If you’re a woman anticipating or experiencing physical or mental changes related to menopause, a trio of fitness experts have written the book for you.

“Total Body Beautiful: Secrets to Looking and Feeling Your Best After Age 35” (Human Kinetics, $28), by Andrea Orbeck, Desi Bartlett and Nicole Stuart, draws on women’s areas of expertise: bodybuilding and bodybuilding, yoga and Pilates, respectively.

His message is simple: Hormonal shifts that begin in early middle age are inevitable, but you can manage them to age more successfully and gracefully. The key, in a nutshell, is to move.

Stuart, a Las Vegas native and Valley High School graduate in 1988 who now lives in Southern California, says the concept of the three disciplines alleviating or counteracting hormone-related changes is rooted in science. But the goal of incorporating more movement into our lives doesn’t have to be limited to these disciplines.

“It’s not just those three things,” says Stuart. “It’s all about your thing that motivates you. If it’s not Pilates, yoga or strength training, do something – anything, really. We are only living examples of these practices throughout our lives and know what they can bring. But walking and other types of exercise offer great things.

“Things are starting to move”

Orbeck and Bartlett, both 51, and Stuart, 52, say they chose the “after 35” subtext for their book because it’s a commonality for the onset of the menopausal transition.

“Thirty-five is when things start to change,” says Orbeck.

“Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone will be in much shorter amounts (after menopause),” the trio wrote in the book. “Because we know that estrogen has a positive effect on our arteries, research has shown that its loss may be a factor in the increased incidence of heart disease. Research is beginning to confirm that menopause alone does not is not responsible for all the symptoms of hormonal decline.Physical activity leading up to menopause and beyond will reap great rewards in disease prevention.

It makes sense. But don’t forget the inner health. Regular yoga practice can increase flexibility, strength and bone density, Bartlett says, but also decrease stress, improve sleep and improve balance.

“Yoga sends a clear intention every morning,” she says. “No matter what we focus on, we are able to attract it to us. How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? It’s about feeling good from within, about stepping up your power.

“Stress changes you on a cellular level,” adds Orbeck. “Stress can kill you.”

Slow and steady

The book includes a foreword by actress Kate Hudson (whom Stuart has been training for 20 years) and testimonials from many other Hollywood stars, but is aimed at all women, with photos and instructions of various yoga poses, strength training and strength training and Pilates. movements achievable at home.

Names in bold come and go, but in relatable anecdotes. For example, a client story about Stuart forming Anna Faris for “The House Bunny” is filled with caveats.

“Here’s the problem with the bodies you see on the big screen,” Stuart writes. “Often they are the result of dedicated intensive training plans and low-calorie diets that shouldn’t be followed long-term,” as overuse can actually lower energy and metabolism.

Stuart and his co-authors say they are thinking long-term, with more realistic programs. “If weight loss is your goal, slow, steady weight loss is the way to lasting loss,” she writes.

And on the subject of slow and steady fixes, as opposed to quick fixes: Stuart has some thoughts on the current craze for Ozempic, saying she hopes the doctors who prescribe it will remind patients of the importance of healthy eating. and an exercise plan as well as “mindful practices”. ”

“My fear is that people are looking for a quick way out and not exercising,” she says. “Happiness is not only external. You need to change your inner self, and exercise and diet can help you do that. If you take this and look for an easy way out, you will be depressed.