Menopause & Lifestyle

Eating well, exercising and looking after your mental wellbeing can help with symptoms during perimenopause and menopause.

healthy women
Lifestyle Choices
Dewisiadau Ffordd o Fyw

What lifestyle choices can I make to improve the symptoms of menopause?

  • Keep to a regular sleep pattern
  • Eat calcium rich food
  • Exercise regularly
  • Do relaxing activities such as yoga, tai chi or meditation
  • Talk to others going through a similar experience
  • Talk to a GP about supplements

  • Avoid smoking
  • Avoid drinking more than the recommended amount

  • Due to the decrease in oestrogen during the menopause, we slowly lose calcium from our bones. Eating the following foods can help reduce the chances of osteoporosis and help you to live a healthy lifestyle:

  • aim for 2/3 portions of calcium a day such as a yoghurt, 200ml skimmed milk, small slice of cheese, etc.
  • foods containing vitamin d such as oily fish, some mushrooms, red meat, eggs, some fortified cereals
  • eat leaner cuts of meat
  • reduce your intake of refined sugars found in sweets, cakes and soft drinks
  • avoid processed foods
  • aim to eat at least 5 portions of fruit/vegetable a day
  • eat high fibre foods such as high fibre cereal, wholegrain breads, etc
  • aim to eat 4 portions of unsalted nuts, seeds and legumes each week

  • What type of exercises will help during menopause?

    There are many exercises that can help to protect and strengthen your heart, bones and muscles whilst helping you to maintain or improve balance, body weight, mood and overall wellbeing.

    Try to include several types of physical activity to your routine such as brisk walking, cycling, aerobics, weight training, dancing, yoga, etc.

    Support Groups

    The Menopause Charity aims to create a world where evidence-based information and appropriate care is available  to help understand the changes in the body that occur during perimenopause and menopause and how we can become better equipped to deal with these changes.

    The Association of UK Dietitians offers an insight into how a range of lifestyle changes can make symptoms of the menopause more tolerable.  For all going through the menopause or perimenopause, diet and lifestyle changes can help with symptoms. 

    The British Menopause Society (BMS) is the specialist authority for menopause and post reproductive health in the UK. Established in 1989, the BMS educates, informs and guides healthcare professionals, working in both primary and secondary care, on menopause and all aspects of post reproductive health.

    Women’s Health Concern (WHC), established in 1972 and the patient arm of the BMS since 2012. WHC provides a confidential, independent service to advise, inform and reassure women about their gynaecological, sexual and post reproductive health.