Talking about the menopause: symptoms, support and the role of exercise

This free OpenLearn course is designed to help anyone whose life is affected by the menopause, whether you are experiencing the menopause or supporting someone who is. No matter which gender you identify with, this transitional phase can affect people in many ways, so this course is open to everyone.The objectives of the course are to empower everyone, by increasing knowledge of the menopause and the effects it can have. This is done through enabling awareness of the treatment options that are available and considering in a practical and realistic way the contribution of lifestyle factors to the experience of menopause and to health in the mid-life phase and beyond. You may simply want to learn more about the menopause, in order to support those going through the transition around you in your work or personal life.The course may be particularly useful for those who are in perimenopause, which is the phase leading up to the menopause, where you are experiencing some symptoms indicating that menopause is on its way, in menopause where you have not had a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months, or are post-menopausal (Hillard et al., 2017). This last category can include those who are several years beyond their menopause but are experiencing continuing symptoms.

• Session 1: What are we are talking about?
• Session 2: Symptoms and strategies
• Session 3: Managing sleep and stress during the menopause
• Session 4: Exercise and the menopause