I Thought I Was Immune to Perimenopause Because I Was “Healthy”

Women in their 40s and 50s have never been so bombarded with information about perimenopause/menopause education, hormones, GLP-1s, strength training and muscle maintenance, stress and cortisol, gut health, supplements...

TOO FREAKING MUCH

Funny that I thought I could somehow bypass this stage of my life, or at least the label that has popularly been placed upon it over the last few years.

But then over this past year–and especially the past six months–I’ve definitely noticed a shift.

Even though I move and strength train, eat well, prioritize sleep, protein and fiber, manage stress, my cholesterol levels are rising, my skin is changing, I have increased joint and muscle pain, my cycle’s shifting, and I started extra overnight runs to pee.

Woohoo!

I thought just because I didn’t have the typical symptoms others were complaining of–the hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood swings–maybe it would skip me.

“I’m still in the clear!”, I thought.

I realized that even health-conscious women can be taken off guard by midlife changes, and that doesn’t mean they failed.

“Healthy” doesn’t make us immune to hormones, aging, stress, loss, life transitions, aging parents or the reality that our bodies are constantly changing.

What it does do, however, is give us a better foundation to meet those changes.

A Different Kind of Relationship

I’m recognizing that this season of my life is my body asking for a different kind of relationship - one with more listening, more recovery, more nourishment, more strength, more honesty, and letting go of old rules that no longer fit. Not in some perfect way, just an intentional one.

We’re not supposed to fight our changing body.

We’re supposed to learn how to partner with it.

Once we learn to adopt that narrative around our bodies, that’s where we start gaining trust, success and confidence around it.