Well, ladies, they say that menopause comes for us all, and with it, comes all of the annoying hormonal symptoms that we can’t escape. I turned 40 earlier this year, and since then, I have been waiting for perimenopause to catch up with me. I’ve eagerly read all of your comments on other posts relating to menopause and bought Dr. Jen Gunter’s The Menopause Manifesto to be prepared. One of the things I’ve read about is how women really need to incorporate weight training into their routine as they get older in order to make up for the loss of muscle mass and bone density that contributes to weight gain.
As it happens, Brooke Burke turns 53 this year. Brooke has always been very tuned into health and fitness, and her workout routine has changed as she’s aged. Brooke recently did an interview with Fox News Digital in which she talked about how her workout routine has changed since hitting menopause. Similar to what I have read, Brooke’s new workout routine includes weight training with heavier weights in order to jump start the metabolism, create strength, and shift your hormones.
“This stage of my life as a woman, Mother Nature is just dishing out challenge after challenge for us,” the television personality told Fox News Digital in a conversation about fitness and wellness. Burke, 53 in September, has incorporated compound exercises and heavy weights into her workout regimen, the latter of which women often stray away from.
“I want to speak to this quickly because most women are afraid of heavy weights. And there’s this myth attached to it that we’re going to get bulky. Not true. Like, we would have to consume so much protein and go so heavy and be so diligent about that program to really change the body,” she said.
“What I found, I’m in my 50s, no one prepared us for menopause and said, ‘Learn how to weight train.’ The reason we need to weight train is for bone density. It’s bone health, osteoporosis. It shifts your hormones. It kicks up your metabolism. It creates strength. It allows you to develop more coordination so we can do other things.”
“It’s the first time I’m really adding heavy weights. And heavy for me is like 10 pound arms, right? I’ve always added heavy weights to my booty burn programs to build curves in the glute muscles,” said Burke, who hosts a LIVE! Zoom workout class every Friday on her website, BrookeBurke.com. “But it’s making me stronger. I’m feeling my body changing, I’m able to maintain lean muscle. I’m also adding a lot of protein to my diet because my body needs it.”
Depriving your body of what it needs – food – is something the former “Dancing with the Stars” host recommends you don’t do.
“I feel like we are in a phase in our country of a quick fix. And that fad diet and shocking the system and so much discipline that we’re not enjoying our life. I am eating more. I’m leaner, I’m stronger, and I’m more satisfied. And I have more energy. I’m eating nutrient-dense foods, I’m eating more protein. My smoothie – the other day on social media, somebody asked me how many calories were in my smoothie. I was like, ‘I do not count calories.’ I just don’t. I won’t. I have enough stuff to count in my life,” she said. “There are so many calories in my smoothie, but here’s the difference. It’s nutrient dense. It’s loaded with good fats. I’m fueling my brain. I’m feeding my body. I’m energizing my whole system. It’s just a retraining of the brain. Eat, everybody. Don’t starve.”
Burke says that while she does intermittent fasts in the morning, she does it “with intention” and puts full cream in her coffee.
“I never would have done that. The younger me? No chance. I’m feeling my body with that. I’m satisfied and I’m eating really well. Flavorful meals, herbs, spices, oils, it’s a different way of approaching wellness. Different than when I was in my 20s. It’s better, and it’s more fun, and it’s more flavorful.”
Literally everything that Brooke says here is something that I read over the past few weeks or come to realize over the last couple of years. I’ve tried to adjust my diet and fitness routine accordingly. I’ve always been big on doing core work like planks and push ups, but have generally shied away from doing any weight work over 5lbs. Like many people, I was also worried about getting “bulky,” even though I’ve heard for ages that this is just a myth. I take Pure Barre classes a few times a week and last year, started doing their weight-based class, Define, which has gotten me up to using 10lb weights. I did notice a change in my body when I started taking that class, but it’s only once a week, and I feel like I’ve stalled out over the past few months. I need to find another way to add weights to my routine.
Brooke is also right about how important it is to focus on nutrition. As we get older, it is important to make sure we’re eating to fuel our bodies in order to keep our energy up and our metabolisms going. I’ve noticed that when I have smaller, yet more filling meals that incorporate a protein, healthy fat, and vegetable, my body reacts better than if I was going to skip meals. It’s crazy how much our bodies change as we get older, and how we have to stay on top of these things! If anyone has any other tips or advice on ways to adjust for your body as it changes, please, feel free to share.
Photos credit: Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com, Joey Andrew/startraksphoto.com, IMAGO/MediaPunch / Avalon