Embracing Change: Empowering Midlife Women for Health and Vitality

We often hear from women that they feel too old to change their lives. For example, they wonder, "Am I too old for exercise to make a difference?” 

The answer is always a great, big, resounding “NO.” It’s never too late to make a difference in exercise and any other facet of life. Many women have successfully reinvented themselves after 50 and reignited change in many aspects of their lives.

Substantial evidence from intervention studies and observational research has demonstrated various positive health effects of making changes after 50, primarily related to physical activity in older populations. 

Here are ideas for areas where small changes can make a significant impact.

Make Social Connections:

Human connection is a fundamental pillar of well-being. Research consistently shows that solid emotional bonds contribute significantly to our overall health. Loneliness and isolation are not just feelings; they have tangible effects on our physical health, including increased risks of heart disease, stroke, and dementia. 

Building and nurturing meaningful relationships with friends, family, and community members is essential. Embrace opportunities for social engagement through group activities, faith communities, or neighborhood programs. These connections bring tremendous benefits for improving the quality of life. 

Create a New Vision:

Finding a purpose gives meaning to your life and fuels your motivation. 

Studies have shown that individuals with a clear sense of purpose tend to have lower mortality rates. 

Whether volunteering, pursuing a hobby, or helping others in need, identifying activities that align with your values and positively impact your well-being can significantly enhance your well-being. 

It is not uncommon too struggle and not know where to start finding your purpose. Walking through the steps to create a new vision for your life can help you reignite your purpose. Check out the resources we’ve developed to help you reinvigorate your life and change for good. 

Build Muscle:

Aging often brings a decline in muscle mass and strength, but it's not an inevitable consequence. Regular strength-training exercises can help mitigate muscle loss, improve balance, and reduce the risk of falls and injuries. 

Aim for at least two weekly sessions, focusing on exercises targeting major muscle groups. Remember to allow adequate rest between sessions to support muscle recovery. Check out this blog post to help understand how building muscle is one of the best exercises for defying the effects of aging. 

Protect Your Brain:

Dementia is a prevalent concern among aging adults, but research suggests that lifestyle factors play a significant role in prevention. 

Quitting smoking, exercising regularly, and adopting a heart-healthy diet can all contribute to brain health. Take proactive steps to safeguard your cognitive function and reduce the risk of age-related mental decline. Small lifestyle-related changes can make a big difference in lowering your risk for dementia. The impact is particularly profound during midlife. 

Eat a Balanced Diet (Protein, Plus Nuts!):

The foundation of healthy aging starts with nutrition. It’s time to ditch the fad diets and instead eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrient-rich foods. 

Focus on incorporating lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats into your meals. Limit sugar intake, opt for natural sources of sweetness, and avoid sugary beverages. Consider including nuts like walnuts in your diet, which have been linked to improved cardiac function and overall health. Many midlife women struggle to get adequate protein, but we share how small changes can make a significant difference in this blog.  

Support Your Caregiving Friends:

Almost every midlife woman we know is a caregiver. For caregivers, the importance of self-care cannot be overstated. Providing care for a loved one can be physically, emotionally, and financially taxing. 

As a caregiver, you must prioritize your well-being and seek support when needed. 

While new programs that aim to address the needs of caregivers and improve the quality of life for caregivers and their loved ones are becoming available, there are still far too few of them. 

In the meantime, take time for yourself and acknowledge the struggles of caregiving with your friends, family, and acquaintances. You are not alone. 

As a midlife woman, you possess the resilience and wisdom to navigate aging challenges gracefully. By embracing these small yet impactful changes, you can empower yourself to lead a vibrant, fulfilling life well into the future. 

Remember, it's never too late to prioritize your health and well-being—it's a journey worth embarking on, one step at a time.

Embracing the Unpredictable: Navigating Health Scares and Prioritizing Wellness in Midlife

By the time we've reached midlife, we've most likely experienced a health crisis, either ours or someone’s very close to us, and lost people we’ve known well and loved.

Yet, no matter where we are on the health continuum, a crisis is always a shock, especially if it’s our own

The reality is modifiable risk factors are largely responsible for the leading causes of death. And many of the risk factors are preventable years and even decades before a diagnosis. There is a LOT of research (and a lot of speculation) about how to delay the onset of disease by engaging in healthy habits. However, many people feel their risk is more due to aging than how they choose to live.

The common perception of an inevitable decline and marginal health towards the end of life is evolving and, in our opinion, is outdated! We talk about the 'how tos' for living longer and better as we age at Rumblings.  

As a registered and licensed dietitian and an exercise physiologist, we practice what we recommend to others. We're on this aging journey too. Our aim has always been to distill the science into understandable and actionable recommendations to help you improve your aging journey. We want to help women differentiate between personal health recommendations (e.g., I lost weight; therefore, I am an expert), beliefs of self-professed wellness experts (e.g., I took a 30-hour class to get a coaching certificate), and true research-based recommendations to cut through the confusion, improve health, and prevent risk factors for disease.

We're not perfect. I (Karyn) secretly love salty chips and crackers and love cheese. But I enjoy them in moderation. We're focused on creating a strategy and plan for our health and prioritizing behaviors necessary to increase our health span. 

Our intent is not only to delay death but to push off disease from the so-called four Horsemen (cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, neurodegenerative declines) and improve the quality of our lives as we age. Who doesn’t want to feel great, move pain-free, and engage fully in life until we die?

I was recently reminded, however, that all the awareness, diligence, and healthy habits in the world don't make us immune to experiencing health scares. A few months ago, I was flagged for having an abnormality in my blood via a screening done to donate plasma. It was a fluke because this serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) is not typically done as part of a routine exam in the United States.

I felt great, and all my typical wellness checks – and a few additional tests I requested – had been at optimal levels for health. Although I'm not thin, I require no regular medications. After completing several other tests, including a CT scan and bone marrow biopsy (sedation during the procedure made it pain-free), I was determined to have monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS for short), a precursor for multiple myeloma. 

Multiple myeloma is terminal cancer with no treatment, and the standard treatment is to treat the effects of cancer. These effects are often the first indication an individual might have this type of cancer. Multiple myeloma is one of the rarer cancers, with no modifiable risk factors other than possibly obesity, but the number of individuals with the diagnosis is increasing worldwide.

As someone who is a “worried well” individual, there is a processing and reckoning required to accept that, occasionally, our health is out of our control. There is no lifestyle behavior to be modified, no treatment or pharmacological intervention to improve the situation, and nothing that could have prevented this from happening to me. It wasn't easy to grapple with.  

Confirmation that I have MGUS, a precursor, and not cancer, was a huge relief. I may never progress into multiple myeloma, but thankfully, I now have the baseline of all of my measures from my test results and can monitor any progression along the continuum of conditions that are precursors to multiple myeloma.

It was also a good reminder that as pristine as we may be with our health, there are some things over which we have no control. Rather than let it all go and live la vida loca, I have re-evaluated my approach to my health and wellness. I want to share it; in case it might be helpful for anyone else who finds themselves in a similar situation.

I have changed my mindset to think about my lifestyle behaviors as self-care. Good health is not only the absence and prevention of disease but also about building a 'reserve' of good health in case I get sick. 

Here is what that means for me and links to previous blog posts if you want to understand a topic further.

- I engage in exercise and physical fitness that feels like play, but I also choose activities that allow me to spend time in nature. I've always found joy in moving my body because I can – no matter what that looks like at any given moment. 

- I eat healthfully, including choosing plants, hitting protein targets, monitoring calorie intake, and focusing on whole foods.

- I limit alcohol consumption. Research suggests there may be no healthy intake levels for some individuals, and consuming too much may increase cancer risk.

- I am  extra vigilant with scheduling and staying current with my preventive exams and screenings

- I'm encouraging all my midlife friends (especially all of you) to ask their providers to include a SPEP or CBC test as part of their routine blood work at their next preventive exam.

- I got a bone density exam. The results provide information beyond just understanding the risk for osteoporosis. One of the initial signs of multiple myeloma for many people is vertebral compression fractures. This situation is exacerbated if your bone density is less than optimal.

This is my list based on my current health status. I encourage you to renew your focus on joy and vitality, whatever that looks like for you. Health is more than your test results and screening numbers. It's about creating memories with those you love and experiencing the joy of being healthy to live it as fully as possible.

Too often, as we age, we look to the past without recognizing that the best way to stay young is to look toward the future. 

A wise friend once told me that time is short and the world is big. There are dreams I've yet to finish, and many I still need to start living. My spirit is young, and I want to put in the effort to make sure my body stays young, even as I age.

Here's to life! Such a gift I will not waste.

You can find out more about multiple myeloma and its precursors here.