Working With Your Changing Body
One of the things I really want women to understand is that our bodies changing through menopause doesn’t mean we’ve suddenly become unfit, lazy or past our best.
Our bodies are changing, and sometimes the way we look after them needs to change too.
For many women, midlife can feel a little confusing. You might notice changes in your body shape, energy, sleep, strength or recovery. Things that seemed to work when you were younger might not feel quite as effective anymore, and it can be tempting to respond by eating less and exercising harder.
I don’t think that’s necessarily the answer.
For me, this stage of life is a wonderful time to move the focus away from simply being thinner and start thinking much more about being strong.
Strength training becomes incredibly valuable as we get older. Maintaining muscle helps us with everyday movement, and resistance and weight-bearing exercise are also important for maintaining healthy bones.
And strength has another lovely effect: it can change the way we feel about our bodies.
Instead of constantly asking, How much do I weigh?, we can start asking different questions.
Am I stronger?
Do I have more energy?
Can I lift more than I could a month ago?
Can I walk further?
Is my balance improving?
Do I feel more confident?
Those are really important measures of progress.
I also think we need to respect recovery more in midlife. If you’re not sleeping well or you’re under a lot of stress, your energy for exercise may be completely different from one day to another. That doesn’t mean giving up on exercise. It means learning how to adjust.
Some days might be perfect for a really good strength session. Another day might be better for walking, mobility or yoga. Sometimes you might need ten minutes of breathing and relaxation as much as you need another workout.
That’s one of the reasons my personal training incorporates so much of my yoga and wellbeing background. I don’t see exercise, breathing, sleep, stress, food and recovery as completely separate things.
They all affect how we feel.
Nutrition matters too. Rather than becoming increasingly restrictive with food, I want women to think about nourishing their bodies. Are we getting enough protein? Are we eating plenty of plants and fibre? Are we drinking enough water? Are we eating in a way that gives us energy and supports the exercise we’re asking our bodies to do?
And perhaps most importantly, are we being kind to ourselves while our bodies are changing?
I don’t mean giving ourselves permission to give up. Quite the opposite.
I think there’s something incredibly powerful about deciding in midlife that you’re going to take your strength and health seriously.
Not because you hate your body.
Because you want to look after it.
I want to be strong enough to keep doing the things I love as I get older. I want to be able to walk, cycle, practise yoga, lift weights, travel, carry things and get myself up from the floor. I want energy for my life.
That’s what fitness means to me now.
And I think menopause can actually be an opportunity to rethink our relationship with exercise.
We’re not exercising to punish our bodies for changing.
We’re training them for the life ahead.
Selena
Personal Trainer, Yoga Teacher & Wellbeing Coach
In Flow Wellbeing Studio, Cheltenham
