From HRT to high-intensity training, how Mini Mathur is battling perimenopause

Mini Mathur trains with her trainer Dhiraj Kaskar at Andheri’s Why Not Fitness. Pics/Kirti Surve Parade

Several years before she began to experience the first symptoms of perimenopause, Mini Mathur had been advised by a friend who was encountering it at the time. "She told me, ‘Just make sure that when you hit it, you hit the ground running.' I have held that statement close," says Mathur, rightly appalled by the insufficient effort that has gone into tackling health-related issues of women.

The television host and anchor may have dabbled in several fitness forms in the years leading up to the age of 50, but it was at that point that she says she "couldn't recognise my body". "My knees would hurt, I was gaining belly fat despite not eating too much, and I was having memory loss. I started to feel these symptoms that were alien to me, and that is when I began to research about it." The interactions she had with her gynaecologists served little purpose. The herbal placebos provided little relief, and so did the recommendations to consume birth control pills. "I knew that this couldn't be the solution," she says, adding, "I felt anger and rage, and if menopause lasts for five years, I knew I couldn't be living like that for so long. I spoke to my mother and aunts, and they'd respond, stating, ‘We've all gone through it. It's very bad. But what to do?' But I couldn't accept that. When I began to research about it, I realised that nobody has focused on women's health beyond [matters relating to] reproduction and fertility. When oestrogen levels begin to drop, it takes away so much from us, and makes so many changes to our body. The hormone doesn't only have effects on our reproductive system. It also affects our gut and metabolic rate. I thought it was crazy that the world wasn't talking about this enough. I think it's shocking that in an MBBS course, aspiring doctors merely have a two-hour long class on menopause. Can you imagine the little importance [that this matter is given] in the system?"

What Mathur did next reminds us of a news piece that previously hit headlines, when a mother, unhappy with the medical aid that was being provided to her epileptic daughter, sought out to procure a PhD and find a treatment option. "The actual definition of, ‘Fine, I'll do it myself!'" read a meme on the news piece. Mathur, in the same vein, was convinced that she needed to be her own guiding light. "I decided to educate myself and found the most comprehensive course in the world for women's health. It's an 18-month-long course, and I knew that I would only advise anyone after I had gotten myself certified to do so. I want to focus on telling people about menopause because I need to do something about this. I've put together a business plan."

Mathur's three-step plan

Mathur was able to address the issue by tackling three aspects. The first thing she did was head to a spa in Austria, where she received Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). "HRT is given such a bad name, with claims that it can cause cancer. Indian doctors are influenced by old research, and I found that many were ambiguous about HRT. They discouraged it, and I kept questioning their decision. When one has a thyroid problem, we provide a [hormonal medication]. When men feel that their testosterone levels are low, they take testosterone, which is also a hormone. So why is it that only oestrogen is a hormone that is demarcated as one that should not be given to women? When I went to the spa, and asked the doctor about HRT, she looked at me and said, ‘What about it?' I asked her if I could be considered for it, and she said she had already put me on the [treatment]. It was a simple cream that I had been told to apply since a few days prior. HRT involves both oestrogen and progesterone. And I was put on the latter. Both hormones need to be in balance for a woman to feel good. Instantly [my life] turned around. My mood and body felt better, and I was no longer raging."

Mathur also hit the gym with an intensity that she was, until then, unfamiliar with. "During menopause, your muscle mass [depletes], and bones become porous. So, unless you lift weights, you cannot build bone strength and muscle mass. Your metabolic level [drops to] 30 per cent of what it used to be before you hit perimenopause. So, you have to work much harder to [retain the muscles you have]. Ten years ago, if I trained the way I do today, I'd be a fitness model. I lift more than any other girl in my gym does, including those who are in their 20s. I lift three to four times a week."

Finally, Mathur revisited the foods she put into her body. Since she was never drawn to alcohol, she found it relatively easy to get rid of it entirely. At the same time, she eliminated sugar, and refined foods, and upped her intake of the "two building blocks", protein and fibre. Reiterating what has been established by every wellness enthusiast, Mathur encourages individuals to look at their protein intake. "It is the building block of your muscles. It is essential, especially if you are working out at the gym. If the intake is not adequate, your [muscle mass will deplete] and your effort will be counterproductive." During the Karwa Chauth celebrations this year, the host and anchor decided to adhere to a 24-hour fast to derive physical benefits from her effort. "I've also tried other practices like cryotherapy and infusions of antioxidants. I believe in topping up the body with everything that it lacks. You come out feeling like a new person," says Mathur, adding that she is now considering undergoing HRT for oestrogen as well.

Mini on a mission

She admits that it is perhaps her husband, filmmaker Kabir Khan's love for fitness, that has rubbed onto her over the years, but Mathur is now on a mission to help women in need. "I want to make [this knowledge] accessible to every woman. It's not an urban phenomenon, and I cannot believe that our mothers and aunts had to quietly suffer. Beyond a point, women are made to believe that their opinions are not important, their body is not important, and neither is their size or beauty, because they've become mothers and are in their mid-life. That's bullsh''. That's why Indian women give up on themselves after a certain time, and wrap themselves in sarees. I want to look toned and muscular, and look like someone who can handle a good run. My family is into adventure sports. We dive, and race with our kids. I want to be active instead of one who can simply fit into a certain gown."

50 yrs
Age at which Mathur first experienced the symptoms of perimenopause