In this episode you’ll hear me respond to one of our Flipping 50 members asking a question about being sore in menopause, for no reason. If you’re sore, stiff, or even have a little niggle or “catch,” this is for you.

If you’ve passed this kind of thing off for arthritis or getting old, stick around. If not you, a girlfriend or sister needs to hear this.

Paulette asked:

“I'm looking for suggestions about what helps with muscle stiffness and soreness unrelated to injury.

I have noticed in my transition to menopause that I have much more muscle stiffness and less flexibility,  despite being quite active and doing yoga several times a week. It's mostly my legs and hips...and low back...well, probably every muscle...lol.

I wake up stiff and it generally improves within a few minutes of movement, but I notice it throughout the day when I bend down, or try to get down on the floor or up from there.

I'm sure this is a common complaint among 50 plus women...what helps with this?”

Reasons for Being Sore in Menopause

Some women experience this and it can be due to a lot of things… The changes in estrogen during menopause can lead to various symptoms. Specifically, estrogen deficiency can cause a snowball of symptoms.

Some of the habits we thought were good, are actually not, or not going to match the status of our hormones and their influence on muscles, bones, connective tissues, gut health, sleep, sex and every cell in our body.

Over time, women are finally getting more savvy. As we find more women less willing to accept weight gain, belly fat, frequent injuries, stiffness, or in this podcast, soreness as normal processes of aging… and instead as clues we need a pivot from prior habits or beliefs, we’ll all start making aging better instead of dreaded!

Reduce or eliminate:

• Dairy
• Gluten / Wheat
• Eggs
• Soy
• Peanuts
• Corn
• Nuts (including almonds and almond flour or almond milk)

Oxalate consumption can also be a problem. The body makes oxalate acid that can contribute to muscle pain or soreness as well as gut issues. (Listen to the podcast for a food high in oxalate and the flips)

If you have any other leaky gut signs (gas bloating, constipation, diarrhea). But.. you don’t have to have these gut signs, by the way, to have a problem with the gut or these oxalates. They’re sneaky little things.

Lack of Gut Issue Doesn’t Mean You Won’t Be Sore in Menopause

Here are some suggestions for increasing your anti-inflammatory response.

Add or increase:

• Salmon
• Omega 3 supplements
• Magnesium
• Vitamin D
• Antioxidant rich brightly colored veggies
• Matcha tea (a clean, tested for mold and heavy metals ceremonial grade is super high in antioxidants having one of the highest ORAC values)

Habits:

• Epsom salt baths
• Longer warm up and cool down
• Infrared Sauna
• Pay a little more attention to your mobility work

As a side note:

Genetics play a part in whether you tend to get sore or not. There are two specific genes identified with this. Certainly with conditioning, you’ll experience less soreness. But a unique workout, involving small muscles you don’t use often will cause more muscle soreness than something that focuses on glutes or quadriceps that are used to a lot of activity.

Other Episodes You Might Like:

6 Secrets to Less Stiffness and Muscle Soreness After 50:

https://www.flippingfifty.com/6-secrets-to-less-stiffness-and-muscle-soreness-after-50/

Current Status: Fatigued and Want to be Fit!:

https://www.flippingfifty.com/fatigued-and-want-to-be-fit/

4 Step Process to Resolve Fatigue Naturally:

https://www.flippingfifty.com/fatiguedoc/

Resources:

Lisa Barr: www.BarrCenter.com

Teri Cochrane: www.tericochrane.com

My Sauna: https://www.flippingfifty.com/sauna

References:

Wright, V. J., Schwartzman, J. D., Itinoche, R., & Wittstein, J. (2024). The musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. Climacteric, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/13697137.2024.2380363