Age

We grow up thinking people who are in their 40s and beyond are “old,” and before you realize it, you find yourself at that age. Then, you think to yourself, “Wait, I don’t feel old,” but your story depends on your lifestyle and how you’ve treated your body.

As we age, multiple factors impact our health and fitness including a natural decline in muscle mass and strength, known as sarcopenia. This can make it more challenging to maintain or build muscle and may affect everyday physical activity.

Metabolism also tends to slow down with age, which can lead to unwanted weight gain, particularly around the midsection, under the arms or bra line, and thighs. Because of this, women over 40 may find it more difficult to lose weight.

Additionally, aging can contribute to joint pain, stiffness, and a higher risk of conditions like osteoarthritis. These issues can impact your ability to perform certain exercise regimens and can require modifications to your training programs.

I always stress to people who are new to working out or haven’t done so in a while to hire a qualified trainer, fitness coach, or physical therapist to create a program that is appropriate and ensures proper form and execution to avoid injury.

Flexibility and mobility also tend to decline as women age, often leading to a reduced range of motion. This can make everyday activities like bending, lifting, and twisting more challenging and increase the risk of injuries to the lower back, hips, and knees.

Unless you have a very active job where you’re moving regularly, chances are you’re sitting six to eight hours a day. This results in increased muscle tightness and stiffness.

Fall in Love with Life

A lot of our stress and frustration comes from a simple thing: that we reject life and want it to be different.

If you don’t like the way people act, you’ll be frustrated with them. If you don’t like the way you are, you’ll be unhappy with yourself. If you don’t like the uncertainty and chaos of the world, it will feel super stressful.

What if you could fall in love with life, just as it is? What would that change for you?

Today, you could practice falling in love with everything you encounter, just as it is.

Bring curiosity, and see what is fascinating about your present-moment experience. Bring wonder, and see what is amazing. Bring appreciation, and see what can be savored.

A Secret Garden

A Secret Garden: Your Gut Microbiome

Like a flourishing garden teeming with diverse plant life, the gut microbiome is a complex landscape that plays a major role in your health and vitality.

To have a thriving garden, the gardener must tend to it with loving care and attention. Similarly, we must nurture and cultivate the ecosystem within our own bodies — the gut microbiome.

Like a flourishing garden teeming with diverse plant life, the gut microbiome is a complex landscape of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms that play a major role in our health and vitality — from digesting food, absorbing nutrients, and supporting immune function to maintaining mental clarity and emotional balance.

As a seasoned gardener must nourish the garden’s soil and keep a watchful eye on the garden’s habitat to support healthy plant growth, we too must provide our gut microbiome with the essential nutrients, attention, and care it needs to maintain harmony, resilience, and balance.

Otherwise, just like a garden can be compromised with disease from insects or weeds, our gut health can become vulnerable to chronic inflammation, leaky gut symptoms, poor immune system, hormonal imbalances, allergies, mood disorders, and other problems.

To create a rich and robust ecosystem in your gut, eat a varied diet rich in fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics. Foods, such as nutrient-dense vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and fermented foods, and ample hydration give us the fortifying energy for the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, creating a microbiome that blooms with vibrancy.

Mindful eating habits and diversifying your diet through natural foods can bring transformative change to your entire being. A happy gut means a happier life!