I hadn’t anticipated this new friendship.
Someone suggested we should meet, so I thought why not?
They were right. Even though we only get together for an hour every 4-6 weeks, I have the sense, this is someone I can trust.
We enjoy mutual respect and I’m grateful for our time together, even as they continue to challenge my self-doubts and encourage (aka push me) to do more. I acquiesce because I know they have my best interests at heart, because I can see and feel the difference over the time we have spent together and because I like seeing their smile of recognition that I am doing the work and trying my hardest.
Who is this new bestie?
It’s my exercise physiologist.
Why I didn’t expect this.
To be honest, I thought if I was going to be seeing a health practitioner more regularly for maintenance, it would be my GP, a wonderful person who knows far more about my inner workings than I care to admit.
However, what I’ve realised is that healthy aging, especially post-menopause is very dependent on doing the right sort of exercise to stay fit and healthy.
And I say this as someone who was never an exerciser in my formative years.
I loathed school sport and only took up regular exercise after burning out as a GP, noticing that I felt much better after going for a walk, swim or cycle ride.
Why exercise matters for healthy ageing.
- We all benefit from doing exercise and for post-menopausal women it’s especially important for maintaining our bone density and muscle as the protective effect of oestrogen is lost.
This is where resistance and strength-training using weights helps to stimulate bone formation. Think walking, dancing, hiking and lifting some dumbbells or kettle bells. Your balance matters increasingly as you get older. Falls are not only embarrassing, and a nuisance, lower bone density and muscle strength means it’s harder to get back up off the floor, and you’re at higher risk of fracture.
How long can you stand on one leg for, without losing your balance?
- It improves heart health. Why this matters is because 1:3 postmenopausal women will die from heart disease. Yup. It’s not a good statistic. Again, it’s because of the changes on hormone levels and the cardiometabolic shift that accompanies getting older, which is a bit feel a bit scary. So, let’s put it into perspective. A woman’s risk of getting breast cancer, which many women including myself are fearful of, is 1:39, a far lower risk. Yes, breast exams still matter, but this is where a proactive stance to tweak your lifestyle choices and up your exercise matters can dial down that risk of heart attack or stroke. Now you’re getting fitter and are doing something positive to take care of your blood pressure and circulation.
- It reduces joint pain. Achey joints and stiffness post menopause are a nuisance. The temptation is to do less, BUT this adds to the problem. Including some regular exercise into your daily schedule reduces these symptoms while boosting your energy levels and reducing fatigue.
- It boosts your mood. It’s been shown that regular exercise helps alleviate symptoms of anxiety, a common problem associated with the menopause. Sleep and mental health work in conjunction. Better sleep improves mental well-being. Better mental well-being assists sleep. Aerobic exercise (the huffy puffy sort) is especially good for improving deep sleep, the type of sleep needed to help you feel restored and refreshed when you wake up.
- It helps maintain your cognition. If your working memory is fading faster than the curtains in your front room, it’s time to get moving to boost your brain cells. Recent research has found that increasing your daily exercise by even as little as 5 minutes a day has a neuroprotective effect. While it’s not known how much exercise is needed to maximise this effect, researchers report all exercise helps, and more is better. The spin off being that staying more active assists other modifiable risk factors to protect against dementia like better blood glucose and cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
- Regular exercise, especially when taken outdoors is very helpful for regulating sleep. How this works is by helping the body to regulate its temperature which is helpful if hot sweats and flushes are still a problem. The type of exercise that works best here includes yoga, walking and meditative exercise.
We know, but don’t do. Common obstacles that get in the way of doing more exercise as we get older.
If I got paid for every reason, justification and excuse I’ve used over the years to not exercise, I’d have earned a fortune.
The common obstacles that get in our way are largely stories we have created for ourselves and until menopause we can get away with it.
That’s no longer the case.
- I’m not sporty. Nor am I, but this is about maintaining your ability to do things like walk upstairs, get up off the floor, get up off the couch and have the confidence in your ability to walk without being afraid you’ll lose your balance.
- I hate exercise. I don’t love the gym. I go because I see the need and because I can feel the difference as I’ve regained strength, fitness and balance. It’s become something I do, because it matters.
- I’m too old. There are lots of examples of men and women engaging in regular exercise at every age and they haven’t always been exercisers either. Start with something you think you’ll enjoy and build slowly from there. You’re never too old to start or gain the benefits.
- I’m afraid I might hurt myself. Fear is real, but you’re more likely to hurt yourself by not exercising. If you have existing medical conditions, speak with your GP to determine what the best form of exercise would be for you.
- I’ve got an existing injury. This is what started me on my journey to find my new best friend. A shoulder injury led to a sports physician, an orthopaedic specialist and ultimately an exercise physiologist. Recovery from injury can be frustratingly slow, which is why having someone to monitor your progress and keep you safe as your program gets harder is vital.
- I’m embarrassed to go to the gym. The gym isn’t always about big muscles and tight lycra. There are now many gyms set up specifically for healthy ageing. The best ones include access to physios and exercise physiologists who will design a specific program suitable to your needs. Your GP may also have some helpful suggestions for other forms of physical activity.
Finding Your Best Friend.
As a medical practitioner, lifestyle medicine physician and health coach, I’ve had to find my own best friend to help keep me fit and strong as I get older.
Helping my clients establish an exercise routine that they are willing to commit to and fits in with their busy schedule is one of the most common reasons why clients seek my help as a health coach.
If getting to the gym more often has been stuck on your to-do list for too long, you don’t know where to start or you’re worried about your bone health and muscle strength, a health coach can provide that gentle nudge or boot to get you going.
Healthy aging isn’t just about living longer.
It’s about enjoying better health as we age.
Do you have a ‘Bestie’ who helps you?
