Turning 50!?

Turning 50 is a definitely a big milestone in a persons life.  The number itself feels rather daunting and you cannot help but reflect and evaluate your life up to this point.  With the rise of social media it certainly is a good time to feel inspired by lots of fantastic 50 year olds living their lives to the full and looking fabulous.  At the end of the day though I cannot shake off the feeling that it is a little too close to becoming ‘elderly’.  As a woman, turning 50 brings a whole host of other challenges as we negotiate perimenopause.  This natural phenomenon (that is only present in 4 other mammal species) involves the cessation of a woman’s monthly fertility cycle and a loss of most of her estrogen.  This has significant consequences throughout the body and leads to an almost endless list of symptoms.  So with the psychological element and the changes going on in my body the last few months have felt like an uphill slog.  That feeling of not quite being ‘myself’, a bit of brain fog, feeling demotivated, not knowing what my body is capable of and feelings of self doubt have meant work has felt like a constant battle.  I was becoming embroiled in being ‘perimenopausal’ and not really sure if I should be doing cardio, running long, running at all or simply resigning myself to the fact that I am doomed for a life of stiff sore joints and a brain that seems to do what it wants.

 

 

Thankfully!!! I am not one to take things lying down, and never have been!! I have spent the last year reading and learning as much as I can about perimenopause and how it effects the body.  It has been fascinating and so much is so relevant; as a physiotherapist, to treating female patients.  I was never taught of the effects of estrogen on the soft tissue of a woman’s body and why back pain, shoulder pain, hip pain and plantar fasciitis are much more common in women around the age of 50.  Did you know 1 in 4 women aged 50 experience hip pain and this is across active and less active individuals.  Some of the information is mind blowing but it has really helped me gain focus on getting through perimenopause as smoothly as possible.  I refuse to take HRT as I strongly believe there are much more important strategies to put in place before seeking this as an option.  Diet, seep, healthy weight, exercise, recovery are all crucial elements to a healthy transition.  I have been working hard to make sure each of these elements are healthy and right for me.  I am really feeling excited about the rest of the year now and am going to use my knowledge both as physiotherapist and an athlete to help pass on some of my knowledge.  I feel like although I am not quite ‘myself’ I am still ‘me’ with an enthusiasm for live, keeping fit and being a physio.

So here I am, raring to go.  I have had to reevaluate my approach to my business; which is 8 years old this year, and turn my thinking around slightly.  I have always loved being a physiotherapist and know my strengths lie in treating and educating patients with general Musculoskeletal injuries.  I have always been interested in treating injured runners and as a runner myself I totally understand the frustration of being injured.  I have had most injuries going which does help me understand a patients journey to see me.  I have been the avoider, the denier, the crier, the grump!! Now as I navigate the next few years I know I need to change my training and shift my mindset but I am not prepared to give up doing the things I love.  One of which is running in the hills.  I do , however know how important lifting weights is for women so my training has shifted more towards this element and less towards running.  That said, I have always instilled to all my patients that you must ‘get strong to run’.  If your body is strong then running becomes easier, if you just run you will at some point come a cropper.

All this said I am now looking towards continuing to support all my patients to allow them to understand their body and their injury/pain.  I have some upcoming workshops within the local community and am excited to be partnering with a local running club in educating their runners on S&C.  I have bitten the bullet and put myself out there for some longer distance running events but my training will be very different as a 50 year old.  I have all the tools to guide myself through these next few years but I know I have to be kind to myself.  My body is changing but it doesn’t have to change for the worst.  I have lost 3kg of fat this year but maintained muscle bulk and been working hard towards being able to do pull ups,  I am not ready to pick up the purple rinse yet and I hope the next few months can help inspire and educate you to make the best of your body.  I am committed to continuing to offer 100% to my patients so lets embrace these next few months, whatever age you are and set ourselves up to be the best we can be.

If you are struggling with exercising during perimenopause then please dont be afraid to reach out.  I am qualified in running analysis, weight training and have years of physiotherapy experience under my belt.  I have run ultras, done fitness events, swum miles, cycled miles and if I cant help you then I will definitely now someone who can.  Please dont suffer in silence and don’t jump straight into the HRT route as there are so many changes you can make to your lifestyle before this.  So there you go a quick update of me and where I am at.  The clinic is open Tuesday to Friday and I am always happy to chat over the phone before you decide if physiotherapy is right for you.

Upcoming course details are below and if there is anything you would like to be covered then please get in touch.  Thanks for reading this and I do hope to see you out and about (or in clinic soon)

Details of upcoming workshops:

Monday April 7th 7pm at Rumbletums cafe in Kimberley – Runners Workshop –  learn how to manage injuries, run more efficiently and train safely.  Hosted by KHPhysiotherapy with a wealth of knowledge of running injuries.  You can purchase tickets via this link or pop into clinic for more info

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1270645267199?aff=oddtdtcreator

TBC – Strength and Conditioning for Runners – learn why S&C is so important for runners and for life in general.  Get advice on how to incorporate it into your training and learn some great exercises to start with

TBC- Running during perimenopause – learn what is happening in your body as your hormones change and how this effects your ability to train.  Understand how to adapt your run training to suit your body