Embrace the Power of Movement and Healthy Eating in Midlife

Do you struggle with exercise, physical activity, and healthy eating?

You’re not alone. Society has fed you narratives, and you’ve sometimes unknowingly taken on these stories as if they were your own, shaping your perceptions of movement and food. For midlife women, these narratives can be particularly limiting. It's time to rewrite these stories and embrace the joy and benefits of moving our bodies.

Challenging Old Movement Narratives

The number one reason women our age say they don’t like exercise is that they don’t want to sweat. But sweat is a sign of effort, strength, and vitality. You should embrace it, especially as you age. Being strong and fit is an identity worth portraying, and fit people show up sweaty and in their workout clothes!

Think back to a time before Title IX and what society told us about women exercising and being ‘healthy’ - which was all about being attractive and appealing:

- They’d build bulky muscles.

- It was terrible for their constitution.

- Women shouldn't exercise during pregnancy.

- Women are the ‘weaker sex.’

- Sweating is unattractive

- Women should eat like a bird

Even some recent media narratives about female athletes continue to perpetuate these outdated stories about women and fitness, and thankfully, that outdated and biased mentality is starting to change. For years, women were told not to lift weights and to focus exclusively on looking cute in leotards while doing cardio. Pioneers like Jack LaLanne emphasized muscle fitness for women. Still, many early fitness programs  - while terrific at getting women moving - focused solely on cardio and light exercises rather than strength training.

Challenging Old Food Narratives

At the same time, women often encounter outdated or restrictive narratives about healthy eating that can hinder their progress toward achieving their goals. Some of these narratives include:

• "Carbs are bad": The misconception that all carbohydrates are unhealthy can lead women to avoid nutrient-rich foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

• "Fat makes you fat": This outdated belief discourages the consumption of healthy fats, such as those found in avocados, nuts, and olive oil, which are essential for overall health.

• "Eat less to lose weight": The idea that drastically reducing calorie intake is the key to weight loss can lead to malnutrition and a slowed metabolism, ultimately making weight management more difficult.

• "Healthy eating is expensive": The perception that nutritious foods are always costly can prevent women from making healthier choices, even though many affordable options are available.

• "It's too late to change": The belief that changing what you eat in midlife won't significantly impact health can discourage women from adopting healthier eating habits.

• "Healthy eating is about deprivation": Associating healthy eating with restrictive diets can make it seem unappealing and unsustainable, leading to cycles of dieting and bingeing.

• "You need to detox": The idea that the body needs special detox diets or cleanses to be healthy can lead to extreme and unnecessary dietary practices.

Challenging these narratives with evidence-based information and promoting a balanced, enjoyable approach to healthy eating can help you make positive changes without feeling restricted or discouraged.

Redefining Your Narratives

Instead of dreading exercise and feeling overwhelmed about establishing a high-quality, nutrient-rich eating pattern to supply the fuel your body needs to move more, reset your mindset to prioritize the joy of movement. 

Your body has been through a lot and has taken you far. Movement is not something to dread; it’s something to embrace with excitement and anticipation! It’s powerful—being strong boosts confidence at any age. In middle age, it helps us become visible and vibrant. Healthful eating does not have to be overwhelming if you focus on the basics and block out the noise that villainizes certain foods or food groups.

You can age with strength instead of frailty, health instead of disease, and independence instead of dependence. You can do everything you envision with just a little effort. 

Remember, you are in training to live a strong and healthy life full of vitality, using your body to help you create a life where you flourish.

Healthy Eating & Moving are Best Friends

Alongside movement, healthy eating plays a crucial role in our well-being. Many women underestimate the amount of calories they consume and overestimate the amount of exercise they do. 

Moving your body more and building healthful eating patterns are essential for maintaining or losing weight while supporting your energy level and fitness as you age. Together, these two habits form a synergistic foundation that promotes vitality and longevity during this pivotal stage of life.  This knowledge empowers you to take control of your health and well-being.

Consider these questions:

• Are you eating enough food to sustain more physical activity and exercise? If you’re tired and lack energy to fuel your workouts, you might not be eating enough. 

• Are you consuming enough protein?

• Is your plate balanced?

• How is your food mindset? 

• Are you incorporating the 'Macros of Movement' throughout the week? Find a balanced mix of physical activity, stability/functional training, strength training, and cardio (moderate and vigorous). Avoid limiting your routine to just cardio or daily walks. Instead, add strength training and functional exercises to your regimen.

• Is your current movement pattern an intense cardio session 3-4 days a week for 30-45 minutes, followed by passive activities like working in front of a screen or reading? 

Making minor adjustments to your routine, like increasing physical activity and ensuring sufficient protein intake, can prevent gradual weight gain and help you stay physically strong and fit as you age and into your later years.

Practical Steps to Get Started

• Find Joy in Movement: Choose activities that you enjoy. Whether dancing, hiking, swimming, or yoga, find what makes you happy and keep moving.

• Strength Training: Incorporate strength training into your routine. It boosts metabolism, strengthens bones, and enhances muscle mass. It's particularly beneficial for midlife women as it can help counteract the natural loss of muscle mass that occurs with age, improving overall strength and mobility.

• Intentional Eating: Pay attention to what you eat. Opt for nutrient-dense foods that nourish your body and support your fitness goals. This balanced approach to eating will provide you with the necessary nutrients and support your fitness journey, reassuring you that you're on the right path.

• Stay Consistent: Move a regular part of your life. Consistency is critical to reaping the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

• Build a Support System: Surround yourself with supportive friends and family who encourage your fitness journey.

Rewriting your relationship with exercise and healthy eating is essential for thriving in midlife. Embrace the power of movement and the benefits of a balanced eating pattern. You have the strength to age with vitality, confidence, and independence. Celebrate your body and the incredible things it can do. Normalize being strong at any size, and don’t shy away from sweating—even if it means showing up to appointments or lunch meetups in exercise gear. 

Rumblings Media has tools and resources to help guide you wherever you are on your health and wellness journey so you can thrive! 

Don’t know where to begin or wonder where you need to focus on adjusting your patterns? Join us in an upcoming online or in-person class to jump-start your plan!

We’re here to help—and to remind you that it is never too late to begin or review where you’re at. 

Start today, step into the identity of a strong, fit, and balanced-eating midlife woman, and flourish!

Embrace the Journey: Rediscover Purpose in Midlife

"What are you doing with your life?" It echoes through the corridors of our minds, haunting us like a persistent shadow. We remember asking ourselves this in college, maybe even later in our twenties. But life happened—kids, careers, responsibilities—and that question got buried beneath the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Fast-forward to today, and here we are, a community of midlife women, each navigating a unique maze of caregiving duties, changing relationships, and evolving roles. The question resurfaces, taunting us with its insistent presence.

"What are you doing with your life?"

Reinvent Midlife

But this time, instead of feeling a surge of possibility, doubt creeps in. Is it too late to chase your dreams? Can you reinvent your life, find new purposes, and acquire new skills?

The answer is a resounding YES!

Yes, even if you're unsure. Yes, even if you don't have all the answers. Yes, even if the path ahead seems daunting. Why? Because you are wiser now than you've ever been. You've weathered storms, faced challenges, and emerged stronger and more resilient on the other side.

Rewrite Your Story

It's still possible to rewrite your story. This is just the beginning of a new chapter filled with endless and untapped possibilities. And the best part? You're not alone on this journey. 

As a community of midlife women, we are here to support and uplift each other.

Let's embrace uncertainty, fear, and the unknown together. Let's forge ahead with courage, curiosity, and a willingness to explore. Ultimately, what matters most is not where we've been but where we're going—and the incredible adventures that await us along the way.

Embrace Change

Midlife is a time of transition. It's a period marked by profound shifts in our lives, both internally and externally. As we navigate the complexities of aging parents, grown children, and changing careers, it's natural to question our place in the world and our purpose in life.

But amid the uncertainty, there lies an opportunity—to reinvent yourself, rediscover your passions, and pursue your dreams with renewed vigor. This is your chance to embrace change, lean into the discomfort, and emerge on the other side stronger, wiser, and more fulfilled than ever before. The potential for growth and fulfillment in this new chapter of life is immense and within your reach. It’s a time to reset your mindset and renew your vision to live vibrantly and purposely. 

Seek Fulfillment

Finding fulfillment in midlife is not about achieving some elusive ideal of success or happiness. It's about embracing the messy, imperfect journey of self-discovery and growth. It's about learning to appreciate the beauty of the present moment, even as you strive for a better tomorrow.

So, lean into the unknown with an open heart and mind. Trust in your ability to navigate life's twists and turns with grace and resilience. And remember that no matter where this journey takes you, you're never alone. 

Together, we can face whatever challenges come our way and emerge more robust and resilient than ever.

Now is the Time

Midlife is not the end of the road – it's a new beginning. It's a chance to reinvent yourself, pursue your passions, and live on your terms. So, embrace this opportunity with courage, curiosity, and a sense of adventure. Write the next chapter of your life with boldness and determination. 

Start creating your vision for this next chapter. Check out the following resources for support:

1. Overcoming Resistance to Achieve Your Vision: A Midlife Women’s Guide

2. Midlife Transitions and Challenges: A Call for a Renewed Vision

3. 90-Day Vision Journal: Create and Live the Life of Your Dreams

4. 52-Week Email Vision Course 

5. Check out our in-person midlife transformation classes.

Remember, the best you is about to bloom and flourish!

Lasting Change Unleashed: Discover Essential Techniques to Overcome Challenges and Create a Supportive Environment

Are you ready to shake things up and live midlife to the fullest but feel stuck and confused about where to start? 

We understand that feeling. It can be frustrating, especially when you may not recognize your midlife body, feel your career needs an overhaul, desire to live more vibrantly than your current friend group or feel like you’re living day-to-day without a plan. 

But here’s the good news: you’re different from many other women because you’re ready to make lasting changes.                     

And guess what? It’s possible to change your behaviors and sustain those changes. 

Renewed Vision: Setting the Foundation for Behavior Change

Let’s talk about the key to long-term change—shifting your identity. In case you missed it, we’ve shared the importance of creating a renewed vision for yourself in midlife. Now, that might sound daunting, but before you jump into action—new diets, exercise programs, wellness routines, or sleep protocols—only to slip back into old patterns again, here’s the secret: you need to see yourself as the person who eats well, moves daily, makes healthier choices, and prioritizes sleep BEFORE you take any action. Establishing a renewed vision for yourself is crucial because that’s where many women fail to sustain their desired behaviors for the long term. 

Reduce Friction: Assess and Modify Your Surroundings

Next, you must alleviate the friction to change before you take action. This involves assessing your work, home, school, social, and community environments and asking yourself if they support the desired changes. 

The goal is to make healthier choices easier choices. Too often, we face obstacles like tempting television programs, social media distractions, processed foods that are readily available, and a lack of time that hinders us from making choices that make us feel better, boost our energy, and help us flourish. 

To assess your surroundings, focus on the following:

1. People you spend the most time with

2. The places you frequent, such as work, home, school, church, and community

3. Your systems, like your routines and time management

4. The policies at work or in other organizations you’re involved with

Now, take a moment to reflect: do these people, places, systems, and policies support your values and goals? Do they create friction or resistance when you try to change? For example, does your workspace encourage standing instead of sitting all day? Do your workplace policies allow walking meetings and working out during lunch? Are your friends cheering you on or scoffing at the changes you want to make? Do your routines and habits align with your renewed vision?

Our environment often doesn’t naturally support how we want to live as we age. To ensure success, we must address the potential friction and resistance before taking action toward our goals. 

Observing Successful Example: Prioritizing Health and Well-being

By observing our surroundings, we can get a glimpse of what’s prioritized. Take our recent trip to Vietnam, for instance. During our visit, we noticed that health and well-being were community priorities: 

1. Parks were equipped with adult exercise equipment.

2. People were doing tai chi and stretching in green space.

3. Fruit was served after every meal instead of dessert. 

4. Restaurants served fresh, local food in a family-style manner. 

We found it easier to make healthier choices while traveling in Vietnam than it can be when traveling in the United States.

Modifying Your Surroundings: Making Healthier Choices Easier

Now consider some questions to help you modify your surroundings and better support your goals: 

1. What are one or two things you change in your environment that will help make healthier choices more available and easier to access? For example, can you keep healthier food choices more accessible at home so you can grab them on the go? 

2. What adjustments can you make to your routines to align them with your goals? For example, can you keep sneakers in the car so that you can walk while waiting during pick-up times or in between errands?

3. Can you spend more time with people who support your desire to change rather than resist it? For example, instead of connecting with friends over drinks and a meal, can you meet them for a walk or a yoga class?

4. Can you advocate for changes in work, school, or church policies to make healthier choices easier for you and those around you? For example, can you advocate ending meetings a few minutes early to allow for time to take a walking break or grab a healthy snack?

Embracing Sustainable Behavior Change: The Journey to Midlife Transformation

Starting a new behavior is often easier than sustaining it over time. Why? Our surroundings create resistance that pulls us back into old habits. Before taking action toward your goals, start by assessing your environment.

It’s time to get off the roller coaster and finally live your midlife vision! Creating a supportive environment will make your goals easier to achieve and sustain! 

Looking for more ways to build skills to help you successfully change behaviors? Read our suggestions for building resiliency in midlife.

How to Build Resiliency in Midlife

On Monday, February 13, at 7:31 pm, I (Rebecca) got the text no parent ever wants to receive. “MSU police report shots fired. An incident occurring on or near the East Lansing campus. Secure-in-place immediately. Run. Hide. Fight.” 

At that point, I wasn’t too concerned but worried enough that I texted my Michigan State University sophomore son to check-in. Fortunately, he was safe off campus. I called a few minutes later, and to my surprise, he had walked back to his dorm right into the chaos of the mass shooting situation. He made it safely to his room and, with his roommate, moved two dressers against the door and listened to the police dispatch radio as they watched hundreds of police descend on campus outside their window. And they prayed for a friend who had gone to work and was in the Memorial Union, one of the shooting scenes.

Our family was glued to the television for hours, feeling helpless over 600 miles away. Three students were tragically killed that evening, five were seriously injured, and more than 50,000 students, faculty, friends, and family members were impacted. Sadly, my son’s good friend in the Memorial Union was one of the victims killed.

Our family is not alone in suddenly experiencing the unexpected. Over the last year, I have been working with a University of Minnesota research team. We analyzed data from families participating in a seven-month obesity prevention intervention. The team was surprised by how many families experienced a significant life event during the program. The families described these life events as interfering with their ability to follow through on their healthy lifestyle goals. They were derailed and didn’t have the personal skills to get back on track quickly. In other words, many people don’t have the resiliency skills to help them reset after a setback, life event, or trauma. 

What is resiliency?

Not surprisingly, I have been contemplating the concept of resilience.

• What is it?

• How do we build it?

• How do we activate it during trauma or significant life events?

• How do we live with grit, tenacity, and mental strength and use our healthy lifestyles to support us during challenging times?

• How do we teach and model resiliency for others, like our children?

Last week, Michigan State University offered a virtual event for parents with Dr. James Henry, co-founder and project director for the Western Michigan University Children’s Trauma Assessment Center. He defined resiliency as the ability to overcome adversity and trauma and build the capacity to heal.

Whether you’re facing significant trauma or minor life events—things can get in the way of following through on healthy behaviors. As a result, you may feel like cocooning, escaping, or reaching for things that give your comfort (e.g., food and alcohol). These feelings are normal.

We all experience the unexpected—sometimes, we get thrown off track for a few weeks, and sometimes we get knocked down for longer (e.g., COVID). The ultimate goal is to develop and deploy resiliency skills to overcome uncertainty, helplessness, stress, and trauma. I am not a psychologist or a trauma expert. I recommend seeking help when you feel stuck and are experiencing physical symptoms.

However, I can share tips that helped me the last few weeks and tips that assisted other women Karyn and I have worked with during their midlife behavior change journeys.

How do you build resiliency skills?

• Start thinking about your healthy lifestyle—eating well, exercising, getting adequate sleep, and managing stress— as keys to helping you build resiliency when life is going smoothly. Suppose you believe your healthy lifestyle enables you to feel better and have more energy. In that case, you’re more likely to believe in your ability to engage in healthy behaviors during challenging times. You’re also more likely to view those behaviors as tools to help you versus seeing them as another thing to do when you don’t feel your best.

• Set up your environment to support you during good times and unexpected challenges. Stock your pantry with healthy foods. Fill your refrigerator with fruits and vegetables. Bookmark gentle movement videos to pull out when you need to relax and unwind. Set your bedroom up to be a sanctuary for sleep and comfort. Your surroundings can make it easier to maintain healthy practices during challenging times. 

• Recall past experiences. Think back to previous challenges in your life. How did you overcome those? What coping strategies did you use? Write down how you dealt with hardships in the past. Reflect on these past experiences when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed.

• Remember, getting off track with your lifestyle goals is ok. Be kind to yourself. Give yourself time to move through the challenges. Being resilient means getting back on track slowly, one day at a time when you feel ready. When you’ve prepared for the unexpected, it will be easier to get back on track.

• Move your body in healing ways. Your movement choices may look different—a walk versus a run, a stretch instead of heavy-strength training, or deep breathing or meditation instead of a strenuous workout. Do what feels right. Moving will help you feel better both physically and mentally.

• Reach for nourishing foods to support you as you move through your challenges. Doing this will give you the energy and focus on facing uncertainty.

• Seek connection. When you’re ready, talk about your feelings and what you’ve been through with others. Strength is in togetherness.

• Be hopeful. Challenges require moving through the unexpected and feeling what you’re experiencing. However, feeling confident you’ll be ok will help you adapt as needed.

• Model resiliency skills. Engage in healthy behaviors during difficult times as you’re able. Talk about modifications you made to your routine to support yourself. Share your actions and feelings with others around you. Share the what, why, and how you’re using your resiliency skills to help you through a difficult time. 

• See yourself as a resilient person. Anytime you associate a behavior as part of your identity (e.g., I am a voter versus I vote), you will be more likely to act that way when the time arises. 

We all face life events and unexpected challenges that impact our daily routines. The hope is that we can overcome the setbacks and realize our healthy lifestyle can support us through challenging times and help us handle hard situations with more energy and focus. These are skills that we can help others, like our children, build too, and during challenging times we can model resilient behaviors. These skills give us faith that we can walk through even the most challenging aspects of life. Living well requires resiliency, and as we get older, we may need to rely on these skills more often than we have in the past. 

Let’s Rumble with resilience!

Recognizing Midlife Challenges: Ladies, you’re not alone!

Fashion After 50, A Fashion Week MN Event. Photo credit: G. Marie Images

“Right after your breakdown is your breakthrough.” – Trent Shelton 

Do any of the following midlife challenges sound familiar? Weight changes, including changes in your physical body shape, loss of strength and balance, or changes in your metabolism. 

We’ve been surveying women since 2021; those were the most common challenges they shared experience in midlife. 

Women also told us about feeling achy, having pain, and experiencing a lack of stamina or fatigue. All of which interfered with achieving their exercise and fitness goals. Eating healthfully and getting adequate sleep were also on the list. 

They also shared difficulties staying connected and engaged with friends (or the loss of friends) and family due to life transitions. The lack of connection was often described as feelings of loneliness. 

Women also felt torn between managing grown children, aging parents, and not having enough personal time to care for themselves.

Financial stress and feeling prepared for retirement were also reported as challenges. 

The list challenge list continued, although not as many women reported the following:

• Feeling stressed

• Getting healthcare professionals to listen

• Being self-compassionate

• Enjoying life without guilt

• Feeling invisible

• Experiencing ageism at work

• Having anxiety

• Dressing for age

• Increasing disease risks

• Finding purpose

How do you feel when you hear the challenges and struggles of other midlife women? Do they resonate with you? 

Sharing this list is not to overwhelm you with midlife challenges you may or may not be experiencing but to help you see YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Midlife is a time of transition, and with transition and changes come challenges. Our bodies are changing. Our kids are leaving home. Our parents are aging. Our friendship groups are changing and evolving. We may be reassessing what we want during this phase of our careers. Many women ask themselves, ”What is my purpose, and what should my life look like for the next decades?” 

Experiencing these challenges that come with midlife are common than most women believe them to be. And the difficulties faced during this time are natural too. It’s time to normalize, talk, and share the realities of midlife and lean on each other as we learn to position ourselves to live vibrantly. We can and should flourish through our 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond! 

The good news is that we can overcome the new challenges of midlife! With the right tips, tools, and techniques, you can tackle these challenges and live your best life! 

Here’s what you can do to overcome your midlife challenges:

1. Write down the challenges you face in midlife. Be very specific. It is not an exercise about wallowing in our challenges but recognizing them to address them. 

2. Keep your list visible. Add to the list throughout the week. 

3. Sign-up to receive our bi-weekly email newsletter. In each email, we provide tips, tools, and techniques for overcoming challenges and creating lasting change in your life. 

4. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, where we provide additional tips and talk about living vibrantly together.

5. Review your list frequently. Develop a plan to tackle one or two of the most pressing challenges you are experiencing.  

6. Take small steps every day to address your challenges. 

Most importantly, you’re not alone. We’re on this journey together, and at Rumblings, we believe women can and should flourish after 50!