Incorporate a 'key' exercise during menopause to burn calories even when resting

Unfortunately for many women, weight gain is an unavoidable side effect of menopause.

Balanced Body education director Joy Puleo shared some of the best exercises to help combat this.

She said strength training is key for burning fat and maintaining muscle mass, as this often decreases during menopause.

The expert told GB News: "Strength training is key, so pick up the weights.

"Strength training is a necessity to keep muscle tone in primary powerful muscles (think quads, glutes, hamstrings, pecs, biceps, triceps, and shoulders).

"Muscle tone starts on the decline as early as age 30 but sharply declines during the menopausal years. This is a great time to put strength training top of mind."

Weight training does not burn as many calories per minute as high-intensity cardio, but it can burn more fat overall.

Studies have shown building muscles increases the resting metabolism - which is how many calories the body burns at rest. Women do not need to spend hours at the gym lifting heavy weights to achieve their results either.

Strength training can include bodyweight exercises or even yoga as these can help to tone muscles.

Joy added: "If you do not have weights, you can use body weight. Adding walking lunges or some basic squats will work the legs quite effectively.

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"As for the upper body, countertop push-ups and triceps dips off the stairs are good places to start."

Ultimately any extra movement will lead to weight loss results so Joy encouraged slimmers to add in extra exercise wherever they can.

She said: "One of the primary reasons, as we age, that people do not engage in an active lifestyle is because they do not believe that it would make a substantial change to their lives.

"Every step matters. Every opportunity to move, workout, spend an hour on the floor with grandkids, garden, dancing - everything. It matters. So move, move often, and move joyfully."