Hearing negativity around aging .. or negativity in general , sets me off . I believe in trying to look at things in the most positive way possible - whats going to happen is going to happen so lets make sure we enjoy the ride.
Aging is inevitable and to all of us women so is menopause .. and yet there seems to be so much negativity around it .
Someone said to me the other day “ you wait till you get over 50 … it all starts to go down hill …” ooo great - go on - inspire me to look forward to the upcoming decades !!
Do we have to look at getting older as so negative ? Is it because we are so obsessed with how we look these days - no one is allowed to look old ? … why is it we appreciate vintage cars , aged cheese and meat and yet women are not put on a pedestal and also admired ?
The decades of life a woman goes through as she passes through puberty , develops natural nurturing characteristics, matures with empathy and usually finishes off out living men.
My mum still looks gorgeous at 81 - she would kill me for broadcasting her age .. why ? She looks amazing ,so glam and has such great energy , she also has 81 years worth of stories to tell , 81 years wiser , 81 years worth or memories and life.
In other cultures older women are revered : In Japan for example “ menopause “ is called Konenki which translates as renewal years a much more positive association ! In some indigenous societies menopause is celebrated as a welcome transition - Mayan women gain social status after menopause .
Native American women do not have a word for menopause and simply regard it as a transition like another ring around a tree.
How we view aging and along with it menopause can have a massive impact on how we transition through it . People who have a negative view of aging will more likely age far worse, women who have a positive outlook on menopause sometimes experience no side effects .
Some women in their 60´s get a renewed sex drive .
Turning around the way we view aging and menopause and the language we use around it is essential . Not only for us but for the younger generations . Social media or media in general seems to be giving us a precedent to set which is totally unrealistic for most of us . This also puts pressure on people to feel like they should ´look ´a certain way - and some people will do anything to achieve this : surgeries , botox… anything to iron out the wrinkles .
All this pressure can only increase anxiety and mental health issues … perhaps this is the next global epidemic ?
How about rejuvenating yourself from the inside out instead ? Using exercise to boost the collagen in your skin , using resistance training to hold onto your muscle mass, using intense intervals to increase your VO2 max ( fitness level ) … these things are going to hep you to keep active and have energy and try to dodge all the missiles that could come at us in older age
Keeping your body weight in check will happen naturally with exercise , it will lower your blood pressure , fats and cholesterols helping to avoid statins and reduce likeliness of heart attack or stroke . Exercise has a positive effect on the brain too so it could help reduce Altzhimers . Everything that aging or menopause can throw at us - exercise can help to mitigate.
Exercise gives you confidence and a spark , it gives you energy to see you through the day and it lifts you- reducing depression, anxiety and lack of motivation, insomnia or bad sleeping and it reduces hot flushes.
It bring people into your life and its a natural anti aging pill
Exercise is the best thing you can do to reverse aging on the inside of your body … so before you compare yourself , look in the mirror , complain about aging or menopause .. make sure you have ticked ALL the exercise boxes first.
Lets all do our best to see past the wrinkles - to the person inside and appreciate them - even if its you !
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