I used to think it was normal that at midlife there would be aches and pains, to not have the same energy as in previous decades and to not realistically build strength, fully heal injuries and improve range of motion, mobility, flexibility and stability– but now I call bullshit on that. It is not normal to have aches and pains, be low energy, and an emotional wreck just because you are 40 years old or over! There is another way.
A lot of people plan their training and simply hope that they recover, and then they carry on doing their training. As a midlife, 51-year-old woman who wants to be active, feel emotionally stable, navigate peri-menopause with ease, have happy hormones, and continue building and maintaining strength, it’s actually helpful to reverse this.
Let your recovery dictate your training, not the other way around.
To acknowledge the physical process and reality that when we rest we get stronger after the breaking down that happens during training or physical stress. Let’s respect the rest part of this cycle!
The other day, I trained outside with a friend and we did a smorgasbord of movement – crawling, kettlebells, things on gymnastic rings – the kind of generalist mindset I love. Always moving in a way that invites movement rather than restricts it. (This doesn’t mean you can’t have style and you can’t have intentional moments, but you are moving in a way that creates the possibility for more movement.) After a full day of training, walking with my dog Pax, and taking care of my work/business, by 6:30pm I was done and ready to chill and was in bed by 9.30pm.
The next day I woke up having slept eight hours, feeling good. I knew it would be a cold morning, it was dark with a beautiful full moon. Pax and I headed out, did our five-minute walk to the end of the road and then decided, okay, I’m going to run. I had woken up feeling good – pain free and full of energy. It should be normal to wake up pain free. If you do, that’s a sign you’re listening to your body, have all the stressors of life in balance (nutrition, hydration, emotions and many others) then you can move and push your training a bit more. If you are not feeling this way, then take baby steps.
When I train, I start with breathing, I start with rocking or other moves that soothe the nervous system, e.g. walking. Movements that involve a contra-lateral (using opposite sides of the body) while belly breathing. It’s a listening process.
When I wake up there’s an opportunity to start listening, you can tell within that first 5 minutes if you’re off to a definitely good start or a ‘I’m not so sure’ or an equally definite ‘oh dear, or ‘I’m not so sure I should be awake yet’ type of feeling. When I head out, the listening continues, it’s about being aware. Even the process of getting dressed, I am checking in to see how I am feeling, if I can balance easily, how sharp my mind brings together the simple process of what clothing I need for the climate and activities that may or may not happen.
How we feel is based on what we did the day before. I learnt from Jared Tavasolian that how we sleep is a reflection of how we spent our day. This then dictates how I move through the day. It all comes down to listening and knowing thyself.
The more you know yourself, the more you can do things that will improve yourself, and the more likely you are not to damage yourself. The more you know yourself and you are honest about what’s going on for you, then you’ll be able to make good decisions. And be able to do the things you love doing!
Are you just hoping you’ll recover and stick to your training regardless? Or is there any intentional listening?
These are important questions for anyone in their training, whatever age, ability, or level. See what your body has to offer on any given day. Is there gas in the tank or are you running on empty? This is really important because there is a big difference between the stress you invite and the stress that you don’t.
Stress is our reaction to an event, not the event itself. I recently saw a Oxygen Advantage instagram post with Patrick McKeown speaking with James Nestor about the Wim Hoff technique, discussing is it the breathing or is it the cold that carries the benefit? Nestor said that when you expose yourself intentionally to such stressors, they are really good. For example, on my morning walk/run, it was really cold for me, so there was an environmental stressor making my organs work hard to maintain my body temperature. And there was the stressor of the movement, the 25-minute run. This is really different from me waking up and reading an email, or immediately finding out something bad has happened or being at the airport and realising I’m in the wrong terminal and the gate is closing for my flight and I need to run….
If you can choose your stressors intentionally, mindfully, consciously – going for a run, exercise, going out in the cold, getting really hot – invite them in, seek challenge, take risks. When you invite them in, listen to your body and work actively with your nervous system to find balance from fight or flight to rest and digest. If you can learn to control your nervous system in this way, intentionally switching from fight or flight to rest and digest, you become more resilient. If you can control your nervous system, as Nestor shared, you can control your immune system. If you can control your immune system, life’s good. You stay strong, happy, active, calm, resilient and feel positive about your future.
Keep listening and making good decisions as we are faced with a multitude of choices everyday. Choose to listen and continue building your strength into, during and after midlife. 
Thoughts from a midlife woman who likes to be a happy generalist. To run, jump, crawl, climb, balance, play, lift, carry, do parkour, surf and walk her dog
🙂
cheers x Julie
For more ideas on different types of movement snacks, check out the Movement Snacks Instagram channel and join the free Move More course from See&Do. And in the meantime, if it applies, keep an eye on your squirrel loving dog!