The years leading up to and transitioning through menopause are typically burdened with significant weight gain.  Women can gain 1 to 5 pounds per year during the middle years alone.   There is great debate as to why and how this weight gain occurs.  According to the data from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) initial age, initial body size or ethnicity all are affected in basically the same way, therefore researchers are trying to find the best way to fight menopausal weight gain for all women.

We do know that hormone levels fluctuate as menopause approaches.  Ovarian estrogen levels decline and therefore a women’s fat cells take over producing estrogen.  To  compensate for the lower ovarian estrogen women will gain fat to help balance this deficit.  During menopause there are also periods when testosterone dominates over estrogen producing a more male-like hormonal situation.  Since men tend to gain weight along the waistline it has been suggested testosterone may influence the redistribution of fat, (belly) during menopause.

As women age, if they exercise less, they lose muscle.  Muscle is metabolically active and requires calories for maintenance.  With the loss of muscle caloric intake should decline.  Women who exercise less and eat the same amount of calories year after year will ultimately gain weight.

So what can women do?
1. Exercise regularly including resistance training to build and maintain muscle and aerobic activity to burn calories.
2. Eat a well balanced, nutrient rich diet, including lots of vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.

If you struggle with menopausal weight gain or have any questions regarding your fitness needs, come see us at the Fitness Department where we will help design a program specifically for you and prevent menopausal weight gain!

Tracy Fauci and Dawn Faulconer, both over 50 years of age have been working out regularly with Clare Brown Tapia, Certified Personal Trainer at the Paseo Club.  Both Tracy and Dawn have increased their muscle mass and lost weight!  Let their success motivate anyone wanting the same benefits.

Hit some balls or play against a great player for just $25 per hour!  If you can beat him in a set, then you get to play for FREE!

Contact Desi McBride for more information:
Email: desi@thepaseoclub.com
Tel: 257.0044 ext. 104

Youth Fitness Program for children ages 8 to 13 years old.

2 fun group workouts per week.  Includes age appropriate nutritional guidance.

Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:00-5:00pm

Cost: $75 per month.

For more information, please contact Cindy Tompkins:
Email: cindy@thepaseoclub.com
Tel: 661.257.0044 ext. 113

Download After School Fitness Program Registration From

Amber Golden Raskin is a veteran charter school founder and accomplished television producer with expertise in school governance and business management. Amber has worked tirelessly for the past several years to launch Santa Clarita Valley International (SCVi) Charter School. The idea for the school began when Amber, who had moved to the Santa Clarita Valley for its outstanding neighborhood schools, quickly became disillusioned when she realized that her local school with its high test scores and stellar reputation was not a good match for her sensitive and creative daughter. Amber’s son, a naturally structured little boy who prided himself on following rules, caused her to worry that a traditional educational model might promote too many rigid behaviors and not help him explore enough of his own thoughts and ideas as he followed a well-defined and entrenched path of learning. Seeking alternative educational options, Amber soon learned Santa Clarita Valley schools, including private institutions, focused on traditional models that did not respond to the instructional needs of her children.

Amber began touring the state looking for alternative educational models that fostered learning beyond multiple-choice tests and a “one size fits all” approach to learning. Over the course of her search, Amber found exciting educational innovations that focused on providing youth with the necessary skills for achieving 21st century demands. Amber also learned that while it would have been more financially prudent to establish a private school, her interest in educational reform and alternative educational models had become a newfound passion. Amber decided to create a charter school so that access to innovative educational instruction would be accessible to a wider range of students throughout the Santa Clarita Valley. Amber’s efforts quickly found its grassroots supporters among other Santa Clarita Valley residents, many of whom had been home schooling their children due to a lack of local educational options. Soon innovative educators became interested in Amber’s efforts and an email list turned into a founding group that launched SCVi. When the time came, Amber selected a board of directors who reflected the necessary leadership needed to establish facilities, a financial and business framework and individuals with educationally progressive expertise.

When Amber is not taking care of her 2 school-aged children or working at SCVi where she currently oversees all operations, facilities and business development, among other things, she can usually be found working as a community activist. She founded a local chapter of another non-profit in an effort to protect children from gun violence. She has lobbied in both Sacramento and Washington for safety issues on behalf of our community.

A graduate of Cal State University at Long Beach, she has traveled the world, usually with kids in tow, and has worked hard to bring an international perspective to her family. Amber first traveled though Europe after graduating from college with a degree in interior design, but the heart for doing something more. Inspired by Oprah Winfrey, a woman who has realized great success through making a difference, she went into television — working as a producer to create hundreds of hours of network television. She was responsible for multimillion-dollar budgets, hiring staff, and the start-up of new companies, including work in payables, receivables, and a host of other management activities. She managed several different staffs of 100-plus, including some especially difficult talent relations. These experiences prepared her for the most difficult of all producing jobs: being a mom. She can be reached at amber.raskin@scvcharterschool.org

http://scvcharterschool.org