Hello all you beautiful people at any age. How are you doing as the weeks move forward through the holidays – if you’re a parent it’s school plays, concerts, end of year projects, papers, and grading for you teachers out there?
I sure am glad that I’m past “aging bursts” I knew something was happening but I had no idea what. I had no tools to do anything about it.
Through my 40s and 50s I knew little about aging, and certainly nothing much about my body and brain during perimenopause into menopause…
No one was writing, researching, or talking about women’s “Change Of Life”. Women sucked it up. What about NOW in the holiday season? Pressure is ON.
In Ladies Home Journal, Better Housekeeping skinny was everything, clothes, and cooking paradoxically. Bake those damn cookies.
I didn’t know I was in perimenopause. At age 42 I had 6 kids between the ages of fifteen to one year. My marriage was gradually coming to an end, although it lasted 10 more years, during which I managed through sleeplessness, weird periods, sweating, anxiety, you name it – all the symptoms. Luckily I was super into cycling, on a team and hammering long hard rides with people who pushed me. But still life is always happening, and … there’s all that holiday stuff…
Believe this: You can do hard things. It will get you through these years. I promise.
At 52, after the divorce was final, it finally occurred to me to tell my empathetic, progressive doctor (who delivered 4 of my 6 kids, and amazingly, my daughters’ babies) about the years of symptoms that I had been writing off as “just stress”. He prescribed hormone therapy, (estrogen gel and progesterone capsule), which immediately eliminated almost all symptoms. Then 5 years ago when I told him about the continuing night sweats he increased the dosage of estrogen. Done!
Now, at 71 I’m strong and healthy. Lifting heavy and training clients along with various protocols of strength and endurance training. Learning and applying knowledge to my own health and fitness, and for my clients has been world altering. Maybe holiday altering. It is proven that exercise is a stress buster, , particularly strength/resistance training.
I plan on avoiding joint surgeries, but aging is going to keep on happening.
There’s osteoarthritis – “bone on bone” knees, and damage to hips and torn labrum in shoulders from bike crashes and overall use and aging, but if I get up and keep moving I feel so much better overall. Yeah, I’m sitting at my computer as I write this. Sometimes we have to be stationary – seated longer than we should. We gotta do what we gotta do, and add movement through the day as often as possible.
Strength, explosive power training, and mobility work are all doing the trick for now, keeping muscles and connective tissue strong and functioning well.
Who knows what’s around the corner for 2025? What new, unforeseen ache or pain will show up next? After 6 vaginal births, full disclosure I am starting to leak a bit when I lift and jump. TMI? It’s ok, we’re all grownups here. Pelvic floor exercises and breathwork are helpful.
What’s going on for you in the years between 40 and 70-ish? Are you empowered by knowledge of the science of how to beat symptoms of perimenopause? Transitioning through menopause? How about just getting through the next year?
It’s amazing now to see Halle Berry and other stars talking about it – but be aware that anything in a capitalist system gets monetized eventually, including this.
I’m just really happy that those aging bursts are behind me, and I didn’t know they were happening.
Want to find out how strong you can be, and how to use strength and power training to beat symptoms of perimenopause? And the aging bursts too?
I’m right here. Onward.
x
Polli
3 Responses
Wonderful newsletter and so very honest
Just loved it and loved seeing you again. Keep going, Poli. You’re an inspiration to all.
Happy Holidays. Stay well and happy.
So much honesty and transparency here. I love how you worked with your MD and how he; “prescribed hormone therapy, (estrogen gel and progesterone capsule), which immediately eliminated almost all symptoms, then he increased the dosage of estrogen about 5 years ago for my ongoing night sweats. Done!”. I remember talking to you about how troubling all that was and I never realized you had gotten through it.
Thanks for reading Mike.I just did a little update on the blog post: the same Dr also delivered my daughters’ babies! I feel really fortunate to have had him as an advocate. And that I learned about the science of training, and got coaching certifications over the last 20 years so I can help others!