All it takes is exercising for a few minutes everyday for postmenopausal women to better regulate insulin, maintain metabolic function and control weight gain, claim researchers.
A new study suggests that women can take a proactive approach and may not need to increase their physical activity dramatically to see significant benefits from exercise.
Lead researcher Vicki Vieira-Potter said, “Diseases and weight gain associated with metabolic dysfunction skyrocket after menopause. The intent of this research was to determine what role exercise plays in protecting women, specifically less-active women, metabolically as they go through menopause.”
Potter’s research team compared how exercise training maintained metabolic function in sedentary rats versus highly active rats.
The rats were provided a running wheel which they could use as much or as little as they wanted.
The sedentary rats only ran 1/5th of the distance as the highly active rats did; yet, the limited physical activity still maintained their metabolic function and normalized insulin levels.
Moreover, the previously sedentary rats saw a 50 percent reduction in their fat tissue as a result of that small amount of exercise.
“These findings suggest that any physical activity, even just a small amount, can do wonders in terms of maintaining metabolic function,” Vieira-Potter said.
“This is significant for postmenopausal women as they deal with weight gain associated with menopause as well as the increased risk for disease.”
Potter said sedentary women can be proactive as they enter menopause by:
*Going on regular walks with friends;
*Taking the stairs rather than the elevator;
*Joining beginners’ fitness programs;
*Monitoring physical activity through use of fitness trackers.
The study was published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal.
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