Ok so you’ve decided that it’s time to focus on You (Project You – Rediscovering your inner glow), but where do you start and what is important?
As the menopause is now considered to be the gateway to ageing for women, this is the perfect time to prioritise which elements of health and wellness you want to focus on.
For the majority of women, perimenopause starts around the age of 45; menopause itself (12 months after periods have stopped) happens for women globally around the age of 51; and then women move into post-menopause, the symptoms of which can last a further 8-10 years. That's around 10-15 years of navigating our way through menopause to build healthy habits and make lifestyle changes that can enable us to be healthy older adults (60+) and enjoy good health well into old age. We need to put in the hard work now, to enjoy the rewards later.
One of my yoga clients, who is now in her 70s, recently told me her sole focus every day is to stay out of the doctor’s office - what a great philosophy to live by!
So what can we do to make sure we emerge from menopause as healthy as possible?
Here are 6 ways you can build healthy ageing habits
Quality Sleep
It’s hard to be healthy if you’re not getting enough sleep. How much is enough? Between 7-9 hours a night. Getting enough sleep can help reduce stress and anxiety; avoid weight gain; improve attention, concentration and memory; enable your immune system to rest and repair; and keep your heart healthy.
Try adopting a wind-down routine to help your body prepare for sleep. Use lamps and candles to reduce light; enjoy a relaxing bath; or maybe try reading in bed instead of watching TV. And definitely no phones for at least an hour before bed!
Reduce Stress
Research has shown that stress can accelerate the rate at which we age, particularly if stress has been a part of your life for many years. Stress can result in a weakened immune system, increased risk of diabetes, weight gain, and unregulated emotions. The good news is, stress can be managed and the impacts can be reversed. (Ref: Chronic stress found to have a link with ageing | World Economic Forum)
There are a myriad of ways that stress can be managed and reduced, so you might need to try a number of things before you find what works for you. As a yoga teacher, I highly recommend meditation, but I know it doesn’t work for everyone. Other options you could try include listening to music, going for a walk, deep breathing exercises, or even re-watching your favourite TV shows – because you’ve watched them before, your mind can relax and enjoy the show, knowing that no surprises are coming.
Nutrition for Ageing
As our external body ages, it’s worth remembering that we’re ageing on the inside too. Our vital organs need a little TLC when we’re deciding what to eat, particularly for women in menopause where there are additional health considerations, for example, eating to support bone health.
The Mediterranean Diet, a diet which is well established and well researched, can go a long way to support your health as we move through menopause. With a few tweaks, eating this way can also help to reduce menopause symptoms.
The key principles of the diet are to enjoy a wide variety of vegetables, fruits & legumes, seeds, nuts & avocados daily; eggs, fish, cheese and poultry a couple of times a week each; but red meat and sweet treats should only be eaten once a week.
I’ll be writing more about how the Mediterranean Diet can help reduce menopause symptoms, including weight gain, in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!
Exercise for your Age
Options to exercise have greatly changed over the years. From Jane Fonda-type aerobics to loud music, to spin classes, to HIIT classes. But as we age, what is the best exercise for our ageing muscles and tendons?
Aerobic exercise is still the best type of exercise to support your heart-health, but maybe we don’t need to have the pumping music and leg warmers these days! Swimming, walking (especially hill walking), dancing, cycling, tennis – anything that raises your heart rate without stressing your body is a good option, and should be done at least 5 times a week. Yoga and Pilates are also great as they strengthen your muscles, support bone health, maintain flexibility and reduce stress - enjoy a couple of classes a week.
Above all, find a form of exercise that you really enjoy so it's fun rather than a chore.
Finding Purpose
Having something to get out of bed for, something to focus on, something to be involved in, is so important in our lives, particularly as we move away from our careers to semi or permanent retirement. Being involved in activities and your community will keep you active, give you a social life and keep you mentally engaged, all of which are important as we age.
But how do you find your purpose? I think the question itself can seem quite daunting and a bit deep, but it doesn’t need to be. Think of what you enjoy doing most – reading, writing, sport, working with numbers, gardening etc. And then look around your local community to see what activities are available. Maybe you can volunteer somewhere, maybe you could start up a book club, or join a local club offering activities you enjoy. Maybe the local pub has a quiz night. Or perhaps you could set up your own side hustle, which is very popular at the moment – crafting, designing, baking cakes etc, the options are endless.
Maintaining Social Connection
According to recent research, loneliness is as bad for us as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and is sadly on the increase (Ref: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf)
Historically, we humans have lived together in communities with our wider families, offering plenty of opportunities for socialising and emotional support. People need people! But more recently, there has been a move towards living alone, going out less (possibly due to lockdown?) and moving away from family for work.
Being lonely is a bigger risk to our health than being obese, having high blood pressure, being inactive or having a poor diet.
So maintaining social connections is vitally important. Stay in touch with family, meet up with friends regularly, join clubs where you can, get out of the house and see people!
I hope these 6 suggestions give you food for thought, and are a helpful reminder that healthy ageing is available to us all, if we look after our minds and bodies
the right way, and at the right time.
Stay well
Jules xx
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