10 ways to energise your midlife
Are you in that midlife stage, that has been coined Midulthood?
Are you feeling a decline in energy levels?
Most of us at this stage are simply busy all the time – work, family logistics and lots of commitments - and that coupled with not getting enough quality sleep makes for an exhausting life! It definitely doesn’t seem as easy as it was back in our 20’s and 30’s.
But there are strategies for boosting those energy levels and feeling a little more in control as we head through/towards the menopause:
Keep you weight in check. Due to the hormonal changes as we head into menopause, we tend to put fat on much easier. You’ll find you can do the same exercise and eat the same but the effect isn’t the same. The added weight can put a drain on those energy stores.
Work on improving your nutrition. This doesn’t need to be a complete revamp of your diet. It just means eating nutrient rich foods that will help your body work efficiently.
At this stage of life our bone density has decreased so calcium is a nutrient that we need for example.
Potassium is also a great energy booster and helps with heart health and lowering blood pressure.
Protein is needed for muscle repair and build, as this again depletes as we age and will help give you an energy boost.
Keep hydrated. We should be drinking approximately 2lts a day, but this doesn’t take into consideration activity levels so this may need to be amended for you specifically. Just be sure to sip water throughout the day so there’s no chance of you becoming dehydrated. A loss of just 2% of your body weight as water will compromise your mental and physical function.
Ditch the afternoon caffeine boost. It won’t really help you – it’s more of a hindrance as it affects the quality of your sleep.
Do a mix of exercises. Don’t just concentrate on one format. You need to be doing cardio, flexibility and strength work. Doing strength work builds on your lean muscle mass and this then leads to a powered up metabolism, helping with fat loss. Weights and power-based moves will also help with bone density.
Sleep more and better. Difficult I know, but try and get into a specific bedtime routine (as you would with your kids, if you have them!) – have the downtime, time away from screens and make sure your bedroom is the right environment to promote sleep. If you mind is a whirr of thoughts as soon as you lie down, try doing a brain dump onto a notepad, so that you know you’ll remember those things tomorrow and they’re not on your mind as you try to sleep.
I’m always saying it – self care!! Take time out for yourself. Time where you’re not rushing from one thing to another. It’ll help you recharge. And, do things you love, that make you smile. The serotonin we produce when we’re happy really helps us focus, concentrate and have more motivation.
Be body aware. Take note of your natural rhythm. Are you an early to bed, early to rise person or does that not work for you? When in the day do you have the most energy? Being more aware of this rhythm will help you plan your day. If you’re not an early riser then don’t force yourself to get up and go for a jog for example.
Breathe. Take time to relax and just take some deep breaths.
Have a health check. The NHS offers free annual health checks for over 40’s, so take advantage, particularly if you’ve tried the things above and it’s still not hitting the spot. There may be some hormonal issues to fix.
If you need any help with the fitness aspect then I’d be happy to have a chat.
Good luck in navigating Midulthood!
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