menopause series 2
Your Nervous system
As I mentioned in part one, this is likely the key to unlocking the benefits of many of the suggestions we hear around improving lifestyle in menopause.
Most of us spend our time living in our sympathetic nervous state (stressed, fight vs flight); and we often don’t know how we can move out of that state, but it is possible.
What’s the big deal? You’ll feel frazzled, struggle with your sleep and nutrition, be too exhausted to exercise and therefore possibly feel frustrated at the body composition that results.
There are some things that you can do to move toward a more regulated nervous system. Prioritizing yourself will help here.
The cost of a dysregulated nervous system
Living in a chronically stressed state can have implications for your digestive health…
Your body may react by slowing down digestion; when you’re in a fight or flight state, your body will de-prioritize digestion to allow for other functions that would support fighting or running to take precedence.
You may experience bloating, constipation or other gastrointestinal discomfort.
Living in this state perpetually will almost certainly be impacting your digestion and/or appetite, which in turn impacts our overall energy intake.
Feeling exhausted and not being able to recover from acitivities of daily living, let alone recover from added exercise is the reality for some of us who are teetering on the edge of burnout.
Breath work
Incorporating intentional breathwork can be effective in regulation of the nervous system; it can have a grounding and calming effect on the whole body. Diaphragmatic breathing can also aid digestion, as the movement of the diaphragm can have a suction effect on the digestive system, increasing its’ motility and therefore aiding digestion.
`Beyond this, when practised in specific positions, breathwork can impact the shape and function of your ribcage and therefore the connection with your abdominals- you just need to know how!
Whats’ the most effective way to practise?
The one that you can do the most easily, that you can access wherever you are, and you feel the most relaxed when doing so.
An inhale through the nose, thinking of expanding your ribs with your breath, a little hold of breath and a soft long exhale for 3 minutes would be a great starting point.
For a deeper understanding on breathing, be sure to book a session with me.
Coach Poppy