Mowing season is almost coming to an end. It's getting warmer and the grass-come-weed carpet that is covering the meadow and orchard is beginning to retreat, shrivelled and scorched, into its dry earthy bed where it will remain until the rainy season returns. I'll need to find some useful calorie burning pursuit to replace it with however since I've reason to keep that high up my on agenda.
It's good to mow: I find myself meditating over all sorts of stuff. Today though, and while on the subject of "shrivelled and scorched" I find myself thinking about the creeping inevitability of reaching menopause! My GP says I'm reaching it, whatever the heck that really means! I've been thinking about how good a workout mowing is and one to add to the growing list things that I'm tormenting my aging body with in an effort to fight back against the ticking clock. I'm halfway through the mowing right now but have taken a break for a cup of ginger tea and a custard cream biscuit; the latter is probably not the best idea when you're trying ever so hard to eat right. But, I need this break because I've just discovered one of the mower wheels is jammed and won't turn so no bloody wonder I've been ploughing on cross-eyed and with a gritty-toothed grimace on my face for the last couple of hours. I'm a sweaty, red-faced mess so I'm going to eat this bloody custard cream while I recover my composure enough to finish the last quarter-acre!
Yep, bloody menopause! She's like the bad fairy, sneaking up on you when you're not looking to pinch some other part of your previously well guarded womanhood. I'm pretty damn certain she attacks at night too! You know it don't you girls? Waking up one morning to notice she's pinched some part of your mobility and you can no longer rise gracefully from your bed and float to the bathroom. Nope, you now have to stretch those legs out until your bloody knees unlock and then rotate your ankles to loosen the stiffness that crept in overnight in those too! Then, after you've hobbled to the bathroom holding your lower back and waited for your eyes to focus on the mirror in front of you, you find yourself examining something else that's taken a hike along with your ease of mobility. And off she goes, this bad fairy is scuttling away clutching yet another younger part of you, chuckling wickedly as you're left to cry out: "where the ruddy heck did THAT sag come from and who the bloody hell stole my legs?!" I don't want to inflict my legs on any innocent bystanders this summer but that's a bit of a problem when you're living in a flipping hot country like this. She's not only bad, this menopause fairy, she's a bitch quite frankly. Nobody warned me she was on her way but I should have known she'd be calling round at some point after I hit my mid-century.
Don't get me wrong, I fully appreciate that growing old is a privilege. I'm going to learn to cope with everything and anything life is to throw at me while I journey through this "coming of midlife" and I shall do my level best not to make a crisis out of it either.
So here's my advice (such as I've learned thus far): If you're not there yet, make the absolute most your beautiful body, whatever shape it is. And if you are there, make the absolute most of the your beautiful body, whatever shape it is! It's the same as it always was, it's just now you'll have to work a bit harder at it! I'll share some stuff with you if you're not really sure how to start figuring all this shit out yet.
Firstly, find yourself an inspiring alpha female or two. I'm in love with Knee Deep In Life on Facebook, check her out. She may not be menopausal yet but by golly is she one brave lady who frankly doesn't give a rats bum. She's here to tell you you're beautiful whatever shape you are. There are other amazing women out there though who have been where you and I are right now and have some encouraging news to share. I'll just say at this point that you are already one of those amazing and inspiring women, you've just got to believe in yourself.
Get healthy! Well, that's obvious right? We know women in menopause are at high risk of all those nasty things like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers simply because of the reduction in all those hormones that once protected us from all that. GetHealthyU is an information hub that I've found invaluable. I've not joined their community yet as I don't feel the need. You might though, it's up to you.
Get fit! Der, also obvious right? OK, but it's about learning what you need to do to shift that redistribution of fat that's hanging around your arms, belly, hips and thighs. Dare I mention cellulite at this point? Well, yes (unless you're in the lucky 15% that is!). It's like this ladies: you need cardio and strength training and you probably need to do a little of each on a daily basis. Mix it up. If you're already in to HIIT, good on you because that'll be doing you a power of good. I'm not as yet but I won't rule it out. Right now my weekly routine is a mix of swimming, walking and cycling for cardio, and weight bearing exercises and yoga for strength training. I'm not talking about getting down the gym and working out with dumbbells either. Pick up that litre bottle of water and do some lifts or do some leg squats while your morning porridge is in the microwave! If you've got exercise bands, use them. I've just joined a Pound Fit class and recommend it but I've done Zumba as well. Both are great so check out a class near you.
Flipping50 (great name) is a YouTube channel full of workouts and fitness and diet advice especially for us mature sorts. She also has a website and a facebook page. I came across this while researching into the use of foam rolling. If you don't have a foam roller, invest in one of these babies (they're not expensive). You need to work on that layer of facia ladies if you want to see a reduction in cellulite. I'll warn you that it'll hurt like f&$k but no pain, no gain!
Do yoga! I highly recommend you add this to your fitness regime. You don't have to be good at it either. Work at your own level. Yoga will enhance your posture and your body shape. Better posture will burn fat faster, remember that! Yoga with Adriene will guide you carefully through your chosen level and there's loads of routines without having to take up her membership. You'll be back to rising gracefully out of bed in no time.
Do all this stuff and you might just alleviate all those nasty things like hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings because I'm either incredibly lucky not to be getting them (yet?!) or I'm keeping them all at bay by doing it.
So here's some DO's and DON'Ts: DO work on yourself but DON'T be hard on yourself. DO love yourself and DON'T wish you were like that stick thin model you see in the magazines (she's been photoshopped in all probability anyhow).
And, not like you really need to know this: There's a damn certain off the scale probability that your husband/boyfriend/partner loves the way you look. DO believe it when they tell you they love you and your body and DON'T let that crazy head of yours lull you into thinking otherwise. I'm married to my own Mr Gorgeous who makes me feel amazing. OK, he also tells me that I'll never be THAT toned again. I wanted to thump him for that but it did at least make me realise how much I love a challenge and I'll thank him for saying it all day long!
If you want to share a pearl of your own wisdom with the rest of us please do because I know I haven't covered it all by any means.
Now go rock it, you're fabulous!
