Stroke is a significant health concern for women, particularly as they reach their 40s and beyond and one of the key causes of death for women. The risk factors associated with this condition often increase with age, being further heightened from perimenopause onwards.
This is due to several physiological changes that the female body undergoes during this period, including fluctuations in hormone levels and
Is motherhood the most demanding job in the world? Probably.
But does that give mums an excuse to not look after their bodies and wellbeing? Short answer: No. It just means they need to be a bit more creative about it and re-adjust both their habits and their expectations.
We are seeing much more research on the topic of mental health and specifically on the benefits of physical exercise on our mental well-being. For people with mental illness, there have been studies showing a significant improvement after just eight weeks of regular structured exercise.
But what about those of us who don’t, to our knowledge, have a mental illness, but go through periods when our mental health is challenged? It could be because we’re feeling low and depressed or highly strung and anxious? It could be due to a sad event in our lives, a tense relationship, the inevitability of a third El Niño summer, isolation and uncertainty due to a worldwide pandemic, low body image or lack of confidence and self-esteem.
Perimenopause and menopause are a defining period for women’s health as this is the time when major illnesses . . . like Osteoporosis . . . take hold in due to the massive drop in estrogen production in the body. Estrogen is fundamental for bone repair and rejuvenation, and without this, our bones can become brittle and more susceptible to degeneration and fractures.
I'm seeing alot more women in their 40s and 50s who have already been diagnosed with osteopenea, and
Hands up if you’ve ever had, or regularly have an “Oops” moment when you’re exerting yourself, either in a daily activity like laughing (I hope laughing is a daily thing for you 😂) or when doing exercise or a high impact activity. You know, that feeling of momentarily losing control of your pelvic floor. Leakage and/or pelvic floor discomfort is far more common than you would think. Most women will heal well after pregnancy, provided that they don’t rush into exercise faster than their body allows them too. Thankfully . . .
Research indicates that the initial stages of dementia or memory loss can commence during perimenopause, though the signs may not become apparent for years or even decades. This early cognitive decline often goes unnoticed and differs from the transient "brain fog" many experience due to fatigue, stress, or hormonal changes.
Stroke is a significant health concern for women, particularly as they reach their 40s and beyond and one of the key causes of death for women. The risk factors associated with this condition often increase with age, being further heightened from perimenopause onwards.
This is due to several physiological changes that the female body undergoes during this period, including fluctuations in hormone levels and
We are seeing much more research on the topic of mental health and specifically on the benefits of physical exercise on our mental well-being. For people with mental illness, there have been studies showing a significant improvement after just eight weeks of regular structured exercise.
But what about those of us who don’t, to our knowledge, have a mental illness, but go through periods when our mental health is challenged? It could be because we’re feeling low and depressed or highly strung and anxious? It could be due to a sad event in our lives, a tense relationship, the inevitability of a third El Niño summer, isolation and uncertainty due to a worldwide pandemic, low body image or lack of confidence and self-esteem.
Perimenopause and menopause are a defining period for women’s health as this is the time when major illnesses . . . like Osteoporosis . . . take hold in due to the massive drop in estrogen production in the body. Estrogen is fundamental for bone repair and rejuvenation, and without this, our bones can become brittle and more susceptible to degeneration and fractures.
I'm seeing alot more women in their 40s and 50s who have already been diagnosed with osteopenea, and
Hands up if you’ve ever had, or regularly have an “Oops” moment when you’re exerting yourself, either in a daily activity like laughing (I hope laughing is a daily thing for you 😂) or when doing exercise or a high impact activity. You know, that feeling of momentarily losing control of your pelvic floor. Leakage and/or pelvic floor discomfort is far more common than you would think. Most women will heal well after pregnancy, provided that they don’t rush into exercise faster than their body allows them too. Thankfully . . .
The whole subject of ‘the core’ a bit confusing and misleading. Different people have different theories of what it actually entails and which muscles we are actually talking about.
And assuming we have a strong core, what does it look like? What does that mean from a movement perspective? Does it mean that we have ripped 6-pack abs? Does it mean that we are slimmer in the waist? And what does it have to do with back pain or knee pain?
Confused? We hear alot about hip flexors and why it’s important to work them. But should we stretch or strengthen them? I think we all get to a point where we don’t know what we should be doing and why.
In today’s video I tackle this topic head on.. where the hip flexors are, what they do, why they need strengthening and why they need stretching (yes, that’s a strong clue 😉 )
Our gluteal muscles are an important part of our core and when they work efficiently, they help to keep us balanced, aligned, powerful and able to walk, run and jump with ease.
Weakness in these muscles can often be seen in people as they get older. Without a fitness regime that includes some glute work, our glutes lose their tone (flat or no bum syndrome) , and more importantly their functionality as a hip stabiliser.
Specifically, our glute muscles are important for
Do you often find yourself with sore knee/s and not sure what caused it. Or are you constantly getting injured Are you feeling this more than you did a few years ago even though you are doing less?
Often it is our daily movement patterns that make us more vulnerable to injury. As we get a bit older, and our body gets less forgiving, we find ourselves more vulnerable to injury and pain.
The most obvious solution: To move more and keep those joints lubricated! But it has to be in the right way.
This has happened to me a few times now at social gatherings. When I’ve mentioned to people that I am a Pilates instructor, some of them share their story of how they tried it once or twice, and they were either so sore that they never went back, or they just felt too uncomfortable trying to the exercises.
I must admit, there was a time when I would have shrugged off such comments, just assuming that it was not their ‘thing’ …. until I too had a bad Pilates experience.
Did your mum nag you when you were a kid to stop slouching, pull your shoulders back and sit tall? My mum still does this to me now! :)
The forward upper back hunch posture - kyphosis - is something we used to associate with older age. But it is becoming much more common in younger people.
A question I get asked quite often by clients with kyphosis is whether we can reverse it. Are there are any exercises that will help to turn back time and straighten our upper back? Can you fix a bad posture?
My wrists hurt when I do push ups; I don't have the wrist strength to do upper body exercises; How can I make my wrists stronger?
Wrist weakness and discomfort is something I hear very often from women and a key reason why they don't do upper body exercises like planks and pushups or pressups. But these types of moves are very important for all women - especially as you reach menopause and beyond.
Check out this video for a few exercises and drills that you can do to start building your wrist strength.
Self-love, in its modern form, is an interesting concept. We could describe it as looking after yourself better, being kinder and more forgiving to yourself, accepting and being comfortable in your own skin. To most women, self-love is closely associated with body image. But if you’re not happy with your body, it can be difficult to even like yourself, let alone love yourself at times.
According to one international survey by Dove a few years ago, 84% of women regularly have negative thoughts about their appearance. This feeling of inadequacy with appearance then extends to
WHAT NSW HEALTH SHOULD BE TELLING US ABOUT COVID
With many experts now claiming that almost everyone will have ‘a date with COVID’, we can resign ourselves to living with Covid-19 for years. After all, strains of the 1918 pandemic still exist in modern day flus.
This is a scary scenario as we are already so weary of mask wearing, isolating, missing important events in the lives of people we love and living with the stress and fear of what a date with Covid might do to us.
As we are now over two years into the pandemic, there is enough data and research findings on what makes some people more likely to get chronically ill from Covid-19. And yet, NSW Health and other health authorities are not sharing any of this information in a way that can help us to be better prepared for the longer term.
Dry skin, muscle cramps, headaches, dizziness and seasonal depression; these are all symptoms of dehydration, at any time of year.
In warmer weather it is easier to gauge when we are thirsty. We crave refreshment and coolness and we perspire more. In cold weather however, We miss many of the usual cues from our body. Our sweat turns into vapour and we lose hydration by breathing, especially when it is cold and dry. We can feel up to 40% less thirsty than in summer even though our bodies still need the same amount of hydration year-round.
Women are far more likely than men to suffer from thyroid issues, especially in their 40s or 50s as they approach menopause.
Nothing works in isolation in the body. The drop in estrogen and progesterone levels at this time of life impact the entire endocrine system, and from there, the rest of the body. The thyroid is It is important for your metabolism, your heart rate and your body temperature. It helps regulate your weight, your mood, your bone and brain health.
Insomnia and inability to sleep are a 'perk' of midlife for many women.... and the flow on effect of bad or no sleep on to general health and other menopausal symptoms is massive. Weight gain, stress, hot flushes, anxiety, irritation, anger, brain fog and the list goes on.
It is a chicken and egg situation and no two women have the same hormonal response to perimenopause & menopause. But.... there a few hacks that you can put in place to help you sleep better.
Did you know that heart disease is the largest killer of women in the world? In Australia, heart disease causes almost three times as many deaths in women as breast cancer. And yet, all the public health awareness campaigns for heart attacks tend to target men and male heart attack symptoms, which can be very different to female symptoms.
