Red Hot Mamas In Charge of Change.
By: Red Hot Mamas
Published: August 10, 2018
“My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She’s ninety-seven now, and we don’t know where the heck she is.”
-Ellen DeGeneres
Dear Red Hot Mamas,
Is it possible to live your life without limits at menopause? I believe the answer is yes. Making a few changes in your daily habits might help you to achieve this goal. Simply by treating your body well, staying physically fit and eating what is good and avoiding unhealthy foods will be beneficial to your overall health. It will also help for all those annoying symptoms associated with menopause – like what I call “the devilish duo” – hot flashes and night sweats; as well as helping quell those mood swings and prevent weight gain. So, I hope that as menopause hits you, you will turn up your healthy lifestyle habits a notch.
As you may know, I’ve ice skated all my life. So, I have a great love of this sport. And, I know that the month of August can be very hot. I’ve got a solution to staying cool during this month – that’s going ice skating.
I bring this up, also, as I never got a hot flash on the ice! It really is a good way to stay cool and get fit. Ice skating is easy on the joints and helps strengthen muscles (especially around your hips, knees and ankles) which in turn can help you in other sports which you may partake in. It also helps tone your butt and core. You will never see a skater with a flabby bum! You also burn a lot of calories skating – about 387 calories per hour. It also helps to improve your aerobic conditioning and helps with reducing stress and improving your mood. It also can be fun. So, if you need to cool off this August, find an indoor ice rink, bring along a friend or family member, or do it yourself. Keep cool, stay inside and enjoy the fun of ice skating.
Whatever exercise you do, it’s important to do it regularly. It can improve your mood and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression that so many women have at menopause. It is also vital in supporting a fast metabolism and helping to burn more calories per day by increasing muscle mass and losing weight. And, we know it helps prevent osteoporosis by building muscles and strong bones.
In closing, if you are like many women (including myself), who struggle to find the time in your busy life to engage in a physical activity, try shorter bursts of physical activity. Even as little as 15 minutes per day will have benefits by helping you to kick start your metabolic rate, reduce body fat and increase muscle mass.
On a personal note, exercise has helped me to gain more confidence in myself, sleep better and has improved my drive and focus. I do hope that you will plan to engage in a healthier lifestyle, fit exercise into your schedule, without breaking out in too much of a sweat about it.
See you at the ice rink!
Good Health to You All,
Karen Giblin
