Zone Training for Stronger Bones after Menopause
/What is Zone training?
If you haven't heard of it before, fear not! I am going to give you an overview here and give you a few thoughts on where you might want to focus your training. When you are exercising to improve your osteoporosis and osteopenia bone scores, it is important to have as much good information as possible about appropriate training.
There are five zones of training. Zone 2 seems to be making the social media circuit these days, so let’s delve into it for a moment.
When I talk about training in Zone 2, I am referring to working at 60-70% of your max heart rate. It means you can easily talk to your friend as you walk, and you can sustain this exercise for quite some time.
Here is a good video from Dr. Andrew Huberman, a tenured professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine.
How & Why to Get Weekly "Zone 2" Cardio Workouts | Dr. Andrew Huberman
While I think he makes some great points, let's check in with a WOMAN physiologist, Dr, Stacy Sims. She recently wrote a very scientific blog about women and Zone 2 (November 2023).
She counters that Zone 2 training is better for men than women, and women need to add high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or sprint interval training (SIT). As Dr. Stacy Sims sums it up:
"because females have better mitochondria respiration and mitochondria density than men, men need to do the long slow aerobic work to be more like women (go figure…!). By peppering your long slow work with specific high-intensity work, you will improve your mitochondria capacity and anaerobic capacity by the nature of the high-intensity work."
Take home message:
Zone 2 is a good place to exercise, but as a post-menopausal woman, be sure to add some higher-intensity work as well. Women are not the same as men, and to get the most from your workouts, you need to get in more power and speed work. Aim for high-intensity intervals lasting less than 30 seconds, and do it at least 2 times a week.
I wish I could give you exact time frames to do this work, but this has not been studied enough at this time.In general, you could try 5-10 seconds of higher-intensity work (think of pedaling harder on a stationary bike) followed by 45-60 seconds of recovery for 10 minutes. Of course, get clearance from your primary care provider for higher-intensity exercise, and if you are on heart medication, make sure you know how it works with exercise.
If you need guidance and like to work out at home, consider joining my next Strong Women, Strong Bones jumpstart. We cover all the basics of exercise recommendations and have fun while doing it.
Stay strong, be informed,
Andrea Trombley PT, DPT
References
Dupuit, M., Maillard, F., Pereira, B., Marquezi, M. L., Lancha, A. H., Jr, & Boisseau, N. (2020). Effect of high intensity interval training on body composition in women before and after menopause: a meta-analysis. Experimental physiology, 105(9), 1470–1490. https://doi.org/10.1113/EP088654
Dupuit, M., Rance, M., Morel, C., Bouillon, P., Pereira, B., Bonnet, A., Maillard, F., Duclos, M., & Boisseau, N. (2020). Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training or High-Intensity Interval Training with or without Resistance Training for Altering Body Composition in Postmenopausal Women. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 52(3), 736–745. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002162
Sims, Stacy. Blog - What Women Need to Do Instead of Zone 2. Nov. 11, 2023 https://www.drstacysims.com/blog/what-women-need-to-do-instead-of-zone-2
Sims, Stacy. Blog - What Women Need to Know About Zone 2 Training. Oct. 23, 2023.https://www.drstacysims.com/blog/what-women-need-to-know-about-zone-2-training