Menopausal women often find it more difficult to lose excess weight and reduce body fat. Celebrity personal trainer Faye Edwards spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk on why combat and dance related exercises should be a regular part of a woman’s training week.
Faye told Express.co.uk: “There are so many changes in the body during perimenopause, along with some uncomfortable symptoms, so it’s important to stay as active as possible, provide the body with balanced, healthy food options and die Doing things that make you feel good about doing it.”
The celebrity PT recommends that menopausal women opt for fight- and dance-based workouts as they’re a “great way to improve cardiovascular fitness, reduce body fat and lift your spirits.”
She continued, “Exercise is medicine.”
And the switch to music makes it all the more enjoyable, meaning those on their weight loss journey are less likely to quit.
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Faye shared that music-based workouts allow fitness fans to experiment with all kinds of styles, be it drum and bass, garage, Caribbean music, or dancehall.
Rather than doing something like running, which feels monotonous, moving to the music — whether it’s a fight class or a dance class — “causes us to put passion and purpose into every move.”
And aside from being fun, participating in a “high-energy” fight or dance session can burn between 500 and 700 calories an hour, according to the expert.
But these dance and fight-based workouts don’t have to be incredibly intense if you don’t want to, and can be made “accessible” for all fitness levels.
“It’s about going at your pace, and that’s why these workouts are good because they offer modification.”
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Factors such as intensity and speed can be changed individually, and if you want an additional challenge, you can add hand weights to your exercises.
So what are the benefits of dance and fight training for menopausal women?
In addition to shedding up to 700 calories per session, Faye listed some “key” benefits, like improving your cardiovascular fitness, coordination, and memory.
“It’s also a good cardio workout.”
And at a time when women can experience a rollercoaster of emotions, an added benefit is that these exercises are sure to “release those feel-good hormones, endorphins.”
“You know that you will feel good after training.”
Combat classes, in particular, are a great “stress buster,” which is especially beneficial since cortisol (the stress hormone) can rise in perimenopausal women.
Some of the main moves that Faye focuses on in the fighting classes are punches like jabs, crosses, hooks and uppercuts.
It’s fantastic for tightening your upper body and building muscle.
As for dance, Faye likes “trendy moves that feel a little cheeky.”
Dance also addresses footwork, be it jumps or heel ditches.
“I’d say a mix of strong movements and slow, controlled movements with the hips.
“The higher impact modes give you a fierce feel.”
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