Physical fitness can make people over 50 feel younger. In particular, strength training gives that result, 52-year-old Sarah Baldassaro of Alexandria, Virginia, USA claims. 

“Now I would say I’m stronger overall than I ever have been at any age. My fitness level is much more like when I was in my early 30s,” Baldassaro told NBC Bay Area (NBCBA). 

Menopausal women like Baldassaro lose estrogen fast at their age causing reduced bone density which contributes to the gradual loss of muscle mass. Physical therapist Hilary Granat explained that when muscle pulls on bone during resistance training, it stimulates bone-building cells, according to NBCBA.

Examples of strength training are chest press and bicep curls, said the owner of the Core Total Wellness in Washington, D.C. Building up bones and muscles can also be done without equipment such as by push-ups, squats, lunges, sit-ups, crunches and planks, Granat added. 

Meanwhile, a Chinese woman’s own strength training regimen did the reverse. 

The 23-year-old from Zhejiang province, eastern China, once weighed 65 kilos due to binge eating so she started doing an intense workout, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports. 

The woman, who was not named, became addicted to exercising that she soon suffered from amenorrhea, which is no or short menstruation, according to Fan Yibing, a senior gynecologist at Zhejiang Zhongshan Hospital. 

Liu Haiyuan, a doctor at Beijing Union Medical College Hospital, told SCMP that losing more than 15 kilos in a short period of time would likely trigger amenorrhea.

The young woman’s checkup at the hospital revealed that her female hormone levels were about that of a 50-year-old, SCMP quoted the City Express as reporting. 

While exercise gave Baldassaro the physical fitness of a 30-year-old, the Chinese woman turned menopausal for exercising six times a week at 70 minutes per session, according to SCMP. Her menstruation volume gradually decreased with the last one lasting only two hours, the report adds.

“The brain gonadotrophin’s secretion dwindles, leading to the lower level of female hormones and the suspension of ovulation. Therefore, menstruation is postponed or ceased,” explained the doctor, according to SCMP. 

Amenorrhea is reversible though and menstruation could return after adjusting the intensity of workouts and achieving an energy balance, the gynecologist said.