Pourquoi les activités de plein air peuvent-elles vous aider à surmonter la ménopause ?

Les bienfaits de la vie en plein air pendant la ménopause

1. Améliore les sautes d'humeur, la dépression et l'anxiété

Getting outdoors, enjoying your surroundings, and hopefully feeling the sun on your skin, can be a great boost if you are feeling low or stressed. If you are menopausal, there's even more reason to make this a habit. 

Perhaps you've found yourself feeling more irritable, low, tearful, or anxious? You're not alone. Changes in mood are a common feature of perimenopause and menopause, affecting around 1 in 2 women.

This happens because the same hormones that control your menstrual cycle, oestrogen and progesterone, also influence your serotonin and cortisol levels. As oestrogen decreases during menopause, levels of serotonin - the happy hormone - also go down, while stress hormone cortisol levels may go up. Getting outdoors can help rebalance these hormones. This works in several ways: 

• Sunlight triggers serotonin production in your body lifting your mood straightaway. 

• Si vous marchez ou faites de l'exercice, c'est encore mieux : l'activité physique libère des substances chimiques du cerveau appelées endorphines, qui aident à soulager l'inconfort et à améliorer l'humeur. 

2. Helps you sleep better at night   

A broken night's sleep is often part of menopause, sometimes caused by uncomfortable hot flushes. But going for a walk outside at the start of the day can improve how well you sleep that night. 

En effet, la lumière du jour influence le taux de mélatonine, l'hormone qui régule l'horloge biologique. En vous exposant à la lumière du soleil le matin, vous augmentez votre taux de mélatonine nocturne plus tôt, ce qui vous aide à vous endormir plus facilement.  

Alongside its benefits for menopause related insomnia, bright morning light is proven to be effective against premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Melatonin also plays an important role in fighting infection, auto-immune problems, inflammation, and even cancer.  

Not only energising and refreshing, a good night's sleep also supports you through menopause by maintaining a healthy hormone balance. Many of your hormones are released and regulated during sleep - including progesterone, cortisol, and HGH (human growth hormone).  

3. Protège contre l'ostéoporose 

Menopause also leads to bone loss. The oestrogen hormone helps build bone mass, so lower levels during and after menopause leave your bones more vulnerable to fractures caused by osteoporosis. In fact, it's thought that at least 1 in 3 women over age 50 will experience these fractures. 

Getting plenty of vitamin D could help counter this effect, maintaining strength in your bones. As you can't get enough vitamin D from the food you eat, the most important source is natural sunlight. When the sun hits your skin, your body produces a form of vitamin D that promotes healthy bones.  

In places like the UK where we have limited exposure to the sun in winter, it’s also recommended that everyone take a daily vitamin D supplement. Combining natural sunlight with a 10 micrograms (400 units) daily supplement is best. 

The mental health benefits of the outdoors - and nature in particular - may also help your bones. Both long-term stress and depression interrupt certain hormones important for bone health, which is thought to be caused by high cortisol levels.  

Like all things in life, there's a balance to be struck. Too much UV radiation from the sun can be harmful for anyone, but after menopause, how this affects your hormones may contribute to several health issues.  

Selon le chercheur clinicien Kai Triebner, il s'agit notamment de maladies cardiaques et de maladies neurodégénératives telles que la maladie d'Alzheimer. Mais nous avons besoin de la lumière du soleil pour rester en bonne santé, alors à quoi ressemble un bon équilibre ? 

Le scientifique conclut qu'en règle générale, une exposition au soleil de 10 à 15 minutes par jour pour le visage et les avant-bras est une bonne chose. Si vous restez dehors plus longtemps par temps clair, mettez de la crème solaire et essayez de vous couvrir, même si vous attrapez facilement des coups de soleil.