hong MM; Liu, Jian MD; Li, Peishan MD; Liang, Yujie MD. Effects of mind-body exercise on perimenopausal and postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Menopause 31(5):p 457-467, May 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002336
Resources:
BLISSMAS 12-Day Challenge:
https://www.flippingfifty.com/blissmas
Other Episodes You Might Like:
Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain:
https://www.flippingfifty.com/save-your-brain/
Six Powerful Ways To Keep Your Perimenopause Brain Sharp:
https://www.flippingfifty.com/perimenopause-brain/
Exercise Your Way to a Better Mood in Menopause: