There has been a lot of discussion of late around the advantages and disadvantages of natural hormone replacement therapy (HT) and specifically the effects it has on the circulatory system of post-menopausal women.

Prior to undergoing the menopause, many women have a lower chance of developing heart conditions than men in that age category. If a woman were to have a heart attack before the age of fifty, however, they would be twice as likely to die from it as a man is. The reasons behind this still illude medical researchers.

It is understood, however, that women whos ovaries are still able to create estrogen holds a slightly lower risk of developing a condition known as coronary artery disease, and hence are less likely to have a heart condition, compared to women of comparable age that have had their ovaries removed.

The estrogen produced in the ovaries seems to decrease the risk of heart disease. Because of this nearly all women who die from heart attacks have passed the menopause. These are some of the factors why natural progesterone cream was brought out, to work towards reducing these hazards of health issues during menopause.

Medical researchers have proven estrogen to have a direct effect on the muscles of the heart, improving heart function by increasing its ability to pump efficiently. But that's not all, it can also effect your blood vessels, and minute estrogen detectors have been found in the tissue walls surrounding even the smallest of veins and arteries. If these receptors detect estrogen in your bloodstream they will cause this muscular tissue to relax and thus keep the blood vessels flexible and dilated, and the blood pressure low. Estrogen is thus a powerful ingredient in herbal remedies for menopause, and is usually combined with other herbs for menopause particularly black cohosh.

Likewise, if your blood-estrogen level drops, the walls of your blood vessels will tighten and contract, this will stop blood flowing so freely causing your blood pressure to increase. As blood pressure rises, more and more damage occurs to the inner surface of the blood vessels – in particular the arteries, which are pivitol in transporting blood around your body. These damaged surfaces then cause fat to stick to them, which can lead to blockages, eventually causing heart failure or even a stroke.

The effect of female hormones on the circulatory system is even now not fully understood and this remains scientific research~an area in which scientists continue to work}

Cholesterol Problems

It is commonly known that there are two different types of cholesterol present in our blood and that the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or LDL, is the harmful one. Following menopause, the amount of bad cholesterol present in the blood grows whilst the amount of healthy cholesterol falls. LDL cholesterol causes atherosclerosis and hardening of the artery lining. On the other hand, HDL cholesterol actually protects against heart conditions by removing its counterpart cholesterol from the bloodstream. Estrogen serves to keep cholesterol at bay and create the ideal ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol.

During the menopause, a woman's levels of cholesterol and insulin tend to rise. Insulin does not only regulate blood sugar levels, but it also controls your lipid metabolism aswell. 
One of the ways in which estrogen effects the human body is that it decreases the levels of insulin in our blood; when estrogen levels fall of the menopause}, the insulin in your bloodstream will go up, as does the posibility of you developing diabetes – as if the risk of heart disease isn't enough. Those women who undergo hormone replacement therapy are not as likely of getting Type 2 diabetes.

Several women are prone to abandon their exercise routines at the time of the symptoms of menopause and merely rely on menopause natural remedies like natural progesterone, yet studies have proven that it is vitally important to stay healthy and engage in constant physically activity as much as possible. There are numerous arguments why regular exercise is especially important during this stage in a woman’s life and below are some of the top reasons:

Risk of Heart Disease. Menopause is known to exacerbate the danger of developing heart ailment; but if the heart is well-maintained by moderate exercise, then the risk becomes lowered. Physical training also assists in the improvement of the circulatory system so that a healthy blood flow is maintained and accompanying ailments during menopause, such as constant lack of energy and fatigue will cease.

Porous Bones or Osteoporosis.  Even though working out can’t totally block osteoporosis from occurring, it can decelerate the pace in which the amount of bone is lost, and so the condition progresses at a significantly slower rate. It can also increase the strength of the ligaments, bones and tendons so that bone stresses and breakages do not arise every now and then. Natural hormone replacement therapy has also been believed to fight against osteoporosis and is something to consider talking about with your doctor.

Feeling Depressed. This is a common symptom of menopause. And exercise has been proven to clear depressive moods in several subjects. Exercise help improve the mood because it stimulates the brain to release endorphins, which are referred to as the ‘happy’ hormones since they produce a feeling of liveliness. Minor depressive disorders brought about by the uncertainties of menopause can generally be reduced by undertaking some form of moderate physical activity or exercise.

Overall Sense of Well-being.  Physical exercise is fantastic for making you feel fitter and healthier, even if you only do it a few times each week. Moreover if you are feeling good about yourself, then you won’t be so preoccupied with perimenopause symptoms.

What type of workout routine you perform regularly is your own answer. But, you should go for and try to add a mixture of aerobic exercise and weight-lifting workouts.

Aerobic Exercises.
This category includes any type of physical exercise that causes your heart rate and your breathing rate to increase. These may be fitness walking or aero-walking, jogging, running, swimming, riding a bike and aerobic dancing. Aerobic exercise also includes simple labour such as doing housework, serious gardening, chasing after your pet or the children and even spirited intercourse. In fact, anything that you do which makes your heart to pump at an accelerated pace can be referred to as an aerobic exercise and thus it is great for you.

It is crucial not to go overboard however, because the potential benefits of exercise can be offset by exhaustion and this will leave you feeling fatigued and tired when you should be energized and lively.

Bodybuilding Exercises
This type of exercise includes anything that builds muscle strength. For example, climbing the stairs, picking up weights, stretching and muscle toning exercises and even carrying groceries or boxes can be classed as body building even if these tasks do not strictly increase muscle mass. Muscle building workouts are critical for making your cartilage, bones, connective tissues and muscles more powerful, and this in turn reduces the chance of being vulnerable to having bone fractures and sprains.

Based on this health arguments you can see that any workout exercise done during the women’s menopausal period is much better than no exercise. You must consider a few fitness activities you like and alternate between these sports so that there is minimal probability of you growing disinterested to practicing them consistently. Moreover, a little exercise prior to reaching the menopause stage can make you so much more more able to physically cope with menopause and ‘post-menopause’; and as we mature, is it not what we all desire?