Pilates with Adele

Women who do Pilates…..

🧘‍♀️Joint STIFFNESS For Post Menopausal Women

Have you noticed more joint stiffness, aching hips, sore shoulders or niggling tendon problems since entering perimenopause or menopause?

We hear about hot flushes, 🔥sleep disruption 💤and changes in body composition, but the effect menopause can have on our muscles, joints and connective tissues receives far less attention.

What’s the connection?

Oestrogen has a role in maintaining our muscles, bones, 🦴cartilage, tendons and ligaments. As levels fluctuate and eventually decline during menopause, some women notice changes in how their bodies move, feel and recover.

Researchers have proposed the term “musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause” to describe the combination of joint pain, loss of muscle and bone strength, tendon problems and reduced physical function that can occur during this transition.

How can menopause affect tendons?

Tendons connect muscles to bones and are primarily made from collagen.

Oestrogen influences collagen turnover and how tendons respond to load. When oestrogen levels decline, tendons may become stiffer, less resilient and slower to recover from exercise or repetitive activities.

This may contribute to an increased risk of tendinopathy—the persistent pain and reduced function associated with an overloaded or irritated tendon.

Common problem areas include:

Achilles tendon and heel
Plantar fascia underneath the foot
Gluteal tendons at the side of the hip
Hamstring tendons
Rotator cuff and shoulder
Elbow and wrist

The evidence is still evolving, and hormones are rarely the only factor. A sudden increase in exercise, repetitive movements, previous injuries, reduced muscle strength, footwear, body weight, sleep and recovery can all play a part.

What about joint pain?

Perimenopause and menopause can be associated with aching, painful or stiff joints. The hands, knees, hips, shoulders and spine are commonly affected.

Reduced oestrogen may influence inflammation, pain sensitivity and the tissues surrounding a joint. However, not every painful joint is caused by menopause. Osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, bursitis, injury and other medical conditions can produce similar symptoms.

What can help?

Keep moving🧘‍♀️

Complete inactivity can make stiffness and weakness worse. Walking, mobility work, swimming, Fitness Pilates and gentle cardiovascular exercise can all help you remain active.

Build strength 💪progressively

Strengthening the muscles around a joint provides additional support. Tendons also need appropriate loading to stay strong, but increases in weight, repetitions and training frequency should be gradual.

Include strength training at least twice a week, working at a level suitable for your experience and health.

Avoid sudden changes

Problems often appear when we suddenly add more running, jumping, walking, weights or classes than our body is prepared for.

Build your training in stages and allow adequate recovery between harder sessions.

Warm up properly

Prepare your joints and muscles with controlled mobility and lighter versions of the exercises you are about to perform. A towel, resistance band or yoga strap can be brilliant for gentle upper-body mobility.

Prioritise recovery

Sleep disruption, stress and inadequate nutrition can all affect how well we recover. Try to include regular rest, sufficient protein, a balanced diet and plenty of fluids.

The key message is not to stop moving. 🚶‍♂️‍➡️Your exercise may simply need to become more progressive, balanced and recovery-focused as your body changes.

🧘‍♀️More Than Just Pilates

Pilates with Adele Online will be more than an online exercise membership.

It’s a supportive wellness 🥗community designed to help you feel stronger, 💪healthier and more confident from the inside out.

Alongside unlimited Pilates classes, you’ll receive expert wellbeing advice, health coaching, nutrition and lifestyle tips, plus skincare guidance to help you look after your body and mind. My holistic approach is about creating healthy habits that improve how you move, feel and live every day.

Move well. Feel well. Live well.

💪Stronger together , one Pilates class at a time! 🧘‍♀️