As I approach 50, I definitely spend some of my time thinking about the type of old age I would like for myself. As I look around me in the community, I see older people with varying levels of ability and I wonder what it must be like to live inside their body and experience life as they do.
In recent times I watched my grandfather going through the later stages of ageing. He was always such a fit and able man who spent lots of his retirement gardening, fixing the house and walking daily. After my grandmother passed away, his reason to live diminished greatly and with this his interest in pursuing activities outside of the home. As a result of his lack of movement, he quickly lost muscle mass and bone density. After a small fall at home, we were advised that he had developed osteoporosis, which was devastating to learn.
It takes a lot of drive and commitment to continue working on our health and fitness as we age. For this reason, it is more important than ever to find people who will support us and cheer us on.
What I came to realise as I watched my grandfather ageing, is that life is not always linear. We don’t know what is coming or how life will turn out. We have control over some things to an extent, but not others. I have also had to acknowledge just how important it is to have activities that are not connected to our significant other. Independent pursuits that fulfilled us and give us purpose.
As far a movement is concerned, I have realised that we can have the best of intentions to keep fit and strong, but there will always be other more pressing calls on our time which get in the way. It takes a lot of drive and commitment to continue working on our health and fitness as we age. For this reason, it is more important than ever to find people who will support us and cheer us on. The benefit of this also being the relationships we develop outside of our family unit.
Strong Like a Woman is all about bringing the best out in you so that you can stay fit, strong and connected for the best years of your life to come.
Have you taken time to sit down and think about the type of old age you would like for yourself? What changes if any do you need to make? How can you build a network of likeminded supporters who will keep you going when life throws a few curveballs your way?
This is the principles and values of the fitness for women business that I run. It is all about community, connection and purpose. Bringing together likeminded women in the pursuit of physical and mental health and wellness. Strong Like a Woman is all about bringing the best out in you so that you can stay fit, strong and connected for the best years of your life to come.
Want to find out more? Send me a message. I am looking forward to hearing your story too.
Need some help with your health and fitness goals? Come and join other women just like you for GROUP FITNESS sessions in North Lambton. Prefer one-on-one training? I offer a personal training service that comes to you at your home location. Find out more HERE!
You can also join the facebook group Strong Like A Woman HERE!
Melanie Briony is a fitness and lifestyle coach who supports midlife women (over 40) as they move into the peri and post-menopause years. This is a huge time of change for a woman, nothing is as it used to be. The restrictive diets and hard exercise regimes that worked in your 30s just won’t cut it anymore. Melanie is here to show you how your changing hormones are impacting on your body and what you can do to take back the reins and bring about positive change. At midlife, a woman has to learn how to work ‘with’ her body. This includes - managing stress, eating the right foods at the right time, sleeping longer, saying 'no' more often and taking back her power. “You are not about to disappear into the mist of old age, you have the strength and courage to move through this transition and come out the other side as a stronger and wiser version of you”. Contact Melanie to find out more about how she can support you.